What to do when you stall: the deload
Dropping the weight by 10% at the right time is the fastest way to start progressing again.
Sooner or later a weight refuses to move. Grinding at the same attempt week after week rarely works: fatigue builds up, technique gets worse and the risk of aches goes up.
The three-miss rule
If you don't complete the target reps at the same weight for three sessions in a row, drop that exercise by 10% and build back up from there with the normal increments. AppGym spots it on its own and suggests it when you finish the exercise.
Why stepping back works
- A few weeks with slightly lighter loads clear the accumulated fatigue without losing fitness.
- You go back through familiar weights with better technique and more confidence.
- When you reach the weight that was stuck, you arrive fresher and usually get past it.
Deloading one exercise or everything
The above is a deload for a single exercise. If what you notice is general tiredness for several days (poor sleep, lost strength across the board, aching joints, low motivation), what you need is a whole easy week: the same reps with around 60% of your usual weight.
Before lowering the weight, check the basics
- Sleep: with less than seven hours it's hard to progress.
- Food: if you're losing weight, stalling in strength is to be expected.
- Rest between sets: make sure you aren't cutting it short.
- Technique: sometimes a plateau is really a range of motion that has been getting shorter.