💎 [Mental] A Plateau is Proof of an Advanced Level: The Mindset Needed to Overcome Obstacles

Hello! This is YUKI from the Bishin Body Method!

Today, I would like to talk about the "plateau" that almost everyone experiences at least once.

You may feel stagnation not only in body shaping, but in every aspect of life, including work, family, relationships, studies, and hobbies.

In your career, there are always times when promotions or results seem to stall...

"I'm working hard, but I'm not getting recognized."
"I'm doing the same tasks every single day, and I don't feel any new growth."

There are plateaus in parenting, too.
When they are babies, they learn new things every day, but as they grow, changes become harder to notice.

In marriage, you might feel like, "It's the same thing every day, I'm getting bored."

In studies, "I was improving rapidly at first, but lately, I'm not making any progress at all."

In relationships, "Nothing changes" or "It's not developing."

Actually, I often feel that way myself.😥

I'm sure many of you feel:
"I'm not growing," "My efforts aren't paying off," "I'm not moving forward..."
I imagine that's how you feel.

There are so many people who experience a plateau—the feeling that they aren't growing—and end up unable to continue their training.

I was one of them, which is why I wrote this article with all my heart, remembering how I felt back then.

There was a time when I thought, "Is this all I'm capable of?"
However, by changing my mindset just a little bit, everything started to move in a positive direction—not just my body shaping, but my work, relationships, marriage, studies, and hobbies, as if by magic.✨

I hope that by reading on, this will become a turning point for your life.
I would be happy if it does.

Training is a "microcosm of life"

As a personal trainer, I support my clients' body shaping while continuing my own training every day.

In those days, I realize that "life is training itself."

Especially when I encounter a "plateau," I am surprised every time.
This is because the process of stalling in training and the methods to overcome that plateau actually overlap perfectly with every aspect of life.

"Plateau" = "Wall"

For example, in strength training, the weight you can lift increases rapidly at first, but then it stops increasing at a certain point...

In dieting, too, once your weight drops to a certain point, it stops completely...

At times like that, no matter what you try, it really doesn't budge.

And strangely enough, this applies equally to growth at work, family worries, and stagnation in relationships.

However, that wall only appears because you have put in the effort, and how you overcome it will greatly change your life.

And as you level up, that wall becomes an "even thicker wall" standing in front of us.

And when you overcome that wall, it becomes even thicker.

It's just a repetition of this, isn't it?😭

That's why I always think.
"Encountering a plateau" in body shaping, and "knowing how to break through it."
This experience itself becomes a valuable skill that is useful in any situation in life.✨

Training is not just about building muscle or losing weight,

but something that expands the possibilities for personal growth.

That is what I believe.

Learning how to grow as a human being through your body.
I believe that body shaping is what gives us that lesson.

The true nature of a plateau as understood through body transformation

For example, let's say there is a man who started bench pressing as part of his fitness routine💪
At first, he was able to increase the weight steadily from 30kg to 40kg, and before he knew it, he reached 60kg!

But from there, it just wouldn't go up anymore...

This is where he enters a "plateau."
Some people get discouraged, thinking, "Is this as far as I can go?" but that is actually not the case.

If you do nothing, the human body naturally loses 1-3% of its muscle mass every year😱

However, being able to maintain and lift the same weight for years despite that,
is actually an incredibly impressive feat👏✨

Being able to maintain the same strength without declining as you age is truly proof of evolution.

Even if you can't see it in the numbers,
your body is steadily getting stronger in ways you can't see💖

The same can be said for dieting.

In dieting, it is common for weight loss to "plateau."
But that is proof that "you have developed a body capable of maintaining that weight."

For example, let's say you lost 5kg and your weight has plateaued there.
That simply means "the new weight has become your current baseline"🌷

The old you might have rebounded immediately, but now you are successfully holding that line.

That in itself is already a major level-up💪✨

"It seems like nothing is changing, but in reality, you are changing little by little"

Let me share a common daily example😊

Take, for instance, a popular ramen shop or a local diner.
They are loved by many customers precisely because of the sense of security that comes from "a taste that hasn't changed since the old days."

But actually... they say that "unchanging taste" is being tweaked little by little.
Improving the soup stock, adjusting the noodle recipe just a tiny bit...

By doing that, we never get bored and always feel, "It's delicious as always💕"!

Also, snacks that have kept their flavor for ages, and even Coca-Cola, which is loved around the world, are actually changing their taste and shape little by little.

But because these are "small changes" that we don't even notice, we feel that "it's the same as always"🌸

The exact same thing can be said for body transformation and life itself✨

Sports are the same, aren't they🌟

Baseball, soccer, golf... even if they look like they haven't changed since the old days, the rules are actually changing little by little.

For example, in baseball, there's the challenge system, the pitch clock, the Ohtani rule, and reviews of ball specifications; in soccer, VAR has been introduced...

These are changes devised so that "players and spectators can enjoy the game even more"😊

But before we know it, we just perceive them as "the norm."
We just accept them as "the same sport as always."

In other words, "behind the unchanging, small changes are actually accumulating."

And take that superstar Shohei Ohtani, who is currently taking the world by storm⚾✨
He always seems to be performing at the same high level, but he actually changes his form little by little every year.

He makes micro-adjustments to his training methods and how he uses his body to match the times and his physical condition.

That is precisely why he can maintain his "unchanging strength"✨
This is also proof that "it looks like a plateau, but you are actually growing."

A plateau is an "advanced level obstacle"

To be honest, a plateau might not be a fun time😅
After all, you want to "feel the results immediately" for the effort you put in, right?

But a plateau is actually "an obstacle that only advanced individuals encounter."
It is something that visits you precisely because you have accumulated a certain amount of effort and built a solid foundation.

A special stage

What is important when overcoming a plateau is

really just that

A plateau is a state where "it seems like nothing is changing, but in reality, you are changing."
The more advanced you become, the smaller the changes become, making them harder to see.

The rest is, can you notice it?

The moment you notice, your perspective on the plateau will change completely, and you should be able to feel proud of your own growth instead.💖

As for the mindset to overcome a plateau,

1. Accept it as "proof that you are growing"
→ Plateaus only come to those who have worked hard. That is why you should praise yourself, saying, "I've made it this far!"✨

2. Find value in "maintaining the present"
→ Being able to maintain is truly amazing! Even if it looks like you are stagnating, you are still several steps ahead of those around you.😊

3. Focus on "invisible growth"
→ Not just numbers and results, but habits, ways of thinking, and physical changes... those "invisible parts" are also definitely growing.✨

If you think that way and continue working on your body without giving up, then one day, suddenly...

The moment when your level jumps up will arrive.

Try to remember the first time you were able to ride a bicycle.
You fell, and fell, and fell, and fell...

Thinking, "How am I ever going to be able to ride this?!"💢💢💢

But...

Didn't you suddenly become able to ride it one day?

Building your body is, in the end, just like that.

Life is also, in the end, just like that.

"Thoroughness in ordinary things"

It is my favorite phrase. Doing the ordinary things in an ordinary way.
Continuing to try without giving up. It is just that.💖