TL;DR: Plateaus come from sloppy cadence, un-fixed error keys, and posture drift. Spend two weeks on cadence drills, targeted error work, and controlled runs. Track net WPM, accuracy, and consistency. Increase speed only after accuracy stays above 97% for three sessions.

Spot the plateau symptoms

• Flat net WPM for weeks despite practice.
• Accuracy dips on longer runs (3-5 minutes) while 1-minute sprints look fine.
• Error hotspots that repeat (punctuation, specific letters, or transitions like s->a or ;->k).
• Posture creep: wrists resting, shoulders rising, neck forward late in the test.

Set your baseline (15 minutes)

1. Take three tests: 1-minute, 3-minute, and 5-minute. Log net WPM (correct chars only), accuracy, and consistency (timing variance).
2. Note your top five error keys. This will drive your drills.
3. Record perceived effort (1-5). High effort + flat scores = form/tension issues.

Posture + cadence reset (daily 5 minutes)

• Chair/desk: forearms parallel; wrists floating; monitor at eye level; feet flat.
• Breathing: slow exhale every 2-3 lines to keep shoulders down.
• Metronome taps: spacebar at 110 BPM, then 130 BPM for 60 seconds each. Goal: even timing, zero tension.

Targeted error drilling (daily 5 minutes)

Build short strings around your worst keys. Examples:

• Punctuation set: , . ; : ' \" () [] {} - / '
• Letter transitions: sasa sasa; kak ka; lsk ls; w-e-r triads.
• Numbers + symbols: 1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5% 6^ 7& 8* 9( 0).

Type these at 80-85% of your sprint speed until error rate drops, then nudge pace up 5%.

Controlled runs (daily 10-12 minutes)

1. 2-minute run at 85-90% of sprint pace. Focus on rhythm and breathing.
2. 3-minute run at similar pace. If accuracy drops below 96%, slow 5% next time.
3. Optional 60-second surge only if accuracy stayed solid. Stop if you dip below 95%.

Two-week reset plan

• Week 1: Daily: posture + cadence (5m), error drills (5m), controlled runs (10-12m). No 5-minute tests yet. Goal: stabilize accuracy at 97-99% on 2-3 minute runs.
• Week 2: Keep the warmup/drills. Add one 5-minute run every other day. Hold 95-97% accuracy; if it slips, drop back to 3-minute runs for a day.

Metrics to track

• Net WPM at 1, 3, 5 minutes.
• Accuracy: target 97-99% on short runs, 95-97% on 5-minute runs.
• Consistency: keep timing variance tight; smoother graphs mean better rhythm.
• Error keys: top five each session; retire a key once it's clean for three days.

When to push speed

Only increase pace when accuracy is stable (97%+) for three sessions in a row. Raise speed by ~5% and retest. If accuracy falls, revert for two sessions and retry.

Common plateau traps

• Sprinting daily: constant max-effort runs fry form.
• Ignoring posture: wrists on the desk and tense shoulders bleed speed.
• Never reviewing errors: you keep repeating the same mistakes.
• Over-length runs too soon: jumping to 10 minutes before you own 3-5 minutes with good accuracy.

If you still feel stuck

• Switch text types: alternate prose, code, and numbers to challenge different patterns.
• Change keyboards or keycaps temporarily to reset feel (lighter switches can help cadence).
• Take a 48-hour break if hands feel fatigued; recovery often unlocks a bump.

Bottom line

Plateaus are fixed by rhythm, accuracy, and focus-not endless sprints. Do the cadence and error work, keep posture honest, and progress pacing only after accuracy holds. Two disciplined weeks are usually enough to break through.