Why You’re Stuck—and the #1 Fix That Works for 90% of My Clients
Let’s be real:
If you’re feeling stuck with your training, it’s not because you’re "missing some secret workout" or you "just need more motivation."
It’s almost always because you’re repeating the same inputs and expecting a different outcome.
Most people plateau because their training lacks intentional progression — and the body adapts faster than you think.
The good news?
There’s a simple fix that works for almost everyone I coach:
👉 Structured Progressive Overload with Built-in Skill Adaptation
Let’s break this down.
Why You’re Plateauing (According to Science)
Your body is a machine designed to survive.
When you give it the same stressors over and over, it adapts, and growth slows down.
This is called the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) — a physiological model first introduced by Dr. Hans Selye (Selye, 1950).
In simple terms:
New stress = Growth
Repeated stress without adjustment = Stagnation
Excessive stress = Breakdown
If your workouts look the same every week — same exercises, same rep ranges, same intensity — you’re telling your body:
"No need to change. I’ve got this handled."
That's why you’re stuck.
The #1 Fix: Structured Progressive Overload (Not Random PR Chasing)
Now, most people have heard of progressive overload.
But here’s where they screw it up:
They think it’s only about lifting heavier
They rush it
They don’t adjust variables systematically (like tempo, range of motion, volume, skill difficulty)
True progressive overload, especially in calisthenics and functional strength work, is about gradually increasing the challenge while maintaining perfect form and joint control.
👉 Example from my clients:
Instead of doing push-ups forever, we progress to pseudo-planche pushups, tuck planche holds, planche leans, and eventually full planche work.
We track not just reps, but also how long they hold shapes, how clean the movement is, and how much control they have.
Progress isn’t just "more weight" — it’s better quality under harder conditions.
This method keeps the nervous system adapting without trashing the joints — and that’s why it works for 90%+ of the athletes and professionals I coach.
Bonus Tip: Stop Overstimulating, Start Overloading
Here’s a killer mindset shift:
Stimulus ≠ Growth. Adaptation to the right stimulus = Growth.
Hammering your body with 20 different exercises just exhausts you.
Smart, calculated overload on a few targeted skills builds mastery.
📈 Fewer exercises.
📈 More intention.
📈 Faster progress.
Ready to Get Unstuck for Good?
If you’ve been spinning your wheels, there’s no shame in it — but there’s also no reason to stay stuck.
Apply my progressive system inside a coaching program customized for your goals.
We’ll build a real plan to smash your plateaus and unlock the next level of strength.
Let’s get after it.
No more guesswork. No more plateaus.
Talk soon,
Gavin
References
Selye, H. (1950). Stress and the General Adaptation Syndrome. British Medical Journal, 1(4667), 1383–1392. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.1.4667.1383
Schoenfeld, B. J. (2010). The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and Their Application to Resistance Training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(10), 2857–2872. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e840f3
Fry, A. C. (2004).
