Plateauing is YOUR OWN FAULT!

[@steezmonster92]

my mom said it's YOUR fault i'm plateauing Alan.

[@kyrsp33dysolderpicture28]

*you're

[@steezmonster92]

*your giving me a weiner turn on rn

[@kyrsp33dysolderpicture28]

dont blame yourself

[@mr.schrader1093]

my mom said it's you are fault...? How on earth does that make sense?

[@kyrsp33dysolderpicture28]

you are an bitch

[@dancairns318]

His remarks about sleep are true. When I got an extra 2 hours of sleep each night, I broke every plateau. I didn't change anything else.

[@BeyondPrideMF]

+Dan Cairns lol yeah. today i was awake from 2-4:30 am because i simply couldn't fall asleep! i was still able to progress but i felt like shit and just in general i was so much weaker on every lift :D

[@Monna7777777]

+Semper Fidelis how could you not fall asleep?

[@BeyondPrideMF]

Monna7777777 well idk... had a lot of things going through my head, was dreaming of the movie i just watched, trouble with my gf and my room was so warm and stuffy >.

[@Monna7777777]

Semper Fidelis i ahte it when it is warm. could you not open an window? can you not turn off the thaugts in ur head?

[@BeyondPrideMF]

Monna7777777 haha, i did but then it got too cold ;) no, in this case i couldn't...can you?

[@thegeneralleelafleur]

"Being strong is a lifestyle"

[@thechris312]

*Watching at 2 AM** oh uh, I'll just close this tab then...

[@Deondre_Clark]

I think to a point everyone knows this but it's great to hear put out there in no uncertain terms. Honesty is the best motivator

[@dexistence19]

+Deondre Clark Well said

[@drb4074]

+Deondre Clark Unfortunately, too many do not know it. They've been inundated with "fitness related" programming on tv, YT, internet messageboards, and Hollywood where they think there is nothing worse, absolutely positively nothing worse, than putting on 5 lbs of fat. So they want to get "strong" (or at least strong looking) like their idols and simply will not eat to do it.

[@americanmambi]

+Deondre Clark Honesty is your BEST coach too....

[@myfreetime123]

gravity is just fucked up on some days. Messes up my equation dawg

[@tonybarfridge4369]

That's true. Depends on the Sun and Moon. Full moon time is best for low rep success. Gravity is stronger at sea level and weakest at high altitude such as mountains. Also time passes there a little slower, meaning u will get more work output in a set time. Not much mind u but think about it!

[@TelowVaughnMusic]

Innerspeaker. Nice.

[@somebodyyouusedtoknow8600]

Nerds! I like it

[@YouWillNeverKnowMan]

"Food is your fuel. Lifting weights is just a spark". That's beautiful, man.

[@robvas]

You are never going to squat 500lbs eating s peanut butter sandwich and a gogurt for lunch - lol

[@gavindeal9103]

My favorite part lmao

[@logancooper6062]

I read this comment as he was saying that.🙏

[@benchgoblin]

challenge accepted

[@PerryBattles]

Alan, I've concluded that you are a viking.

[@HonkTheMusic]

Skål

[@danniseliger5172]

But only a thrall

[@vinzchannel01]

a half Throll

[@fishingdude8212]

Skål! - from norway😂🐻

[@CrazyGming]

FishingDude Skål - from Denmark🍻

[@shadowmuffin36]

"Eat McDoubles and McFlurries" i heard him say it!

[@ZeRo8625]

yeah, I heard it too!

[@2Much2lose]

nathan sauer I’m taking his advice right now! McFlurry for breakfast!

[@bustystone]

GAINS = [{ FOOD } ∩ { SLEEP }] ∩ { EXERCISE }

[@OneDerscoreOneder]

they're not probabilities... it's just gains = exercise(food+sleep)

[@mike-su1is]

Everything in life is math

[@arnv4487]

@@OneDerscoreOneder Yo ur equation is incorrect anyways beacause if you make food = 0, for example), u get that exercise by sleep = gains. If you exercise and sleep without any food you would lose gains, and I'm assuming that gains is positive because of the context.

[@jessexknight]

brackets are irrelevant

[@frankchen4229]

@William Boyle precisely. a more appropriate notion would be U.

[@rdub5000]

Great points! Sleeping still remains one of the most overlooked aspects of training and overall health in general. People forget that recovery is just as important for training as the actual training.

[@TylerYeagerPowerlifter]

Another huge point is a lot of people use too much weight. They will use their best ever lifts to plug into percentages for their programs. Its always better to start too light than too heavy. This is a big reason why people plateau as well as the things you mentioned.

[@moyusuf2494]

Damn, this hit me so hard. Past 3 months I've been eating shit and sleeping 6 hours max. I'm going to start from TODAY. Thank you Alan.

[@WhatsAfterThisPlace]

+Mo Yusuf Most humans only need 6 hrs of sleep. The goal is for proper nutrition and hard work in the gym.

[@GlennGJ100]

+WhatsAfterThisPlace Good luck making gains on 6 hrs of sleep. You'll be tired as fuck and your muscles won't get the optimal recovery. An absolute bare minumum is 7 hours, but I would say 8, 9 or 10 is optimal for most people. Btw none of this applies to anyone who is taking stimulants.

[@Kinbote00]

+WhatsAfterThisPlace 'most humans' aren't in the gym regularly trying to make gains, so even if that's true it's irrelevant.

[@WhatsAfterThisPlace]

Vegetable Madness Ⓥ When I went vegan my sleep need went down to 6hrs instead of 8+. And it is completely false that you wont recover, I have been making GREAT progress with just 6hrs of sleep. The only reason I sleep 6 hrs is because I literally cant sleep any longer, my mind goes nuts and I get a headache. Also I don't take any stimulants or supplements, I only eat nutritious food and work hard at the gym. That's it.

[@WhatsAfterThisPlace]

Kinbote00 Read the first initial comment. It was directed towards that.

[@Sinisterg60]

I needed to hear this. I was freaking out because I've stalled 3 workouts in a row on squats and after hearing this and really looking hard at my habits outside the gym (sleeping like shit, not hitting my calorie requirements for the day, always under) I now know I need to work much harder on these and I will get passed this. Thanks Alan!

[@K-xor]

How did it go?

[@CooperCarr]

More hair than face. Powerful.

[@jayhh4508]

"it hurts my ears when I hear people playing the victim" truth brother!!!

[@JohnWedderburn]

This is such good advice - as an older (40+) lifter I find that work stress and/or lack of sleep has a massive impact on my gains and performance in the gym - it's one of the biggest changes I've noticed when I compare myself to my 1.0 version from the past.

[@upgradeiself1603]

THE LION HAS SPOKEN

[@justinlentz7661]

"you are not gonna squat 500 pounds eating a peanut butter sandwich and a gogurt for lunch." Not sure why but I laughed so hard at this Thank u Alan

[@Slimcognito3]

5:37 Alan Thrall is a 5% confirmed

[@SatSao]

+Jerry Ye whatever it takes

[@ultrafloss492]

Ohhhhh you heard that too!! I was hoping he would quote something and use 5% as a general example just to get it in there, lol.

[@Asmondian]

+Jerry Ye what is a 5%?

[@ultrafloss492]

Tyler Durden oh nooo, really? Bro please search for 'Rich Piana' asap. Do watch a couple of videos in which Rich talks so you get what he does etc.

[@Asmondian]

ultrafloss492 xD please... i'd kill for a good definition.

[@binishflash]

"STOP BEING A LITTLE BITCH" - Alan Thrall (2016)

[@Fonzleberry]

Words to live by.

[@tonybarfridge4369]

Yeah I'm gonna make a motivational sign. Need to be determined.

[@arthur78]

It's funny I came to this exact realization on my own yesterday regarding my plateau. Still great hearing it straight from the man.

[@CardModFilms]

Need to watch this another 25 times i think

[@31scottyk]

The Internet thanks you for this. Seriously a lot of people need to pay attention to this

[@future62]

People do indeed confuse simple for easy. I say that all the time. Great video. I agree 100%

[@s241914]

Actually, I think a better analogy would be training hard but never taking care of the stuff outside of the gym, then wondering why you're plateauing which is akin to acing all your tests but you never did any homework outside the classroom and then wondering why you failed the class. (I know from experience... Yikes.) Sometimes it's not what you do in the gym (or classroom), it's what you do outside of it.

[@Jerzius]

Thank you. A lot of people need this. If you want to be strong on this or that bidyweight. You are already limiting yourself on becoming strong. So the very reason you want to be strong is the reason you are not progressing.

[@ImaWreckU]

"Eat REAL FOOD" Alan Thrall confirmed 5% whatever it takes.

[@GeneghisKhan]

Great video as usual. That mentality applies to any goal, really. Remaining discontent is easier, happier, and beneficial for you whether you consciously agree or not. It's why authentic commitment and transformation is difficult. Somewhere deep down, somewhere subtle, you genuinly don't want to push your limits, eat like a champ, get good consistent sleep, improve mobility/flexibility, do cardio, whatever. Don't be a slave to a crappy lifestyle! Don't be a slave to weakness!

[@user-ko8jv9gp4q]

This is recommended 3 years later but good advice

[@enricogarro5884]

Couldnt agree more!!! I stuck with the same weights for several mounth and i Switch from Program to Program. Finally i understand that becoming stronger is hard and that you have to put all your effort in Order to achieve your goals

[@fdu6]

Damn, Alan. That shoulder video was damn, dang, darn good. Love it.

[@hokieneer17]

I needed this. Been lifting 3 years , and for the past year the progression/gains have been minimal. Sometimes I'll make some big gains on one particular movement, but then nothing for a long time. Been stuck around a 415-430 DL for a year. Bench around 250-265. Need to up my diet/sleep game. I've said the statement you mentioned in the vid several times, about being strong at my body weight.

[@Mister19Eleven]

You hear it from so many people and it's so true. I work a 12 hr shift schedule that flips from day to night shift every couple days resulting in me being constantly jet lagged every 5 days. Recently went home on holidays...got lots of consistent sleep, Mom made tons of food, stuffed myself for Christmas and guess what? Instant gains.

[@malcolmrff]

Thanks alan for telling me my love of eating is justified. I maxed out deadlifts this past weekend at 365. That was awesome

[@erebus79]

eat big to get big goddammit!

[@wuzgudbro2]

whatever it fucking takes!

[@Abudzin]

+Tovar right babe?

[@ImperatorBaldo]

Archaik85 4 scoops goddamit!

[@AmitKumar-ru8vq]

yahbuddy

[@MoreTrenMoreMen69]

did YOU eat enough today?!

[@codebreakerowns]

Recovery is also a significant factor here. Not just sleeping but overall relaxation outside the gym.

[@markuscwatson]

stop yelling at me

[@josh.griffiths]

One of your best videos by far! Straight to the point, and so simple. Too many people sugar coat it and tell people what they want to hear. Love it, keep up the good work Alan!

[@ravenstylea2]

Your videos are enThralling!!!

[@RockGuy182]

Probably the best video 80% of you will see. This, this right here. Nothing else, but this. Great video.

[@Yusuf1187]

When I was lifting in college I plataued way too fast and the gains were to slow to nonexistent for a long time until I eventually became discouraged and just stopped lifting altogether. There weren't all the great youtube channels out there at the time, which sucks because youtube makes all this info so much easier to come by. For some reason I didn't know how incredibly important that eating high calorie diets and getting good sleep were. I look back on myself now and just think how stupid I was and how I wasted all that time. But I'm getting back into it with new knowledge and I'm going to make it work this time.

[@MikeLee-tv3pz]

The man speaks truth. Getting stronger isn't complicated, it's just hard because it requires discipline

[@Mettttie]

I think most people plateau because of too much ego involved in their lifts, adding more weight too quickly and inproper form resulting from that... The patient lifter progresses the fastest!

[@apocalipsysfire]

Straight wisdom right there. You wouldnt believe the douchebags in my country, swinging weights and doing half reps with a spotter

[@trevor4521]

this is literally the greatest video on lifting ever. anyone looking to get better, stronger, etc. watch this asap. this doesnt apply to only lifting btw

[@JulianfDeane]

Alan, can I ask you why my program isn't working?

[@lanierwexford2582]

Fell into an Allen video hole this AM. This video feels like the opposite of the "Have you just tried caring less" this ones tag "Have you tried caring about what matters." Love you man. Good shit

[@kb50cal84]

Peanut butter sandwiches and a gogurt😂😭😭😂😭 I laughed so hard

[@dexistence19]

This is a fantastic wake up call for so many people (including myself). Thank you Alan.

[@brentseano344]

what if your an alcoholic

[@sonortubelug3853]

+brent seano No excuse - You need to be drinking more. Try adding in vodka shots or tequila with every pint of beer you drink.

[@waterdrinker9]

+Sonortubelug Take that tequila and makes some margaritas. Load up on those calories and carbs.

[@brentseano344]

+Sonortubelug its funny cos i do have tequila shots after every turkey and dry

[@larrymasterspowerbuildingc4477]

+brent seano alcoholics are the most self serving douche bag losers out there. the fucked up thing is that when someone is a true alcoholic, their body tries to use the hangover poisons that their liver will make as fuel instead of the food they eat. that's why alcoholics have runny, lumpy, poorly digested food shits all the time and their assholes itch like crazy, because their shit is off balance as far as pH. their shit is highly alkaline, like battery acid, and it makes their buttholes itch all day the next day after a night f drinking.

[@Matt-kh6te]

+brent seano alcohol ruins your sleep so don't expect to get stronger

[@cognizantdissonance7578]

Some really great advice here and honesty about how gains are made. I always hate the excuses people throw at me at the gym, everyone/thing/else is the reason they aren't making progress. I always tell em "priorities" and "if you want it bad enough, you WILL get it" I wish I could just pull out this video and show it every time someone justifies their lack of enthusiasm or intensity in (or outside) of the gym. I think one huge problem is people are interested in fitness for all the wrong reasons like the approval of others instead of constant and never ending self improvement being the reason, which we should all aspire for in every aspect of our lives.

[@vvhjk]

Just came from Omar's channel, never knew about this one. Subbed !

[@clarkdowns3913]

"Being strong is a lifestyle" I Love it

[@zZSakiZz]

holy shit this guy is fucking motivating man! cheers lad

[@Edoxil]

Every fitness chanel needs a video like this one. Thanks Allan!

[@MrElias97]

I've been stuck on 10kgs curls for 6 years pls help

[@crazygoat85]

+MrElias97 Do Rich Piana's 8-hour arm workout. You will add 5 inches to your arms in 5 weeks.

[@MrElias97]

if i do a 16-hours arm workout twice a day, will my erectors grow then?

[@TwoStupidGeniuses]

+MrElias97 they will grow an inch a week for every hour you do daily. I speak from experience, my arms are thicker than my legs

[@bubbles6883]

You have to live it

[@darrenshanm]

Thank you for posting this, after watching this, my mindset has been changed. I have a lot more good lifting days than bad days but on those bad days, my mindset suffers a lot. I have to make these changes in my diet and sleep. Absolutely loved this

[@c3pobutworse]

3:53 Oh shoot, Alan is watching me.

[@simonreeves2625]

It's this kind of straight talking, no bullshit attitude that I needed to hear today. Will eat more. Will succeed. Cheers

[@AOEclipse]

Alan your channel is the best. A message that we all needed to hear. Sweet video

[@BeyondPrideMF]

the sleep one is crucial. you just lack the focus on your workouts!

[@TedMusic]

That rich piana vibe when alan said “you have to eat real food” and “whatever it fucking takes” lol

[@wulf67]

You're still going to hit plateaus. I got fat as fuck and slept like a baby doing 3x5 and still hit plateaus where I had to repeatedly deload, and then just did some other shit in life for a few weeks or months and came back to it and made progress again. Plateaus happen, and they are not always just as simple as not eating and sleeping enough. Sometimes the body needs to adapt to the rigors of linear progression, and it will let you know.

[@roffelsaurus]

+wulf67 periodization is not much talked about, but it is kind of necessary after a couple of years.

[@boxlad7583]

Bull shit bro, if you do everything right, eat, sleep and exercise and your genetics are mediocre even, you can make huge gains, I bet you did something wrong

[@wulf67]

Elias Yazigi LOL noob

[@climbscience4813]

He's 100% on point. I've tracked every set that I did for over a year now and the best progress that I made was in the 2 months after having a maintenance phase of 4 weeks due to a minor injury. I didn't have that level of progress at any point in time afterwards. However, I figured that out about 2 months ago, so I did another maintenance month followed by one month of intense training and voila, I had a PR on EVERY exercise I tested.

[@Fonzleberry]

Quantity and relevancy of accessory work also makes a difference. I hate doing lunges, but I know after doing 3 sets of 12 reps heavy (apart from nearly passing out), my squat will get better. But sometimes I get lazy, and I feel I've done enough work, but what happens. Next squat session I'm killing myself to make that 4kg overload from the previous session. When I do my accessory work (essentially hypertrophy stuff), and I do it well, my main lift progression is a lot smoother.

[@WallSK1997]

Love how you always keep it real man !

[@moriendus]

It's not just sleep and diet...my form sucks too, Alan.

[@tomjonesfitness]

Alan this is so on target, I've been a Powerlifter since 1971 and I've seen many competitors make several steps up in weight class, it's pure truth ask any of the greats even Coan did it.

[@MrRobocop12]

Having to eat a 1500+surplus to break a plateau means your program really sucks.

[@tonybarfridge4369]

1500 is a starvation diet. You will never grow on that

[@reezis1619]

+Tony Barfridge He said SURPLUS, which means if your TDEE is 2500, you eat 4000 without progress.

[@BatehamRadio]

+Tony Barfridge lmfao dumbass

[@rockstar-mt6gp]

@@tonybarfridge4369 , he said surplus

[@travis8106]

@@tonybarfridge4369 Everybody point and laugh!

[@AsianMacDaddy]

Alan keepin' it real. Sleep and optimal nutrition are absolutely key to progress. I've seen this myself. Currently eating at a surplus now and getting ready for my first powerlifting competition :).

[@RicardoPestana]

Why is there a wookiee talking English in the video?

[@erikec67]

You have your goals and expectations, and you have your commitment to achieving them (training, nutrition, lifestyle and sleep). If you aren't making progress, you are doing one or multiple things wrong. The longer you train, the more on point you have to be to continue to make gains.

[@avocado6623]

mmm Mcflurry's.

[@UnknownXV]

Spot on Alan. Lifting weights is xhildsplay relative to the real training that takes place in the kitchen. Eating enough good food and consistently getting quality sleep every day, that is the real work. And it's what makes the biggest difference. I've noticed it directly myself. one day after a good night's sleep I can rep out 125 lbs on the ohp, and another with poor sleep I couldn't even get one rep. it's a massive difference.

[@TypowyFitnesiak]

like b4 watching

[@oguem7185]

+TypowyFitnesiak in your videos you often say that your goal is to increase strenght without gaining body weight. don't you think it's just the opposite to what is alan talking about in this vid? i always wondered why you're so determined to maintain your BW if you don't even compete

[@TypowyFitnesiak]

recently I try to eat more, the DL progress satisfies me so far I try not to gain too much cause my goal is 2,5xBW deadlift :P

[@SinnedNogara]

+TypowyFitnesiak The dudes who do 2.5x bodyweight deadlifts who are light as shit have maxed out their muscular potential. If you look at Candito he's 5'7.

[@TypowyFitnesiak]

He did 655@169

[@SinnedNogara]

+TypowyFitnesiak How tall are you/much do you weigh anyway?

[@CodiTheJedi]

not eating enough is kicking my ass. Thanks for this bro. You're like the big bro i never had.

[@cauz3y]

So, this conflicts with your other video on the subject, where you say 5x5, 3x5, etc "eventually stop working". Maybe I'm missing something.

[@sugarsyrupp]

cauz3y was going to say the same thing

[@sugarsyrupp]

cauz3y I think he is talking to intermediate lifters and not beginners.

[@cauz3y]

That makes sense. Although it would be worth his time to do a video explaining more about why/what with these programs.

[@oscarstenberg2745]

He said that a 200 lb squatter need to make it work but a 500 lb squatter is a different thing. 5x5 works until your body has developed to a certain extent

[@perman07]

He specifically mentioned that if you are following a program with a "realistic progression". A realistic progression are 2 different things for a noob and for Brian Shaw.

[@jjjhs083]

no more being lazy in the kitchen, no more staying up late watching STUPID TV shows....this speaks to me, so motivational, thank you Alan Thrall!

[@FangsofYima]

Consume the world

[@jennoscura2381]

Athlean X has a video on how you can build muscle and lose fat at the same time. But you clearly need to get enough calories and nutrients. I think some people use bulking as an excuse to over eat. The goal is to get buff not fat. I am too fat so I am working on losing weight and getting stronger and buff. My plan is pretty simple. Lift 3 days a week and work on improving my diet. It doesn't matter how great a workout and eating plan is if you can't stick with it. That's why I am keeping it simple. I want something I can stick with. My ultimate goal would be to have a body like Meg from megsquats. She is jacked and not overly skinny.

[@sanrs1318]

you are up there in the youtubers i love like eliot hulse. cheers

[@williamlobley6544]

This was the kick up the ass I need. Thanks Allan!

[@ActionSetPieces]

Slipknot!!!!!!!

[@orangehash]

+intenseone This saddens me. At the Gates. Please explore the magic that is their music.

[@thighnostrils6669]

+intenseone Ehh too mainstream, and overrated

[@isaiahking3893]

I love that finally someone has said it. And i couldnt agree anymore. Once i actually started eating more and “better” and actually sleeping instead of spending hrs watching youtube i started to see alot more growth and progression. Also semper fi brother 🤙🏽

[@Bipson]

3:55, you're right. I'ma turn this video off right now and get to bed. Kisses.

[@tonymozarella7915]

It scares me how accurate he is when describing leg day. I just left the gym disappointed because I'm stuck at 225x5. Even had slipknot blasting.

[@troyamato1272]

Roses are red, My back do crack, When I don't eat or nap, And lift 5 pounds over my max.

[@sceptre000]

Dude, that was spot on... You are the man Alan!! ..

[@Remco9500]

That awkward moment when you are plateauing on 225 x 5 and you are 145 lbs

[@markuscwatson]

I'd say 225 lb x 5 isn't bad for a 145 lb person...

[@Remco9500]

+Mark Watson thank you sir

[@Lavabug]

+Avardy Layon That's actually damn good, you're not far off from a 2xBW 1RM. Keep at it and eat, possibly take a 10-15% reset.

[@Remco9500]

+Lavabug thanks! appreciate it

[@ceo.sha3020]

I plateauing at 195

[@mimao51]

Thrall is saying something that many fitness gurus forget to talk about which is nutrition, you got to eat well specially if your in a sport that exempts high demands on your body.

[@stu2729]

Whatever it takes baby! Live that 5% lifestyle! Sometimes I liquidize my food and mix it with my growth hormones in my syringe, to confuse my body ..... right babe?!

[@RamySalameh]

Just binge watched like 12 of your vids from Omar. Amazing channel. Can't believe it's the first time I'm coming across it.

[@blackpeople7927]

How did this get 81 dislikes? It's true

[@wesleygillis5061]

I like the mostly unedited raw content, hope to see more like this. Train Untamed!!

[@DumbGrunt.0311]

I eat so much at 14 years old. At the moment I'm laying in bed trying to keep down all the food I just ate.

[@avocado6623]

That sounds unhealthy.

[@dakotagower86]

Jeroen Vermunt lol yes it does

[@guyfierri1234]

Some say Travis is still trying to keep down the food he ate.

[@hecatrice2064]

Haha that's what I'm doing right now as well 😂

[@tonybarfridge4369]

You really don't want indigestion, do u? Don't pig out and don't eat near bedtime. You'll learn that the hard way if u keep doing it. It's a horrible thing.

[@josiahcriswell5585]

Solid advice! I've been chasing a 500 pound squat for over a year. I'm making gains, training smarter, and eating better... But I know I'm not getting enough sleep... Taking your advice to heart - gonna get me some Zzzzzz's and put them in some gainZzzzzzs!

[@Olordrin]

Just want to say thanks to Alan for continuing to put out quality videos. I'm not saying that the other channels are all fluff, but Alan's stuff is usually information rich and always worth watching. Just wanted to say thanks.

[@danhosking]

And DO NOT TOUCH THE BAR!!

[@rickthiel31]

Solid advice, To me adding progression in any workout is the easy part, throttling it to keep recovering...that's the hard part. As you said, Eating and Sleep are the mitigating factors that keep that throttle wound up.

[@aaronweeks1989]

love it, no bull shit, no sugar coating it, you want it fucking work for it

[@tylerbarth1876]

Respect dude. It really is a life style. For example, I work overnight. The sleep is 100% holding me back. It's on me to fix it, to change my lifestyle to be strong.