Plateau..... Oh no!!!

So, you made the plunge and decided to get off the couch and workout! Fabulous! Only, why do you feel like you are no longer reaching your desired goals?

Ever heard of Muscle Confusion? This phenomenon has become popular because our muscles become accustomed to a certain training program very quickly. This is because the human body has the uncanny ability to adapt to the stress and load of our current workout program. This is called adaptation, which simply means that your body has adjusted to the stress you are putting on it and now considers that as normal….such as brushing your teeth each night before you go to bed. It is important to develop different exercise programs and change up your repetitions and sets typically every four to six weeks.

Ways to keep your training programs fresh include interval training, cross training and switching up your weight training programs. If you are using free weights at the gym, make sure you add in bands, cables and body weight exercises as well. Always keep your muscles guessing and you will receive the results you are looking for. For most people, these results include more lean body mass (or muscle) and less fat. Both can be achieved by avoiding plateaus and keeping your workouts fresh.

Plateaus also will creep up on you when your diet is starting to lack in its consistency. If you want to gain muscle and lose fat, you must clean up your diet. There is no magic pill and no quick fix. You must learn how to eat to support your goals. If you recently increased your exercise level, you need to make sure that you are getting enough calories to support the growth in muscle. You need to make sure that you are getting enough carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins. There are many great books on eating clean. The great fitness competitor Tosca Reno has a great book called, “The Eat Clean Cookbook.”

Plateaus are only temporary, so don’t get discouraged. Read up on some new training articles or hire a Personal Trainer every month or so to change up your workout program for you!!!

You can do it!!!