Do It Ugly First: Breaking Through a Weightlifting Plateau

Every lifter hits a point where things stop clicking.

The numbers stop climbing. The bar starts to feel heavier than it should. You’re doing everything that was working before, showing up, following your program, filming your lifts, even foam rolling like it’s your side job and yet, nothing’s moving.

That’s the thing about plateaus: They don’t just test your strength; they test your patience, your ego, and your ability to keep trusting the process when progress feels invisible.

But here’s what most lifters miss… plateaus aren’t punishment. They’re feedback.

And sometimes the only way forward is to do it ugly first.

What “Do It Ugly First” Actually Means

When we tell lifters to do it ugly first, we’re not saying technique doesn’t matter. It does.

But at a certain point, your obsession with perfection becomes the thing holding you back.

You’ve probably felt it: you hit a certain weight and suddenly your brain switches on like a commentator during the Olympics.

“Pull higher, stay tight, keep it close, elbows up, mid foot, don’t die…”

And before you know it, you’re stuck mid-pull wondering why the bar isn’t moving.

The reality is you’ve focused so much on chasing perfect that you’ve forgotten how to just lift.

“Doing it ugly first” is about giving yourself permission to get it done, even if it’s not textbook perfect.

Get the bar overhead. Get under it. Catch it. Miss it. Feel it. Learn from it.

Then refine it. You can’t clean up what you’re too scared to attempt.

Why You’re Probably Stuck

If your numbers haven’t moved in months, it’s probably not because you’re weak.

It’s because one or more of these sneaky plateau habits have crept in:

1. You’re training on autopilot.
   You’re going through the motions without intention. You’ve become so routine in your program that your body isn’t getting any new stimulus  and your brain’s half asleep.

2. You’re chasing perfect instead of progress.
   You’re trying to look like a weightlifter instead of lifting like one.
   Every cue you overthink adds more voices in your head and this detracts from your ability to access flow. Youre in your head, not your body.

3. You’ve forgotten how to miss.
   You avoid heavy singles because you don’t want to “fail.”
   But you forget that missing lifts is part of learning to make them.
   

3 Ways to Get Unstuck (That Actually Work)

Lift under pressure more often

You can’t simulate comp-day confidence if you only lift in comfort.
Start introducing lifts that make you a little uncomfortable, whether that’s going heavy more often, using time constraints, or training when you’re a bit fatigued.

The goal isn’t chaos. It’s controlled exposure.
You’ll get better at staying technical when the stakes are high, not just when everything feels perfect.

Stop obsessing over your camera roll

If you’re filming every rep from six angles and analysing it like it’s the hidden answer, you’re missing the point.
Videos are a tool, not a lifeline.

Use them to spot trends, not to criticise every millisecond of movement. Better yet, hand them off to your coach without watching (gold star)
You’ll learn more from how a lift feels than from how it looks at 0.25x speed.

Reconnect with your intent

Every rep has a purpose, even the ugly ones.
Ask yourself: what am I actually trying to do here?
Move fast? Stay patient off the floor? Commit to the catch?

If you can’t answer that, you’re not training with enough direction.

What Happens When You “Do It Ugly”

Once you stop chasing perfect, you start building momentum again.
You start trusting your instincts instead of over-cueing yourself.
You start making peace with a little chaos and that’s where progress hides.

The first time you break through a mental block, it probably won’t look clean.

It’ll be shaky, maybe even a bit dramatic.
But that’s the rep that reminds you you’re capable.
That’s the rep that brings your confidence back.

You do it ugly first. Then you do it better. That’s how lifters evolve.

Final Thoughts

Plateaus aren’t the enemy, they’re the test.

They ask you whether you’re willing to stay in the game long enough to earn that next PB.

Weightlifting is a sport that requires you to wait your turn. So when the bar won’t move, the lifts feel heavy, and your head’s a mess of cues, take a breath, stop chasing perfect, and get the bar overhead anyway.

That’s how you start moving forward again.

And if this whole thing hit a little too close to home…
you might want to keep an eye on what’s coming next at MWBC.

—MWBC Team