Keep Your Body Guessing- Avoid That Training Plateau!

Do you find that you are putting the hours into your training but can’t understand why you are not seeing any results?

We all like to stick to what we know, that same spin or body pump class every week or your weekend run. We tend to favour the same exercise routines as they are comfortable and perhaps a little too easy. No one likes change but this is exactly what the body needs for results. 

Your muscles become aware of your daily exercise routine and works out shortcuts, using fewer calories. They get lazy as they are no longer being challenged.

This is a natural characteristic of our training cycles so that’s why we need to keep the body guessing through our exercise in different ways.

One other important reason for your training plateau may be contributed by the loss in muscle mass. When you begin to lose weight, you will lose fat and water. If you are not exercising and eating correctly, you will also loose muscle mass. The loss of muscle mass will drop your metabolic rate. So for the same amount of effort in your workout, you will be burning less calories.

So, how do we change and adapt our exercise routine to shock the body, make your exercises efficient and to see those
results?

Weight Training
To achieve consistent results in your resistant training you can adapt your exercises to overload the body;

- Increase the angle of the movement, focusing on the eccentric range rather than the concentric

- Adjusting the weight and increasing the load gradually

- Altering the number of reps and sets

- Altering the tempo of each rep

 Cardio
You can alter your Cardio training to challenge the body;

-  Change to a new class

-  Swop that treadmill for the fresh air and challenge your body on harder terrain

- Incorporate light weights with your cardio

- Try and go for faster and shorter bursts and make your workout time efficient

- Make it fun as you’ll train harder

Rest
It is vital that your body gets adequate rest between workouts. Resting the body is when our bodies change. Our Oxygen capacity can increase and our muscles repair and grow. Enjoy your rests as you deserve them. Remember your body needs more rest to recover at the start of an exercise plan.

Keep a Diary
Keep a record of what exercise you’re doing and when to ensure you are overloading the body each week and month. Awareness is key!

Seek the help of a Personal Trainer
If you are time poor or lack the confidence in being able to change and adapt your exercise routine, seek professional guidance and find a Personal Trainer to put you through your paces each session. There is nowhere to hide and you’re guaranteed a great workout. If you would like a free consultation to see how Magic Fitness Mobile Personal Training can guide you in the Perth area, give me a call and book your Free Consultation as I’ll be happy to help.