Why is this? Well, let's back up to a quick recap of the basic physiological facts behind muscular growth. Muscle growth is not something that comes by itself - your body prefers to stay the same unless forced elsewise. This is done by training overload, such as using heavier weights in combination with proper nutrition and adequate rest.
Voilà - the three cornerstones of muscular growth! However, at one point your progress will start flattening out - hitting the plateau, or the wall if you so prefer. Assuming that you keep eating and resting enough, the cause must lie in the first variable - your training (but by all means, do not forget to consider the possibility of overtraining - read the signs in previously published article: "Overtraining - the Demon of the Natural trainer").
Remember the first few months when you started training? Right - your body virtually exploded, no matter what form and crazy training schedule you followed. Then it started slowing down, and now it's mainly a long period of nothing, then you get a little progress for a while, like a month or two, followed by another 6 months of nothing. Recognize the pattern? Well, most of us have been there. And the good news is that there's a way out!
In fact, there are two ways to break out of this; One good and one bad. One will last for many years, help you live a long and healthy life, and one will make you burn out, turn you into a physical wreck in the long run and possibly get you behind bars for a year or two if being caught. Needless to say, I'm talking about Periodization vs. Illegal drugs.
In the initial phase, the latter may be a little ahead of the first, but boy! Five years in the future, when you've either lost your hair and wife (thanks to temper outbursts or crashed sexlife) or learned how to work WITH your body than against it, I can assure you the roles are the opposite.
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