Fitness Together Georgia

Maybe you saw great results when you first started to exercise, but now those results have come to a screeching halt. Have you hit the dreaded plateau?

Do you want to know why?

If the following 5 statements describe your exercise routine, then you’re on the right track. However, if the following 5 statements don’t describe your exercise routine then listen up-there’s no better time than now to make a change and get going again.

1. You Make the Most of Each Move:

Gone are the days when workouts lasted more than an hour and you had time to single out each muscle individually. These days time is of the essence, and compound and function movements deliver excellent results in less time than ever before. This is a key component to how we structure our workouts. The more muscles that get involved in an exercise the better. This is how your body works in everyday life. Why not train it that way?

Not sure if you’re routine includes compound or functional movements? Any exercise that uses two or more joints is considered to be a compound movement. Squats and lunges are great examples. If you want to even more benefit from each move then try adding a shoulder press with your squats and a bicep curl with your lunges. Functional movements not only incorporate multiple muscle groups, but they also challenge your balance, core and neuromuscular system.

2. You Keep it Intense:

Let’s be honest, at one time or another you’ve spent time in the gym ‘exercising’ without ever breaking a sweat. Maybe you drifted from one machine to the next or joined an aerobics class for a few minutes, but the bottom line was that your heart wasn’t into it.

Workouts that lack intensity are practically a waste of time. Your body craves a challenge, and you see the most results when you keep your intensity high. Keep your workouts concise and push yourself with each exercise.

This doesn’t mean you have to kill yourself. It means perform each exercise to fatigue or Momentary Muscle Failure (another topic for another time), but under control with good technique.

A key component of the exercise equation is intensity. Without the proper amount you will not get the body to adapt and therefore create the physical change you are looking for.
I’ll be writing more about intensity soon.

3. You’re Consistent:

Anyone can have one great workout, but one workout won’t translate into great results-only consistency will do that for you. Exercise must be a part of your daily routine, plain and simple.

One of the best ways to stay consistent with your routine is to do your workout at the same time every day. We are creatures of habit, so once your exercise schedule has been firmly set you’ll find the process to be automatic, rather than an occasional afterthought. We encourage our all our clients to have permanently scheduled appointment times to ensure the greatest consistency.

Without consistent and frequent workouts, the best designed program in the world with do no good. It all starts here!

4. You Seek a Challenge:

Just like clothes, exercise routines quickly become outdated. That is why the best routines are dynamic, and the worst routines never change. How do you know when your routine needs to be updated?

You’ll know how effective your routine is by the results, or lack thereof. If you feel that you are simply going through the motions then stop wondering about the effectiveness of your routine and start doing something new.

We change the workout focus (strength, endurance, calorie burning, etc.) every four weeks, but constantly look to progress each exercise. Many clients joke that just as the workout starts to get easy we change it. Exactly! The goal is to keep the body adapting to a new exercise stimulus and never let the body hit a plateau. Not to mention the psychological benefits, that makes it a lot more fun!

5. You’re having a Blast:

Do you dread the very thought of going for a jog, but force yourself to do it simply because you’ve no other ideas for exercise? Stop right there. Exercise is an enjoyable activity, especially when you find the form that is best suited for your personal preferences.

If you don’t like exercise there is a good chance that your technique needs help. We pride ourselves in showing our clients the fun side of exercise-yes, exercise is fun! Keep it changing and you’ll keep it interesting and what’s more fun than seeing results!

If your routine includes all of the above then congratulations you are on the right track. You’re consistent, you challenge yourself and you’re seeing results. However, if your routine doesn’t include the above, you now have the blueprints to do it right.

Sometimes we look for the magic bullet exercise or exercise devise, but without these 5 pieces, you’ve got a broken puzzle.