Everybody has been there: you’ve been training hard, but your progress seems to have come to a halt. Do not get frustrated; just try something new!
Think back to the first few months when you began training. Along with the constant soreness came a sense of progress. Your body was experiencing something new, and it responded with results.
However, the human body has the ability to adapt. Often times, a workout routine is just that, routine. In order to consistently make gains in your physique, you must keep your body guessing.
Here are some ideas to challenge your body in new and exciting ways:
For weight training:
• Introduce new exercises into your program.
• Try doing different exercises back to back without rest in-between.
• Time yourself. Allow differing amounts of rest in between sets. For example, take a 5 second rest after the first set, 10 after the second set, and so forth. Try to complete each workout faster than your previous time.
• Try adjusting the amount of sets or repetitions per workout. If you’ve been doing 2 sets of 15 repetitions, maybe try 3 sets of 10.
For cardio:
• Try a new machine.
• Change your resistance. Increasing resistance will raise your heart rate, allowing your body to
burn fat more efficiently.
• Adjust the incline. Steeper inclines stimulate your glutes and will provide the extra challenge.
• If you’re bored of running on the treadmill, try walking on an incline.
• Often times, cardio machines will offer different programs like “Fat Burning,” “Endurance” and “Interval Training.” Try a new one each time.
Keeping fitness fun shouldn’t be difficult. If you change things up, you won’t get bored of the same old routine and you will continue to see results.
Billy Katz and Hudson Ellis are the co-owners of Simply Fit gyms,
located throughout the New Orleans area. Please e-mail your health and fitness questions to health@RenPubLLC.com.
