Choosing Routine Over Results – How To Let Yourself Go #4
Posted on | July 1, 2008 | 1 Comment
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Choosing exercise routine over results is not an obvious way to get out of shape. Yet it has a profound effect on our fitness, wellness and health. Not in a good way either.
Over time, fitness routine loses effectiveness. Why? Body is very clever – it adapts and gets used to movements, workout volume and intensity.
Efficiency is the name of the game – the longer you stick with your routine, the less fat you are burning, less muscle fibers are being recruited and less calories are being used.
Soon plateau sticks out it’s ugly head. At this point progress is dead. You may not be falling back, but you’re not going forward either. What a boring(but safe) place to be!
Some may assume that working out is not working out. After all, you exercise, spend your time(time is money, you know) and get no results in return. Many quit in shame, thinking that they are doomed to be overweight(ever heard of ’stubborn fat’?)
Others fall in love with their exercise regimen(after all, when you started, results were great!) and day after day, week after week, year after year jump through same hoops over and over.
Sticking to your fitness routine for more then 4 weeks is like being a hamster running in a little wheel. There is much movement, but you don’t really get anywhere.
Possible outcomes of staying with one routine for too long are:
- frustration + disappointment = quitting
- feeling like you’re wasting time(you are) = quitting
- boredom with exercise + frustration = quitting
- getting angry + confused about exercise = quitting
- sticking with it and transform into fitness hamster in a wheel. Getting nowhere(but enjoying the process)
As you notice most of it includes quitting… You’re working out, spending time and energy – and what do you get in return? Nada.
If you’re not sure whether you became a fitness hamster, ask yourself this question:
- Am I stronger, faster, leaner, more energetic, less prone to injury, more functional, more toned, healthier than two weeks ago?
If the answer is no – you may be a fitness hamster going round and round in your wheel of same boring fitness routine.
What to do about it:
- Keep body guessing by switching exercise order, volume, intensity and weight.
- Use variety of movements/exercise.
- Hire a personal trainer
- Never do same workout twice.
- Change workout environment – (run on a beach instead of treadmill or go for a hike)
- Try something new – yoga, pilates, russian kettlebells, sand bag training, cross fit, obstacle course training, gymnastics, functional training, boxing, swimming, cross country skiing, roller blading, ice skating… you get the idea..
- Join a sports league – try a sport that you never done(soccer, baseball, hockey, basketball, volleyball, ultimate freesbee – take your pick)
- Keep a training journal to track you results!
How do you create variety in your workouts?
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July 29th, 2008 @ 5:35 am
[...] great and be happy. 1. No Time to Workout 2. Can’t Afford to Workout 3. Forgetting To Workout 4. Choosing Routine Over Results 5. Overtraining 6. Having Unrealistic Expectations 7. Not Committing To Your Health and Indecision [...]