73A - Fit and Well Column for May 30th, 2004
73A - TITLE: "Getting UNSTUCK in Fitness"
Dear David and Trish,
I have been working out in a gym for over five years now. To be honest, I’m getting a bit bored with my routine. And, I think that I am not making nearly as much progress as I did in the beginning.
Sincerely,
Peter in Pirate’s Cove
Dear Peter,
Last week we answered your question about Pilates. This week we tackle fitness boredom, and what is generally known as hitting a "plateau", and what to do when that happens.
If It Works, CHANGE IT!
Let's start at the beginning… we'll call this "Fitness 101". And, to many, it will come as a complete surprise! In weight loss, and exercise, (and sometimes life in general), the over-riding principle is this: "If it works, CHANGE IT!!".
"YIPES", you say incredulously… "I've spent so much time in learning the basic skills of good nutrition and effective exercise techniques. Now that I feel I have a program, I have to change it?."
In a word, "Yes". We've mentioned a number of times the process of systemic adaptation. This is where the body "adapts" to any change in stress, challenge, caloric intake, exercise, or what have you, by actually adjusting it's function to maintain the status quo… often known as "homeostasis".
To translate this into practical concept, when you consume fewer calories, your body learns very quickly how to BURN fewer calories. In other words, your metabolism decreases accordingly.
When you utilize certain exercises to challenge the body, either with resistance or endurance, the body specifically adapts internal muscular response and dynamic physiology in order to perform the exercise in the safest and least beneficial way. Yes, Bunky, you work harder, and the body benefits less.
Routine Diminishes Effectiveness
No doubt, we humans are habitual. We strive on routine and rituals. We often take comfort there! It's true that routine can provide a sense of ease and security, but I think we'd all agree that the same old, same old can also turn to boredom. And when it comes to working out, routine can be downright toxic.
New exercisers often see quick fitness results such as weight loss and increased muscle strength while engaging in the same workout day after day. However, after several weeks of following their fitness routines and consequently experiencing fitness improvements, they often become frustrated as the gains begin to dwindle. Eventually dieters scales become frozen on the same number or weight lifters are stuck at the same weight size. They hit a that dreaded plateau
A plateau typically is the direct consequence of a fitness rut - when an exerciser performs the same workout over and over, or the dieter uses the same strategy expecting to continue to loss weight at the initial pace.
Routine Breeds Boredom
And, yes you’ve heard it before, familiarity breed contempt! Besides the physical limitations caused by habitual exercise or dieting, there is the mental, emotional and psychological factors.
Just this morning I was talking to a very devoted fitness devotee. She works out at least four times a week, and with great intensity.
I asked her how her workout was, and she said, "well, it's how it always is. Draining, boring and burdensome, kind of like cleaning the bathroom"! Ouch… that reflects a great dedication, but a very poor approach and likely a stale program! Some changes are in order.
Solving the Exercise Adaptation Syndrome
If you've been on the same training program for a long time, the adaptation syndrome is likely the cause of your plateau. The only way to bypass the adaptation syndrome is to change your workouts frequently. I recommend that you change your weight training programs AT LEAST every month, or as soon as you stop making progress. Any change will work: new exercises, different set/rep scheme, change in tempo, change in grip or stance width, etc. The training variations are literally endless.
If you've been doing progressive resistance, go to drop sets. If you are doing fixed rep sets, go to super high reps. if your movements are fast, go super slow. If the weight has been light, go heavy. If the reps have been low, go high. Get the picture?
In cardio-respiratory exercise, change usually means you need to crank up the intensity and frequency of your training. If you're doing 20 minutes of cardio per session, you can increase it to 30 minutes. If you're doing 30 minutes, you can increase it to 40 minutes. If your heart rate is 130 you can push it up to 145.
If you haven't thrown in interval exercise, now's the time! If you haven't experimented with circuit training, DO IT.
Another way to shake things up and start getting more results is to do a cardio circuit. Ten minutes each on a treadmill, stairclimber and bike is just as good as 30 minutes on a treadmill alone as long as you keep the transition time to a minimum.
Here’s a sample cardio circuit: Warm up on a bike for 10 minutes at about 60 of your maximum heart rate. Then walk over to the treadmill and sprint for a minute (at 85 to 90 percent). Then hop on the Elliptical Trainer and sprint another minute. Grab a jump rope and jump for a minute. Return to the bike and sprint all out for one last minute. Then slow down and start over. (Don't forget to be drinking water constantly… this is quite a drain!).
The F.I.T.T. Principle, and How to Use It
A simple way to creatively and effectively transform your current workout is using the F.I.T.T. principle. F.I.T.T. stands for frequency, intensity, time and type. This strategy can be adopted for both cardio and resistance training.
Frequency and Time are limited by an individual's schedule as well as appropriate rest time to ensure maximum efficiency and safety. But Intensity and Type are really only limited to creativity and planning.
Cardio-respiratory exercise intensity can easily be varied through speed, incline, distance, height, etc. And of course the types of exercises are practically endless, so exercisers should never have the excuse that they've exhausted their exercise options.
Effective cardio exercises include walking, jogging, swimming, biking, hiking, etc. In addition, combining several of these exercises into one workout session can be very effective. Try 10 minutes each of 3-4 unique exercises.
Strength training intensity can also easily be altered with changes in resistance size, number of reps, rest time, number of sets and more. Even simply switching the sequence of the exercises can prove effective. There are also numerous strength training exercise options. Unfortunately, most exercisers are unaware of the plethora of training techniques and equipment options. They often get stuck performing the same 10 exercises over and over. Talk about boring. I think cleaning the bathroom MIGHT be more inspiring!
There are hundreds of unique options. Simply utilizing new types of training equipment every 4-6 weeks can result in big improvements because each type of equipment will work the muscle groups in a slightly different manner.
Incorporating this strategy will enable you to progress further and attain even higher fitness levels. It's just that easy!
Solving the Metabolic Adaptation Syndrome
Surprise! The most common cause of a plateau in fat loss is not training-related. It is hitting a wall in fat loss due to caloric deficiency. Your caloric intake is too low, and your body enters the dreaded starvation mode. Once you start to go into starvation mode, no amount of increased training will help.
The only thing that can get you out of starvation mode is eating more. If your calories have been very low and you suspect the starvation response is the culprit, the best thing you can do is keep your food quality "clean" (don't eat a lot of junk), but raise your calories. Once you're back on track, you can prevent this type of plateau from occurring again by using the "zigzag" method of dieting: eat a few days of higher calories and higher carbs followed by a few days of lower calories and lower carbs. On the low calorie/low carb days, you lose body fat rapidly, but before your body can adapt, you raise the calories back up, which increases your metabolic rate and keeps you out of starvation mode.
The Dilemma of Over Training
Doing more and doing it harder is not always the best strategy. Sometimes when you're "stuck in the mud," pushing on the gas even more just digs you into a deeper rut. If you've been on an extremely intense training schedule, your plateau could be due to over-training syndrome if you suspect over training is the cause of your plateau, then the best thing you can do is take a rest. Take up to a full week off of heavy training (or at least a few days). This is like taking one step back to get ready for two steps forward. Once your system has recovered and replenished itself, you'll be able to easily thrust beyond your old plateau to a new peak.
Don't Work, PLAY!
My clients probably get sick of hearing it, but exercise, like many of life's endeavors, exercise is done most efficiently with a spirit of PLAY! The gym is our playground, and if we look at the equipment the way a child would look at a see saw, swings, and monkey bars, wow, would we get excited!
Remember that the key to breaking through training plateaus is to challenge your body constantly. Try to make every workout different from the one before, even if changes don’t seem like much. Be creative and have fun getting fit!
BOX THIS PLEASE:
The Oshman Diversity Strategies
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