I'm going to make two blanket suggestions to everyone reading this who works out but hasn't seen progress for awhile: 

•Cut the volume of your strength training or intense energy systems (cardio) work in half and

•Double your pre-workout foam rolling, dynamic flexibility work, and post-workout static stretching.

•Keep up the above for three weeks.

Some specifics:

There are more exacting ways of calculating it, but the volume of your workout typically refers to the number of sets you perform, so if your current, not-working-very-well program calls for six sets of squats on Mondays, drop that to three.  If it calls for three, go for one.  Yup, one. 

Don't drop back in the frequency or intensity of your workouts.  In fact, intensity will probably go up, now that you have twice as much time to focus on half the sets you were doing before.

If you're a runner or an endurance person, cut the duration or mileage in half, whichever one you're keeping obsessive track of these days.  Don't deny it--I'm an endurance athlete half the year myself, so I know what a freak you are. 

While you're at it--and this will happen naturally, I wager--tighten up your form.  Go seriously Drill Sergeant on yourself and don't allow yourself to break picture-perfect form, ever.  When and if you do, your set's over, Private Pyle (by the way, that's good Training Horse Sense 101 year-round.  I'm just reminding you of it here).  

On point two above, if you're currently doing 'zero' foam rolling, dynamic flexibility, and static stretching work, don't go telling me that two times zero is still zero, wiseacre.  Use the extra time you now have in your workout to finally learn how to do this stuff right.  You won't regret it, and your body will thank you profusely.

Just over half a year ago, right around the time I took over Male Pattern Fitness, I started foam rolling on a regular basis.  I know because I wrote about it here and here and, as I recently discovered, blog entries have dates on 'em, so I can track how quickly I start to disagree with myself. And boy howdy, was I full of it back then.  Hah!

On the subject of foam rolling, however, I'm even more sold than ever:  it feels great, and actually seems to have a cumulative healing effect, so that most of my knots are now gone, and the torturous IT band roll has started to feel bearable--even kind of good, in an excruciatingly painful kind of way--after awhile.

And, with respect to dynamic flexibility, the redoubtable Eric Cressey has this to say:

The main problem with pure flexibility is that it does not imply stability nor readiness for dynamic tasks... When we move, we need to have something called "mobile-stability." This basically means that there’s really no use in being able to get to a given range of motion if you can’t stabilize yourself in that position...passive flexibility just doesn’t carry over well to dynamic tasks; just because you do well on the old sit-and-reach test doesn’t mean that you’ll be prepared to dynamically pick up a loose ball and sprint down-court for an easy lay-up.

Make sense?  Being mobile isn't just about being flexible--it's about "teaching your muscular orchestra to play," in the eloquent words of Dr. Stuart McGill.  That involves far more than just passively lengthening your muscles and connective tissues. 

Finally, static stretch at the end of your workout.  It feels great, clears the muscles of lactic acid, and cools you down far better than that five minutes on the treadmill that you never do anyway.

If you don't feel instantly better, and start making better progress within three weeks, I'd be apt to call you a liar, a cheater, and a foam-rolling wuss.

Have fun, and let me know how it goes--

Andrew