3 Reasons Your Exercise Routine Isn’t Working and How to Fix It

Summary

Is your exercise routine working for you? Read this article to find out the best ways to improve your routine and get on track to achieve your goals!

One of the most frustrating feelings on a fitness journey happens when you notice that your progress has begun to stall – after all, you are here for results. Yet, when the results aren’t what you want them to be, it can be hard to determine how to address them to get yourself back on track. Here are a few common issues and some troubleshooting tips to help put you back on the road to success. 

Stalled Weight Loss? 

One of the most common fitness goals is weight loss, but if you ask anyone who’s ever lost weight, you’ll learn it can be a fickle beast. While the basic tenants are to eat less and move more, many find themselves stuck on a plateau, where the scale is no longer moving down the way they expect. While there are a few reasons this may occur, it is important to look at how long the scale has been stalled for clues as to the issue. If it has only been a few days to a week, it may be worth considering that water retention, often caused by excess sodium, a change in activity level, or menstrual cycles may be the culprit. In these cases, you don’t need to overhaul your routine; rather, wait a little longer to give your body a bit of time to catch up. If the problem is weeks or months in the making, then you’ll need to give your strategy a closer look. It is likely your body has reached a state of maintenance and you will need to adjust your habits a little further to continue your progress. It may be helpful to work with a trainer to evaluate what changes you can make that will reboot your progress and allow you to maintain your achievements, while still being sustainable.

Stalled on Muscle Gain?  

Another common goal is to build more muscle, both lean and bulky. Yet, some may struggle to notice improvements in the areas they want. Muscle is much harder to measure compared to weight, although there are ways that it can be done (such as a DEXA scan). A simple way is to use a measuring tape to measure the circumference of areas that you wish to build muscle in and keep measuring to check growth. It may also be worth noting that gaining muscle can be a more time-consuming goal. That said, if you recognize that your progress has stopped, you might consider a few potential fixes. The very first thing you’ll need to evaluate is your diet- particularly your protein intake, which is critical to building and maintaining muscle mass. The next step is to consider your routine, as often times one can become too accustomed to a particular routine and find that they need adjustments to make it sufficiently challenging to continue building muscle.

Stalled on Time?  

If your goal is to improve your time, particularly in a cardiovascular area such as biking or running, you may find yourself frustrated by stalling times. Similarly to muscle gain, time improvements are often more long-term goals, so it may not be very unusual for improvements to slow for a bit or become less noticeable after a period of time. However, if you are unable to improve in the long term, you may consider a few options. One of these would be to train with focus on building muscle in your calves, glutes, and hamstrings. If you run or bike a regular route, you may consider switching up the terrain for a change of pace. You may also find it beneficial to switch up the type of cardio you do occasionally, to target different areas of improvement that will push you in reducing your time in your primary form of cardio. 

One of the number one ways to improve nearly all aspects of life is consulting a mentor. Having an expert that can help you work through stalled progress can help you to once again move forward towards your goals and may also provide support in setting smaller ones. To benefit from the specialized support of one of our certified trainers, give us a call today at (714) 282-9400.