When it comes to working out, I am all about efficiency. Yes, sometimes it is necessary to put in a little more time at the gym here & there…BUT, that doesn’t mean that your workouts have to be insanely killer or lengthy to be beneficial. I have a lot of people tell me that they workout daily, have been for years, and haven’t seen any changes that they are wanting to see. 
Well, to put it simply, you’re probably doing it wrong. Let’s talk about how to change that. Maybe you fall into the categories that many other people are falling into.
- You’re doing the same thing every day. – I am a firm believer in a concept called “muscle confusion.” The human body wants to be at homeostasis because it wants to run efficiently. If you are doing the same thing every day, your body is going to get really good at that, and as you become “trained” so to speak at your same routine, your body will burn less calories to execute that routine. By mixing up WHAT you are doing, how you are doing it, the frequency, mode, means etc, you will keep your body guessing. I think most of my clients would agree that they’ve never done the same workout twice.
- You’re only doing cardio. – A lot of people fall victim to this for two reasons…1) they are runners & they only like to run, or 2) they don’t know what else to do at the gym, so they end up on the cardio machines. Cardio is great, & it has a place, BUT…it can only do so much for you. The muscles need to be worked through other means than just cardio in order to see some different results. (Yes, that means you too runners. 😉 There is also a ceiling for too much cardio if you are trying to hold on to your muscle mass, so doing endless hours on the treadmill might not help you see those physical changes. Excessive cardio can decrease your lean muscle mass, and muscle mass is what you need/want to keep your metabolism revved up.
- You’re only doing steady state cardio. My running clients often fall into this category too. It’s the same basic idea as principle #1. If you want to see changes or improvements in your body you have to vary your exercise. You just have to. I am the biggest proponent of HIIT workouts & intervals for this reason. It will force you to push your body out of it’s comfort zone. When done correctly, This = change. Many people who are really wanting to lose weight, will do great w/some steady state cardio at first, and then they will hit a plateau. Why? Because your body becomes acclimated. Intervals push you out of that acclimation.
- You aren’t doing any cardio. There are also those who hate cardio. I get it, it can be super boring. BUT, it can also be necessary to help burn some excess body fat & showcase that lean muscle. HIIT training and intervals are the best answer here. Go hard for SHORT interval durations, & you won’t have to do cardio all day long.
- You aren’t following a plan. I always feel bad for those people I see wandering around the gym…a few minutes on the elliptical here, some crunches there, maybe an attempt at a machine or two. There is nothing less helpful in the gym than wandering aimlessly. Go in with a plan! Set out what your workouts are going to be for the week, and you will waste NO time there. 🙂 Your workouts do not have to be long to be effective! You just need to be sure you are doing the correct workouts. Turns out I have a few hundred workouts you can try if you need some guidance there. Click HERE if you need some guidance. I also write plans for distance clients, so contact me if you need help! CLICK BELOW TO CONTINUE READING…
Pages: 1 2