Breaking out of the Rut

By Marc Nee

IFPA Certified Personal Trainer

Are you stuck in a routine at the gym? Are you experiencing diminishing returns for your efforts?

Plateauing occurs when you follow the same routine week after week. It can show up as not losing weight despite eating right and putting in the same effort every week or not being able to increase your bench after seeing regular increases in size and strength over a period of time.

Why do people experience Plateaus?

The human body is constantly adapting to stressors –this includes exercise- so after 6 to 8 weeks your body has grown accustomed to your routine and adapted to it at that point you reach what is commonly called \Homeo staus and progress will slow or stop completely.

But I like my routine!

People in general resist change and if your time is limited at the gym to begin with, changing your routine can seem daunting. Change however does not have to be a complete overhaul even a few minor changes- properly placed- can make the difference in getting back the forward momentum.

 

 

 

 

 

Examples

Here are a few things you can do to help “freshen” your workout without starting from scratch:

Flip flop your routine - Do your whole routine in reverse order. You can do this by exercise or days of the week or both.

Change your cardio exercise- (that’s right lose the elliptical trainer) Try the stair master, rowing machine, total trainer or if your feeling really brave the Hill outside the Gym.

Replace your cardio with a class- once or twice a week will make a huge difference in shaking up your routine.

Change to different machines or exercises- Because of our large selection of equipment we have multiple machines that work the same body part. I can think of 6 different weight machines that work hamstrings and that’s not including floor work or variations so change it up!   

Hire a trainer- I had to squeeze it in somewhere!

Seriously- Buy some sessions with a trainer so you can get past the plateau and get excited about working out again!

Regardless of what you do –do something if you’re stuck- so you don’t lose your enthusiasm and momentum.

See you at the gym!