Exercise Plateau

Ok, so you've been training hard for a while now, or you've been training, um...maybe not so hard, for not so long. For some reason it seems as though initially, you made progress. You could see and feel an obvious difference after about six weeks, and now...not so much. What's goin' on here? Well, sooner or later, everyone who works out consistently, hits what's referred to as a plateau. And as a result, they also hit major frustration. How fair is that? And what does one do about it? There are a few things you may have to do, but take heart--this is where exercise ceases to be monotonous and gets interesting--yeah, you read that correctly. Let me explain...

One of the nice things about beginning an exercise program after long periods of inactivity, is the relatively quick response of your muscles. Because you're doing something your body isn't use to, your body perceives your new workout as INTENSE! And that's because relative to what you have been doing, it is intense!

When someone's been working out for a while, say, six months to a year or longer, (consistently) their muscles get so use to working out that it's harder to convince them that the workout is intense. So, the muscles adapt and don't do a lot of changing. Now, don't get me wrong, generally by the time that happens a person's already in pretty darn good shape, so it's not like I'm telling you it's not worth it--on the contrary. Usually, if people stick with it long enough to get to this point, they're actually desiring more--one of the many wonderful benefits of regular exercise. But as a result of hitting a plateau, they become frustrated at their apparent lack of noticeable change.

There's also the problem of challenging oneself adequately; some people have a hard time with this issue, right from the get go--it's a common problem. Most people aren't educated in the science of exercise physiology and don't realize that they're sabotaging their own efforts through inconsistency, poor form, poor diet/supplements, lack of sleep, or simply not pushing hard enough during the workout.

Then there's the opposite problem--overtraining. Yes, it's true. There are those who want results so desperately and quickly that because they aren't familiar with the most efficient ways to do that, they jump in there and exhaust their bodies to the point of chronic fatigue, irritability, insomnia, injury, and even depression! It is not only possible to over-train, it's common among novices and a MAJOR reason that people quit exercising.

"Ok Vawny, (you say) so, now what? It all sounds complicated to me, and I'm not willing to go take an exercise physiology course to figure it all out." Can't say I blame ya... The good news is that you don't have to. Let me give you a brief explanation and an incredibly easy solution.

First, the explanation: The absolute biggest reason for plateauing is continuously using one training routine, day in and day out. People are creatures of habit and we tend to get attached to routines--even exercise routines, especially if we saw results initially. Obviously, if we're not being consistent, our diets aren't good and we're just not taking care of ourselves in other ways, we also won't see much change. But for those who seem to be doing all the "right" things, in terms of healthy living and exercise, there is an answer that TRULY WORKS! Depending on just how fit you are, there are a few things you may need to do.

The first thing you should do is make sure you're changing your routine regularly. How regularly? Again, that depends on your level of fitness. Really fit people may need to change every day! "Wow" you're thinking, "How in God's name does a person do that?" Good question; I'll get to that...

In the mean time, here are some ways to shake-up/wake-up your muscles and interupt the plateau:

• Change the sequence of the routine regularly
• Change the frequency of your workouts
• Change the intensity and volume--both up and down

Make the muscles work harder instead of longer with high intensity training--this may require hiring a professional certified trainer. "Oh God...I knew it!" you're thinking, "This is exactly why I'm not even gonna bother! It always gets too hard and too expensive--just forget it!" as you grimly reach for the bag of chips and plop down on the couch for another episode of ___ (fill in the blank). NO! NO MORE!!!

...And now, the solution:

THERE IS A SOLUTION THAT TAKES ALL THE GUESS WORK OUT OF IT! That's why Beachbody Fitness is sooo AWESOME! They have it ALL covered right there--Go there now and see for yourself! When you order Beachbody Fitness workouts, you don't just get A DVD-you get SEVERAL PROGRESSIVE WORKOUT DVD'S, FOOD PLANS, TRAINING GUIDANCE, SUPPORT, WORKOUT BUDDIES, --EVEN A COOKING SHOW!!! Beachbody Fitness has a whole VIRTUAL GYM AND THEN SOME where it's all figured out for you, and should you have any questions, you can log on and get them answered by professionals. There's just too much there to list here--check it out for yourself! Drop me a line and let me know what you think! But please, do yourself a favor and at least look--isn't it time you do something that gets RESULTS?

Thanks for joining me--until next time, stay fit--stay happy!