Perhaps you achieved satisfying results when you first started your training routine but lately you have noticed pretty much a status quo, worse still you have regressed a little. Why is this happening? Let me give you some reasons:
Adaptation
Your body has adapted to your routine it no longer is challenged by what you are doing. We all know how amazing the human body is, it quickly adjusts itself to the various situations that confront it, the exercises you are doing need to be changed, this can be done by changing the volume and intensity.
Intensity
You need to keep your workout intense. What does this mean?, put simply you are not working hard enough, instead of doing 12 reps of a 8 kg weight for 3 sets with 2 min rest in between sets that you have been doing and no longer raise a sweat or can lift with ease, try doing 12 reps of 10 kg weight for 4 sets with I min rest between sets. If you are doing cardio, do interval training and be sure to set yourself targets to better each session. If weight loss is your goal make sure that you keep your heart rate up in the fat burning zone, in simple terms this is 220-your age x .65% and .75%, example if you are 30, that means 220-30=190x.65 and x .75 which is 124-143 bpm.
Compound Exercises
You are not making the most of your time in the gym, make sure that you are doing compound exercises, that is moves that are working more than one muscle. Great examples of this type of exercise are Squats for legs, Dead-lifts, Barbell Bent Bent Over Rows, pull-ups for back (legs), Bench press for chest, Military press, for shoulders, and Pullovers for chest, back, arms and core.
For those of you who want to get technical, the following lists the muscles involved in the movements mentioned above, you can quickly see that you only need a selection of a few of these for a full body workout.
Squats work the following muscles quadriceps, gluteals, adductors, hamstrings, erector spinae,and rectus abdominals,
Deadlifts work the erector spinae, trapezius, gluteals, quadriceps,and rectus abdominals,
Barbell bent over rows work the latissimus dorsi, teres minor, posterior deltoid, biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis, trapezius, rhomboids, erector spinae, and rectus abdominals,
Pull-ups work the latissimus dorsi, teres major, rhomboids major and minor, biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis,
Bench press works the pectorals major and minor, anterior deltoid, triceps brachii, Serratus Anterior,and Coracobrachialis,
Military press works the anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, trapezius, upper pectorals, triceps brachii, serratus anterior and supraspinatus, and
Pullovers work the pectorals major and minor, triceps brachii, latissimus dorsi, teres major, rhomboids and serratus anterior.
Consistency
You have not been consistent with your training that is you have not been working out a consistent number of times per week. Whilst our busy lifestyles make it hard you really need to make training part of your week, you need to be doing some sort of physical activity on a daily basis, with more intense workouts at least 3-4 times a week. It is difficult to generalize with this as it is dependent on your fitness goals whether it’s weight loss, muscle tone,or strength gain and so forth. The opposite can also be said, overtraining will make you feel lethargic and hamper your progress. Rest is an important part of the whole equation, so make sure that you schedule rest days into your week.
Variety
Closely related to the first one mentioned above, in as much as you are bored and not putting in or enjoying your training routine. You need to change the way you are doing things, take on variety and make sure that you are using the correct technique for each exercise so that you are reaping the maximum benefits. Exercising is fun if you put your heart into it, so let’s start having fun, remember however that if you are not sure about how to go about making your workout more effective consult your fitness professional who will make sure you achieve your goals.
Zol
Fitness Moves