I'm giving this to you now because some members have been asking the same questions. It's written toward Power 90 but is every bit as pertinent for Slim in 6 or any other exercise program. I'm sure the final version in the newsletter will change so you should read it also, but here is a rough draft...


It’s part of the body’s natural process to hit a plateau because it’s always trying to regulate itself. Your body is a creature of habit. To maximize any exercise routine you need to break habits from time to time. Most athletes train in 4 to 6 week blocks where they work on one energy system: capillarity, endurance, power, etc. Within these few weeks you usually see an adaptive phase, where the body learns how to do the new set of exercises. This is followed by a growth phase, when the body is responding to these exercises and is changing. When graphed it looks like a ski slope because you’re making rapid changes. Once your body gets good, or efficient, at these exercises they don’t cause as much trauma and you begin to get less effect out of the same program. The “ski slope” starts to level off and starts to resemble a plateau. If this program is continued the line will go completely flat, or even start to dip the other way because of overuse.

Power 90 is broken up into 4 phases. While you only change your actual workout once throughout the period, each phase has an adaptive phase and an overload phase that looks a bit like this:

Phase I: Adaptive phase. Your body gets used to the movements and schedule.
Phase II: Growth phase. You are now used to the exercises and can push much harder. Resistance (weight) is added to the Sculpt workouts and you get better at the cardio movements as you start to master it.
Phase III: Another adaptive phase when you get used to the change in workouts.
Phase IV: Another growth phase. Resistance should be added continually throughout Power 90.

Most sound fitness programs follow some similar type of plan. However, this alone does not keep plateaus from occurring. They can and will effect everyone that engages in any exercise program, from couch potato to Olympian. In fact, the more finely tuned your body is, the harder it is to avoid plateaus, mainly because there is less margin of error to play with. But even though they are a natural part of the process, it does not mean that we have to give in to them. At some point along your Power 90 path, you are likely to encounter a plateau. Here are 5 tips to help you snap out of it.

1. Take a week off. Often times, your body is overtrained, exhausted, and just in need of a break. If you are finding it suddenly difficult to get through a workout that was easy the week before, it may be time to back off. This doesn’t mean quit exercising. It means cutting down on the intensity. Drop some weight or go back to Phase I/II. Make it so that you finish workouts feeling refreshed rather than knackered. When your energy level returns, launch back into your workouts harder than before.
2. Turn the screws a notch. The antithesis of the above, sometimes you need to go the other way and ramp things up. The easiest way to do this is to add resistance. Change bands or add weight so that you start failing at around 8 reps on all of the exercises. This will mean that you need to constantly change resistance through the workout. Strive to take this new weight back to 15 reps on all exercises. This added intensity will force your body to adapt and turn that line skyward again.
3. Streamline your diet. It’s time to stop slacking off. If you’ve been giving yourself little rewards for a job well done (good idea in general), then it’s time to stop. Get serious. Pretend you’re Tony and cut out all garbage. And make sure you’re getting enough protein. Broken down muscle tissue needs protein to re-build.
4. Add some morning cardio. 20 minutes or more of easy to moderate level cardio in the morning on an empty stomach can have your metabolism steamrollin’ once again. You can actually train your body to more efficiently use stored fat as fuel and this is one of the easiest ways to do it.
5. Cut out 500 calories per day. If everything else seems fine and you’re at wit’s end, then try this. Make sure that you’re cutting out either junk or food across the board because when restricting calories, you need to make sure that you get all of your nutrients. But 500 calories per day works out to 3,500 per week, and that’s a pound without any other changes at all!

Thank you for that info Tony.
I hit two major plateau's.Once right after day 60 and once again when I didn't even expect it about two weeks ago (I think it had something to do with my plunging into a few of my cravings for carbs).Well, I made myself STOP IT and upped my protein intake on the in between meal snacks and made myself cut out any extra sugar I was eating and work out a little bit harder with the resistance etc... I feel great again.I even have the energy to work out a second time after my day job. Day 90 is next week ! Thank you.

I have been at a plateau for the last 2 weeks, and I was doing 1/2. I found myself getting bored. But I just switched to 3/4, and now I am feeling much better. I am concerned that in several weeks (before the end), I will hit it again. But I will try some of these tips and hopefully one of them will work!

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Thanks Steve. This is a great post. I know after SB, I took a few extra days off. My body told me I needed it. I'm still going strong, but I do look forward to doing something new. PHH will be able to do that for me. I look forward to mixing both Power 90 and PHH together. I am so close to being where I want to be. I love the changes in my body, but I still have some more to go. I have noticed the changes are happening slower now. I assume it's because my body had become accustomed to all this work. I think I would find it too frustrating or boring to go back to level 1/2 at this point. I believe for me, as well, it's just a matter of fine tuning those last hurrah areas. I know they are more stubborn than the rest. I did measure myself the other day, and although my waist is the same, probably because it has no more fat left there, but my thighs have lost close to another inch off of each since day 90. My hips are still the same though. I definately have a bit more to go from the butt area.
So, will the variation that PHH brings also help to combat the plateau?
I don't want to take more time off. I was so sore when I came back to Power 90 after that week break.
If I just keep varying my routine, will that shift keep the body developing? I've been thinking of signing up for Power Yoga and Pilates classes to give my body something different to do.
Once again, thanks for the advice. Much appreciated. - Taylore

I would say to experiment and then change what you do each 4 to 6 weeks. Take notes on which programs you like and whick you didn't. Soon you will know yourself better than any fitness expert can. This is an essential ingredient to maximizing you own physical potential. There is more specific advice that I could give but, for now, I think that is the best plan. After a few cycles of this ask again if you'd like some more ideas.

This is just what so many of us need!! The plateaus are GOING to happen...but we can get over them!!

Thanks Steve for this post! Very helpful.

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paintchick