Everyone has seen the Instagram posts of heavy snatches or ring muscle-ups with a caption that says something like “Finally! Been chasing this one for awhile…” This combination of exasperation and relief is palpable for anyone who has been tormented by a training plateau. Athletes often get stuck at a specific skill level in training, and it can feel like they’re never going to make progress. This can look like attempting ring muscle-ups over and over — without being able to turn them over and actually catch in the dip. This could be loading up 225# on a snatch — and never quite being able to stick the receiving position. This could be trying to do chest-to-bar pull-ups or handstand push-ups in a workout — and completely blowing up every time. Athletes and coaches on these training plateaus often start looking for secrets to get them to the next level. Is there a specific exercise that will help? A magic progression? A clever, counterintuitive drill? Instead, most people would be better served by just getting more “shots on goal” with whatever they’re working on. What does this mean? Create training scenarios with a reasonable chance of success. Work on these training scenarios regularly. And, simply through repeated exposure, most people will see progression. If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, head over to www.legionsc.com to get a weekly selection of training tips and our favorite articles. We run online workshops for coaches as well. Find out when our next workshop is here: https://legionsc.com/program-design-workshops These podcast are posted in video format on YouTube as well. Show Notes: [0:13] Athletes often plateau just before “getting over the hump” with new skills like muscle-ups. One of the best ways to break through these plateaus is to get more “shots on goal.” [09:50] Progression is rarely linear, and this can trick and confuse people. Plus, understanding “regression to the mean” can smooth out emotions in response to training results. [21:37] Improving the “floor” of performance — in terms of both day-to-day variation as well as performing a skill in the worst case scenario” — is one of the highest leverage things an athlete can do. Links and Resources Mentioned: South Park episode on World of Warcraft “The New Science of Fatigue Resistance” from Alex Hutchinson Regression toward the mean