💪 Build Muscle (Plateau)

Insufficient stimulus or recovery

Gains stalled despite consistent hard training — the plateau of an experienced lifter, not a novice.

Move — the mechanics that fix it: Progressive overload — the only thing that truly breaks a plateau

Anchor on heavy compounds (squat, RDL/deadlift, bench, row, pull-up, overhead press) — they load the most muscle under tension. Progress with DOUBLE PROGRESSION: hold a rep range (e.g. 6–12), add a rep every session until you hit the top across all working sets, then add load and reset. Take each hard set to 0–2 reps in reserve, with a controlled 2–3s eccentric and a full stretch at the bottom (lengthened partials at the end of a set add growth). Run 10–20 hard sets per muscle per week; add 2–4 sets to a muscle that has stalled. REST 2–3 min between hard sets — longer rest keeps volume-load high and builds more muscle than short pump rests. Then recover it: 1.6–2.2 g/kg protein, 7–9h sleep, and a deload (halve the volume) every 4–8 weeks.

• Bench Dips
• Bent-Knee Hip Raise
• Chin-Up
• Bodyweight Squat

Fuel — foods to fuel it

• Whey protein isolate (local SG)
• Chicken Breast (steamed, no skin) (local SG)
• Fish Soup (sliced, with rice) (local SG)
• Salmon (cooked) (local SG)
• Sardines (canned in water) (local SG)
• Eggs (2, whole, cooked) (local SG)

Daily nutrient targets: protein: 130g (goal), kcal: 2400kcal (goal)

Stack — evidence-ranked compounds

• Creatine Monohydrate — ★★★★★
• Whey / Casein Protein — ★★★★★
• EAAs / BCAAs — ★★★☆☆
• HMB (β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyrate) — ★★★☆☆
• Beta-Alanine — ★★★★☆
• Caffeine — ★★★★★

Open the Fuel Tracker for this protocol →

Educational protocol, not medical advice.