Thursday, May 20, 2010

Have you reached a plateau? Shake up your routine!!!

Are you at a point where you are bored mentally and physically with your workout routine? Is the scale barely moving and you are working out, eating healthy, staying positive, etc.? The way to get out of the workout rutt can be as simple as making some changes that put your body into a state of shock (in a positive way).

Our bodies are amazing.... they adapt to how we treat it, which may not always be a good thing. When it comes to a workout routine it is important to implement what is called the overload principle. It is simlply just overloading the body in such a way that it has not expereinced before or has been awhile since it has done what you are asking it to perform. Below are reminders

For example, your cardio routines to overload you could do the following:

- Increase the duration of time
- Decrease the duration of time, increase the intensity
(e.g. 20 minutes of intervals w/a warm up and cool down)
- Change the mode of exercise performing
- Perform 2 or more modes of exercise in one session
- Implement stairs in a walk when you see them
- Increase the number of times doing cardio per week or even per day
occasionssionaly

In your weight training routines you can implement overload by:

- Decrease the weight amount and do a circuit with very little rest
- Increase the amount of weight lifting, increase the duration of time
resting (Strength)
- Change from performing machines to free weights and vice versa
- Change type of exercises (e.g. perform majority of exercises on the
ball, stand on one leg, etc.)

Points to remember:

- Shake up your routine every 2-4 weeks
- Have a goal/vision in mind for where you want to go and how you
want to FEEL when you get there
- Speak positive (including your inner voice and have positive
support around you
- Have fun

Always make sure to have a base of prior to doing the overload principle. If you have not started a fitness routine be sure to talk to your doctor prior to starting.

Have fun!!!

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