Client progress may stall or plateau during their fitness journey for a variety of reasons. A plateau refers to a period of time during which there is no significant progress towards to goal — whether it be weight loss or performance based. Here are some common reason why this might occur:

Adaptation of Metabolism: As clients lose weight, their basal metabolic rate (NMR) can decrease. This means they will burn fewer calories at rest than they did at their heavier weight. Which makes perfect sense, since they lost weight. If the caloric intake isn't adjusted accordingly, weight loss will likely stall, unless output is increased.

Loss of Muscle Mass: If a client is losing appreciable amount of weight and not training hard enough, they might be losing muscle mass at a rate equal to that of the fat lost. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does, so losing muscle will slow down the metabolic rate. While coaches can't force clients to train harder, we can remind them of the repercussions of not training with intensity.

Inaccurate Calorie Counting: Some clients may begin to get lazy with counting everything that they consume, underestimating the number of calories they're intaking. Be sure to remind them that they need to track accurately and consistently. Just because they didn't track it doesn't mean it doesn't count.

Adaptation to Exercise: As the body adjusts to the demands placed upon it, it becomes more efficient at over time, burning few calories. A coach can stay ahead of this by periodically shifting the focus of workouts through proper periodization. Additionally, the body can also adapt to volume, so periodically increasing volume or density can assist in breaking plateaus.

Hormonal Changes: Hormones play a significant role in body composition. Factors like stress, which increase cortisol levels, can affect weight loss, causing individuals to hold more belly fat.

Of note, for women, the menstrual cycle can cause periodic water retention and should not necessarily looked at as a plateau to bust through, but as a natural part of the process that comes and goes. It is best to arm yourself and clients with this knowledge so that they aren't overreacting to small fluctuations on the scale. Period trackers such as Flo or Clue can be useful to create awareness around when these fluctuations are more likely happen.

Lack of Sleep: Lack of sleep can disrupt hormones that regulate appetite and lead to excessive cravings, which can cause a slowdown in progress. While clients generally know they aren't getting enough, it is best to remind them that this may be a cause of a plateau.

Medical Conditions: Certain medical conditions like hypothyroidism or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can affect body composition goals. If you have exhausted all options through nutrition and training, then it will be best to refer out to a general practitioner to have a deeper look at what is going on within the body.

Psychological Factors: More often than not, subconscious beliefs can be the main culprit for self-sabotaging behaviors. It is not that the client doesn’t know their behaviors are the problem, but they don't understand why they do what they do. Dig deeper. Have a real conversation about why their actions aren't aligning with their goals. [Resource]

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to know the exact cause of a plateau, however the above list will give you a place for a coach to start their inquiry. A relatively simple way to figure out whether or not you need to adjust the plan is with the image below. If they are on track with their goal, based on their timeline and the rate of progress initially set then you should stick to the plan. Alternatively, if the client has significantly slowed down and or stopped completely, then it is past time to adjust the plan. Ideally, as the coach grows in experience, they will be able to see a small slowdown as an indication that things need to change before they become a problem.