Conquering Fitness Plateaus: How to Break Through and Keep Progressing

Written By: Kaylie Gragnano

Hitting a fitness plateau can be frustrating. You’ve been putting in the effort, but suddenly, progress stalls—your strength gains slow, the scale doesn’t budge, and your endurance doesn’t seem to improve. The good news? Plateaus are a normal part of the fitness journey, and with the right strategies, you can push past them and continue making progress.

Recognizing a Fitness Plateau

A plateau occurs when your body adapts to your current routine, making it harder to see noticeable improvements. If your weight loss has stalled, your strength isn’t increasing, or your workouts feel easier without results, you’ve likely hit one. Fatigue, a decrease in motivation, or lingering soreness can also signal that your routine needs an adjustment.

The Power of Progressive Overload and Recovery

One of the most effective ways to overcome a plateau is by applying progressive overload—gradually increasing the intensity of your workouts. This can mean lifting heavier weights, adding extra reps, increasing resistance, or reducing rest time between sets. Your muscles need new challenges to grow stronger, so small adjustments over time can lead to big results.

Equally important is recovery. Overtraining without adequate rest can actually cause plateaus by preventing muscle repair and growth. Prioritizing rest days, getting quality sleep, and incorporating mobility work like stretching or foam rolling can enhance recovery and keep your body performing at its best.

When to Change Up Your Routine

If your workouts feel repetitive, it might be time for a change. Switching up your exercises, trying different workout styles, or increasing the duration of your sessions can shock your body out of stagnation. For example, if you’ve been focusing on strength training, adding in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or endurance-based activities could provide the variation your body needs.

Nutrition also plays a role in breaking through plateaus. Ensuring you’re eating enough protein for muscle repair, balancing macronutrients, and staying hydrated can support continued progress.

Rather than getting discouraged by a plateau, view it as an opportunity to reassess your routine and make adjustments. By challenging your body with progressive overload, prioritizing recovery, and switching up your workouts when needed, you’ll continue pushing forward and achieving new fitness milestones.

But don't take it from us! We love gym member Kayla's testimony on weight loss, mental health and breaking plateaus! Read her thoughts below:

"Going to be vulnerable with you for a moment. the photo of me on the left may not have negative connotation to you, but to me, it’s me post-partum, over weight, and unhappy with my body. The right? One year difference after coming back to MVP Dance Fit. MVP is more than just Swerk, I say this very loudly if you follow me and my fitness journey as an instructor and as someone making daily intentions to work on my personal health, and other women’s health.

MVP Dance Fit is a community of love, health, wellness, positivity, encouragement, empowerment, and accountability. We are family. We are a FitFam. We are a unit. We build together. We train together. We pick eachother up. We notice eachother. We pour into one another. We create positive environments for women working towards the common goal; our health. Health is more than just fitness. Health is mental wellness, self esteem, confidence, emotional stability, physical stability; etc. We at MVP want to help you achieve every aspect of health that you are so eager to change and bring positive energy and intention to.

What is your 2025 fitness resolution?

Wanting to lose weight from the holidays?

Trying to lose the baby weight after having a baby?

Want to tone up your belly, arms, legs and back?

Or do you want to lose 10, 20, 30, 50, 100 pounds?

Being apart of MVP is more than just twerking (though that is a huge plus!) It’s working on fitness and endurance without a “regular” workout/workout class. It’s working on mental, physical and emotional health all in one go. It’s building friendships and family. It’s holding each other accountable.

It’s personal. It’s personable. It’s welcoming. It’s loving. It’s empowering. It’s family."

-Kayla Massengale- Swerk®️ Dance Fitness Instructor