OVERCOMING WORKOUT PLATEAUS - Don't Get Bored! Get F.I.T.T
We are creatures of habit – we like to do the same things, eat the same things and see the same people. The habits we develop in our lives are like comfortable blankets – we like routine and familiarity to keep us happy. But, this love of the habitual can be harmful to keeping yourself in shape. For a lot of people a new exercise routine will see fast results if it is done correctly. You’ll tone up, lose weight and feel better. But, if you find a routine you like and then just stick to it you could well see the results you get fallll away. You won’t necessarily get fatter or less toned – but you won’t be getting thinner or more fit.
If you carry on doing the same exercise routines over and over again then you’ll hit what's known as a plateau, or 'workout plateau'. Your body efficiently adapts to the initial routine and loses weight/tones up accordingly. After a while though, your body stops losing weight and getting fitter because it has no new challenges – you’ll use less energy to do a routine and therefore you’ll burn fewer calories.
Once you hit this plateau it’s all too easy to stop exercising altogether. There’s nothing more dispiriting, after all, than exercising regularly and seeing no return for all your effort. But, if you move away from habit and try something new you’ll give your body a new challenge and you’ll see continued success in your fitness goals.
The easy way to avoid habit-forming exercise fatigue is simply to change your routine regularly. So, every 4-6 weeks try something new. You don’t have to change what you do completely – just adapt it a bit to give your body a new wake-up call.
I like to use the F.I.T.T. method to do this. F.I.T.T. stands for Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type. This method works great for both resistance training and cardio work.
Frequency - simply change how often you workout – do it more or do it less.
Intensity look at the difficulty levels of your workout and increase/decrease them as necessary.
Time make your workout sessions last longer or cut them back a little.
Type think about changing the activity (ie: try boxing instead of yoga) for a bit.
Remember that changes to Frequency and Time may depend on how busy your schedule is and also need to factor in appropriate rest periods so you exercise safely and to optimum efficiency. Intensity and Type options here are only limited by how creative you can be!
If you are doing cardio work then you can easily alter a cardio routine by looking at issues like incline, speed, height and distance. There’s no excuse for not making regular changes with this kind of workout as the opportunities are endless. If you’re looking for new cardio ideas then try jump roping, cycling, walking, running or hiking. Or, try putting one or more cardio exercises together in one workout – so instead of swimming for half an hour try sessions where you jump rope for 10 minutes, cycle for 10 minutes and run for 10 minutes.
Changes to strength training are also easy to make. You can, for example, change your resistance size, number of reps and sets and your rest times. Even changing the order in which you do sets or switching equipment to work on different types of muscle for a while can be of benefit. It’s all too easy here to get stuck in a rut with the same exercises but your possibilities are endless. If you’re looking for options here then take a look at body bars, free weights, resistance bands, body bars, selectorized machines and fitness balls.
So, if you hit a plateau or simply feel bored then think F.I.T.T. Every month or so think about the changes you will make to one, some or all of the F.I.T.T. elements – you’ll see greater benefits that really do last, and you'll never be bored again!
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