Approach to plateaus - more volume or regress in steps?

It seems to me that there are two broad strategies to bust through plateaus:

1) add more volume

2) take a step (or two or three) back, decrease volume or difficulty of exercise, improve form, and take another run at it (a la Leo Trinidad)

Is there a preferred approach? Or is one approach better than the other, depending on the situation? If so, how would I know which one to take?

Any insights here are appreciated.

Thanks!

Cam

Hi Cameron,

Have you had a look at this thread by @Douglas Wadle? You might find some insight here:

Great reference - thanks Leonhard!

Btw, I was in your city this summer - beautiful place!

Cam

15 hours ago, Cameron Williams said:

Great reference - thanks Leonhard!

Btw, I was in your city this summer - beautiful place!

Cam

Hope it helps you progress!
Glad you liked it here. In 11th grade, I spent a semester abroad in BC

Increasing volume by adding more low rep sets is my preferred strategy to bring up numbers to get say a second rep.

As long as most progressions are improving there's no need to make overall volume changes, and of course a lot of elements feed into each other so working on other things may provide the needed bump.

Regressing is a strategy I have used when I maybe can't quite put my finger on it, but I'm not gaining on a particular exercise. I think of it as going back to look for the preparation I somehow missed along the way

On 12/16/2016 at 9:21 PM, Cameron Williams said:

2) take a step (or two or three) back, decrease volume or difficulty of exercise, improve form, and take another run at it (a la Leo Trinidad)

From memory I think Leo said he uses this strategy only when progress has stalled on a few exercises. 

Thanks guys, very helpful!