Are you stuck at the same weight no matter what you do? Are you struggling to build more muscle? Or have you recently achieved a personal best with running, just to see yourself never reach that time again? Your body is basically saying it’s time to switch it up and break through that plateau.

A plateau is when you stop seeing results despite the fact that you exercise every day and train as hard as you can. The body is naturally programmed to become “used to” the stresses of exercise, and it adapts to repetitive training, stopping the progress of weight loss, strength, and endurance. Luckily there are ways to smash through those plateaus and continue on with achieving your goals.  Follow these steps to break through:

Mix it Up

If you’re doing the same workout style everyday, your body will go into cruise control mode and never change. Revitalize your training with a new workout. You could run outside instead of on a treadmill or grab some free weights if you’re always using fixed machines or body weight. Changes in your routine will surprise the body and force it to adapt, bringing you to new levels of fitness.  To shock your body, sign up for the new H20 Aquatic Bootcamp at Copper Point Resort or try a 12-minute $2 No Excuse Workout with Fitness 4 Life.

Take an “Active” Rest

Take one week off from structured exercise.  Instead of hitting the gym or the running track, try going for a nice easy walk, play a sport you enjoy, clean the house to fun music or try a yoga class.   This type of rest will allow your body to recover and rebuild and will rejuvenate your mind to come back to exercise ready for a new challenge.

Eat

When you increase your fitness levels or the amount of muscle you have on your body, you will need to increase your caloric intake to keep up with your increased metabolism. If you hit a plateau, evaluate how much you are eating. You may need to eat more than you have in the past for your body to continue to increase its fitness level. If you find you are often hungry, this is a clear sign you need to eat more to sustain your exercise program.

Change the day,

Change the intensity

Alternate the intensity of your workouts on different days of the week. On Monday, perform 60 minutes of low intensity cardio and on Wednesday, stop after 20 minutes of high intensity intervals. A heart rate monitor is a great way to determine your intensity. Try a lower heart rate exercise one day and a higher heart rate exercise the next day. Add some weight training to your routine and alternate between circuit training, supersets or sign up for a bootcamp.

Sleep It Off

Be sure you are getting enough sleep. Getting the right amount of sleep for your body will allow time for your muscles to recover from exercise. This will ensure that you can come to your next exercise session with enough energy and at full strength to take on a challenging workout.

For more information on breaking out of your plateaus please don’t hesitate to contact Fitness 4 Life.