1 Substitute multijoint movements for isolation exercises.
Because they recruit a large amount of muscle mass, multijoint exercises trigger a more significant hormone response than single-joint movements. In fact, workouts that stress a large amount of muscle mass tend to produce the greatest increases in both growth hormone and testosterone.1
Take a closer look at your workout. If you're doing more than one single-joint exercise for any body part (with calves, biceps, shoulders, and forearms being the exceptions), retool it by substituting more multijoint movements.
2 Challenge yourself in the gym and push outside your comfort zone.
I suspect my friend did an additional rep with a heavier weight just because I was there encouraging him. You've probably noticed a similar phenomenon whereby you completed more reps than you thought possible when you had a spotter on hand, especially if you normally train alone.
If you never leave your comfort zone, you never force your muscles to adapt to new demands. "Staying within your comfort zone leaves room for stagnation," says Geremy Satcher. "Challenging yourself and going beyond what's comfortable directly links to your overall confidence. Build your own confidence and take baby steps toward increasing the weight you train with. Whatever you do, avoid becoming stagnant!"
3 Train with a workout partner who will push you.
However, don't take every set to failure. In "Jim Stoppani's Encyclopedia Of Muscle & Strength", the author says, "Australian researchers discovered that when trained lifters completed one set to failure of the four sets they trained with on the bench press for eight weeks, they had double the strength gains of lifters who did not complete any of the four sets to failure.2 And in a follow-up study, the same team of researchers discovered that doing more than one set to failure on the bench press for eight weeks offered no additional increase in strength gains.3 It appears that performing only one set to failure allows for enough stimulus to be delivered to the muscle fibers without fatiguing the muscle too much, which can limit muscle strength during the workout when training with too many sets to failure."4
"Developing a friendship with someone and having them in the gym with you is one of the most important things you can do when it comes to getting past training plateaus," says Satcher. "That person is one of the few you can trust to give you straightforward input regarding corrections you need to make, your physique, and your attitude."
4 Add a pre-bedtime meal of cottage cheese or casein.
Slow-digesting proteins are especially useful during sleep—which is an eight-hour fast—because the amino acids they release are available all night long, which is more useful to fasting muscles than a quick-digesting protein like whey.
5 If you're not taking creatine, add 5 grams' worth to your shake.
6 Wean yourself off machines.
Machines have a place for beginners learning movement patterns, those who are working through injuries, and even for bodybuilders toward the end of their workouts. But if you're doing machine movements early in your training in place of a free-weight alternative—well, maybe you're just being lazy. Choose the most challenging exercises early in your workout rather than looking for easier alternatives.
"I'll be as blunt as I can with this topic: Stick with free weights for mass building!" says Satcher. "Consider machines as assisted weight. When you're training with free weights, you muscles have to carry the full force of the movement, and that makes you work harder."
