You've been working out 6 days a week and eating flawlessly for weeks now. You're so proud of how much weight you've lost, and just when you're really starting to see your body transform... it stops. The scale doesn't move anymore. What on earth is happening?
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Eventually after working out and eating right for a certain amount of time, you will hit a plateau and stop seeing progress. Unfortunately, the majority of people who undertake a fitness journey will hit a plateau. The good news is this is a temporary condition that can be changed in a snap with a jolt of extra intensity.
A plateau is when your body getting used to your workouts and dieting habits. It is one of the downfalls of consistency, but it doesn't have to last. WebMD.com asked nationally renowned trainer Ben Greenfield, director of sports performance at Champions Sports Medicine in Spokane, WA and the National Strength and Conditioning Association's 2008 Personal Trainer Of The Year, how to break through a plateau? Greenfield's responded with this advice:
- Pump it up Stop doing long cardio of 45 minutes or more. Instead try high intensity interval training. Throw in some cardio between weight lifting sets to see accelerated results.
- Shake it up Switch up your cardio by trying the elliptical, stairmaster, row machine, stationary bike, or hitting the track to keep your body guessing and you from getting bored.
- Start it up Start your day with intense aerobics and burn calories from stored fat!
- Count it up Record everything you eat to pinpoint problem areas in your diet.
Bodybuilding.com researcher Mike Hajoway has a similar take on plateaus, recommending that you use shocking principles when weight training, work with dumbbells to improve problem areas, and visualize yourself successful even when you're not in the gym. Either way, you can see a pattern. You have to change up your program every now and then to make sure your body doesn't get too comfortable. Continue to challenge yourself and a plateau will be no match for you.
Now that you know what you're up against, you can do something about it. They say all good things must come to an end, but fitness is not one of those good things. Being fit is your right and the only person that can take that away is you. Plateaus are only small obstacles that you can push through to keep moving towards your fitness and weight loss goals!
