Q: How long does one plateau last before I start losing weight again? I’ve been working out with a personal trainer since July and lost 10 percent of my body weight, but over the past two months, I’ve hit a plateau. I still eat six meals a day, work out for 30 to 45 minutes and drink water. I am in the process of changing my workout routine to see if that helps. Do you have any other tips that might help my progress?

–Robert Schneider via email

A: There’s no definite time frame for the duration of a training plateau. Some can last one week, while others can last 20 weeks-it all depends on how you respond. You said that you’re changing your program up and that should kick you out of your plateau, but remember that you can eat more, try different nutritional supplements, train with more reps and fewer sets, train with more sets and fewer reps or train with just dumbbells. The approaches are endless.

–Jimmy Smith, MS, CSCS

Want more training tips? Pick up the May/June issue of Maximum Fitness--on newsstands April 6, 2010.