Too often, I see clients who have stuck to a consistent workout routine and have seen initial results but have hit a serious plateau. They might have been doing everything ‘by the book’—eating well and training hard, but their progress has suddenly stalled. I’m always saying that ‘if nothing changes, nothing changes’ and this is exactly why you should shake up your usual routine.
The human body is incredibly smart—and one of the most amazing things that it can do is adapt. It’s this adaptability that means we can go from being out of breath in a beginners boxing class to feeling like the next Floyd Mayweather after just a few months of consistent training. It also means that the body builds up a resilience and becomes used to the same repetitive movements and types of workouts, therefore consuming less energy and this is when you’ll stop progressing.
So, if you have stuck religiously to your routine but have noticed that your progress has levelled (or perhaps you’re just getting totally bored), take a look at my top tips to help you shake it up and break through that plateau so you can continue to see results.
1. Get out of your comfort zone
It’s easy to forget that the reason you may have seen initial success with your routine is because you shocked your body in some way. It’s likely that you achieved this success because you pushed yourself out of our comfort zone in terms of workouts, working harder than you had previously. So, if you’re wondering what the best way is to shake up your routine to continue to progress? Shock your body again! Step it up a notch, increase the intensity of your workout and push yourself harder than you were previously.
2. Experiment and think outside the box
When it comes to training, I’m always saying that variety will beat volume every single time. Incorporating different types of training will always see the best results, so why not mix it up and try something completely new. Have you been keen to try that spin class but not so keen on committing to that two-week fee if it’s not right for you? Give ClassPass a go—it’s an awesome way to try a series of different types of workouts until you find something that you really enjoy.
3. HIIT it
Gone are the days of thinking we need to spend hours on a treadmill to see results. I’m a big believer that high intensity interval training (HIIT) truly works, and in my experience it’s one of the most effective and efficient ways you can exercise. If it’s not already part of your usual workout routine, try to incorporate a few HIIT workouts into your week to get your body on the path to becoming a fat burning machine.
4. Recruit a friend
I understand that it can be incredibly hard to reach maximum intensity with your workouts when you’re training solo. Finding a training buddy who will challenge you, push you out of your comfort zone and who you can even compete against is the ultimate solution to shaking up your usual routine. After all, there’s nothing quite like a bit of healthy competition to get those endorphins flowing.
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