Working out 3-4 times a week and not getting results? Frustrated because you think you're doing everything right and you're still not getting anywhere? There are 5 major reasons why you're not getting results and once you pinpoint your errors and you start following some of the suggestions you will be shocked at how fast your body starts shedding fat and getting fit.
You Workouts Need Intensity: Most people workout in a comfort zone that actually does include hard work but it's not hard enough. The key to getting out of that comfort zone is measuring what is hard for you then going beyond that for short spurts. Try cutting your cardio workout by 10 min. and adding five 1 minute sprint intervals at a much tougher pace. If you circuit train add 1 extra minute of cardio intervals at the end of each circuit. If you're lifting weights try adding a couple of extra reps or pounds on the second and third sets or utilize a faster or slower tempo. You should feel slightly uncomfortable, be breathing much harder, be sweating more, and basically feel like it's a bit more than you can handle.
Your Diet Needs Fine Tuning: You reward your hard work in the gym with caramel machiatto's and cheeseburgers! That's o.k. but only occasionally! You have to support your workouts with good eating habits. That means eating healthy 90% of the time. Eating 4-5 small meals consistently day in and day out. Keeping your body hydrated. Cheating only once or twice a week. Eating most of your calories before 3 p.m. Cutting back on alcohol and sugar big time. If you're not doing all these things together then you'll be fit but you won't look fit.
Your Workout Plan Need Balance: You only do cardio, or only lift weights, or only do yoga or pilates. Guess what, your body needs lots of stimulation to respond. Cardio equals endurance which improves your strength trainng and adds muscle which burns fat which makes you leaner which increases your range of motion which improves your strength training, which improves flexibility, which improves your posture and makes you look skinnier, etc. etc. It all works together synergistically and leaving out any one component interferes with results. Attack it from all angles and your body will change much faster.
You Need A New Attitude: I can't, I won't, and I shouldn't are words that shouldn't be a part of your workout vocabulary. So what if you're not that great at lunges, or if you think that getting into downward dog is dumb, or that lifting weights is going to make you huge or that doing cardio sprints is too hard. You have to be more open about what your body is capable of doing and about what you need to be doing and only then will you be able to push hard enough to get results. Attitude counts more than you think so try a more positive one for a week and see how your body reacts.
You Need To Get Some Help: Admit that you don't have all the answers. Sometimes things are more complicated than you think. Your back goes out and you can't workout because you have tight hip flexors and overstreched hamstrings. Doing cardio hurts your knees because your core is weak and your hips and i.t. bands are too tight. You would need years of training and experience to know all this but a good trainer can perform an assessment and determine your strength and weaknesses within 60 minutes, then develop a plan that will get you fit quickly and painlessly. Why waste time and thousands on medical expenses down the road when you can get help now.
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