subject: 3 Signs Your Workout Isn't Working Anymore [print this page] There comes a time in each fitness routine when you kind of know it's not working anymore. It's like the bad boyfriend or girlfriend you don't want to break up with. You're perfectly happy with the routine, comfortable in the scenario and not looking forward to change. On the other hand, you really want to be happy but are just having a hard time moving forward. Sound familiar? It's important to change up your workout regimen from time to time. This is especially important if you want to see results in terms of weight loss, strength gains and or change in your body tone. Not only will changing things up keep you interested mentally but your muscles will be interested too. They'll be interested in the form of "muscle confusion" meaning your body will continue to change. Here are 3 signs that your workout isn't working anymore:
1. You're Not Challenged - If you're not getting your heart rate up, feeling taxed or challenged by the workout, it's time for a switch. You must have a certain level of intensity in each workout in order to continue to change. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 is the easiest and 10 is the hardest), your workouts should reach an 8 or 9 intensity level at least a few times each week. If it's easy peasy all of the time then you aren't getting the benefits from your workout that you need to keep your body changing.
2. You're Not Seeing Results - Hello! Why are you putting all of this work into working out if you aren't going to get results, right? You're not seeing results when the scale isn't moving, your body fat hasn't changed, you're not seeing definition and/or your endurance hasn't increased to name a few. If you're not changing, it's time to change it up.
3. You're Bored - It's never a good sign when you're bored with your workout. Chances are if you're bored, you're not putting 100% into it which means you're not getting 100% out of it. You will only get out of your workout what you put in. So if you really don't want to do it and it's become monotonous, you aren't doing yourself any favors by continuing. Unfortunately, your boring workout routine is causing you to waste time and not get the results you're looking for.
Try a new DVD, go to a new class to get ideas or make an appointment with a trainer to see how you can get the most out of your fitness program and get some results! If you're putting the time and effort into getting results, nothing can be more frustrating than not seeing results. Make sure you're getting what you need to out of your workout. Your precious time and energy should be spent as efficiently as possible. Be honest with yourself - if it's time to make a change you need to do it now!
