How to Break Your Plateau
Today is a typical morning like any other for you. You get up, go for your workout at the gym or go for a nice run, before you start your day. Or maybe you go from work to the gym to jump on the treadmill for 40 minutes then home. No matter when you fit your workout in, you are to be commended you've stuck to it. SO why isn't the weight coming off like it did when you first started your new workout routine. Everything is the same. Cardio 3 to 5 days a week. Weight training 2 to 3 days a week. Your diet is still in tack (despite the PMS breakdown in the chocolate abyss). If you are still doing everything the same and you can't seem to drop those last 10 lbs then you can't drop those last 10 lbs because you are still doing everything the same. (I know I just reverse the sentence but read it again and you'll catch on if you didn't the first time.)
Your body is a wonderfully efficient machine. Everything from your head to your toes adapt to your environment, your activities and your lifestyle. Your exercise regimen is no different.
Here is the scenario.
Your Story...
You began the new year with a new found dedication to running. After all, you need to drop those extra pounds. So you go for a 45 minute run 5 days a week and weight train in the gym 2 times a week. In January and February the pounds fell off. You consistently left 2 even 4 lbs some weeks, chocking on your dust as you laughed your way all the way to the clothing store. But here we are in April and the scale hasn't moved since the beginning of March. What happened?
Your Body's Story?
When you began your program, your body worked hard to keep up with the new intensity and duration of your exercise regimen. As a result it burned energy (calories/fat) to keep up. Then one day as it accompanied you out the door and began picking up speed, then it said to it's self. Oh I've done this plenty of times before. In fact I am good. I am so good at this now that instead of burning 200 calories on this run, I can do the same run and only burn 150 calories. So it runs with you and indeed it proved that it could do the same activity and burn less calories doing it. Your body has succeeded in doing what it does best...become efficient.
Ah ha! Eureka! Now you know. So what to do about it. Throw your body a surprise party and call it Cross training. Cross training is a great way to condition different muscle groups, develop a new set of skills, and reduce boredom that creeps in after months of the same exercise routines. The term cross training refers to a training routine that involves several different forms of exercise, and/or exercise intensity levels. Get up tomorrow and instead of running for 45 minutes, jump on the bike and take a spin. Instead of doing 45 minutes of a moderate intensity run. Kick it up a notch and do 20 minutes of intense interval training (fartlek run will do as well) Providing different challenges in a workout forces the body to move out of its comfort zone and the body must work harder to complete the activity? Resulting in more calorie burn. More eating the dust off from the bottom of your shoes as you leave those pound behind. But that's not the only benefit of cross training. If sports are your passion cross training can actually help you prevent injury and overuse syndrome. For most sports enthusiasts, cross-training is a beneficial training method for maintaining a high level of overall fitness and that's not all Cross Training
Reduces exercise boredom
Allows you to be flexible about you training needs and plans (if the pool is closed, you can go for a run instead).
Produces a higher level of all around conditioning
Conditions the entire body, not just specific muscle groups
Reduces the risk of injury
Work some muscles while others rest and recover
Can continue to train while injured
Improves your skill, agility and balance
Mubarakah Ibrahim is an AFAA certified personal trainer and owner of BALANCE fitness, a personal training service for women in CT that offers in-home personal training, on-line personal training, outdoor boot camps, and hiking clubs for women. She is the creator of http://www.ctwomenbootcamps.com She also lectures, promotes and conducts workshops on health and fitness through out the northeast. She can be contacted by visiting her website http://www.ctwomenbootcamps.com or e-mailed at http://www.ctwomenbootcamps.com
? BALANCE fitness
Article may be reprinted without permission only in it's entirety including author bio and contact information.
Many celiacs lose weight before they are diagnosed; indeed it... Read More
Do a little people-watching, next time you're in the grocery... Read More
Losing weight is a lifelong commitment. It takes patience and... Read More
Yesterday, out of the blue, without any foreboding gossip or... Read More
--ONE--Learn how to reduce the fat, sugar and salt content... Read More
When obesity gets out of hand, unresponsive to dietary, lifestyle... Read More
I'm sure you already know that weight loss and improved... Read More
Rejuvenation and the Protein Revolution in Your Kitchen?2003 Marilyn DiamondIf... Read More
Any doctor worth their salt will tell you diets don't... Read More
A 'diet' is always seen as a temporary measure. An... Read More
It's the travel time, meaning hours spent sedentary. It prepares... Read More
Low carb beer and lite beer are two different animals.... Read More
Healthy eating has become part of your life, but you're... Read More
Each month I receive hundreds of e-mails from consumers who... Read More
Abdominal liposuction refers to liposuction, or lipoplasty, that is performed... Read More
Just the facts on bodybuilding weightloss strategies that work. No... Read More
Getting started on an exercise program is one thing. Staying... Read More
We all encounter those hosts and hostesses who feel it... Read More
Addicted to Restaurants Are you addicted to restaurants? So are... Read More
Gaining up to 20 pounds over four years can significantly... Read More
Food Cravings: How to Practice PatienceDuring holidays and parties you... Read More
Have you heard about coconut oil diets yet? People are... Read More
If you're like me, you probably wish that there was... Read More
Since the reintroduction of Ephedra based products on about April... Read More
An article published in http://www.inch-aweigh.com mentioned, "If you are eating... Read More
reliable maid service Winnetka ..All Diets Are Based on the Same Premise: Eat Less... Read More
Have you ever experienced this scenario before?"I have successfully lost... Read More
Do you know the name of that one disease which... Read More
The vast majority of postpartum women will not return to... Read More
There are as many reasons you've given yourself to eat... Read More
Losing weight quickly is not advisable as most of the... Read More
"I tried that diet and lost 8 pounds in the... Read More
I made myself a sandwich today and thought I'd be... Read More
If you find this article helpful, please forward it to... Read More
My name is Greg Ryan. I am a best selling... Read More
Fats are always looked at as a negative in a... Read More
Ready for a hardcore diet to get lean in a... Read More
What is ephedra? Ephedra, which is also known as Ma... Read More
Since the reintroduction of Ephedra based products on about April... Read More
I had 14 weight/health-oriented newsletters in my inbox this morning.... Read More
Weight loss specialists will tell you that attitude has a... Read More
I was at the grocery store the other day, doing... Read More
Are you or your family members amongst the 65%?To help... Read More
I can't do that Until I Lose This Weight! If... Read More
People always ask me " how it is that your... Read More
Diet advice ? a million "experts", hundreds of snake-oil miracle... Read More
When you're taking Phentermine, you should go to the emergency... Read More
Want an after dinner snack? Jealously watching your family consume... Read More
While low-fat dieters and non-dieters may want to avoid chicken... Read More
Breaking Down Cravings One at a TimeI know you've heard... Read More
Weight Loss |