Ever logged countless hours at the gym and still the scale won’t budge? I’ve stared down that plateau before. For weeks, I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t progressing, until I zeroed in on six easy-to-miss factors that prevented me from seeing results.
I zoned out.
I love reading a magazine while peddling away on the elliptical, but I found myself more focused on the latest celebrity gossip than my actual workout. When I realized that 20 minutes had passed and I hadn’t even broken a sweat, I knew it was time to change the way I exercised. Now, instead of zoning out, I incorporate intervals into my elliptical workout. I alternate between speeds and resistances. One of my favorite elliptical workoutschanges the resistance on the machine every 1 to 2 minutes, which pushes me to work hard for the entire 30-minute duration. Similarly, when running on the treadmill, I pick up the pace by 1 mph during the commercials.
I planned my weekend (via text message).
I used to see the Stairmaster as the perfect place to work and play at the gym. I texted my friends and broke a sweat at the same time. If I put the machine at a slow and steady pace, my hands (and thumbs) were free to see what my friends were up to or plan out my weekend. Looking back on these workouts, I could have worked a lot harder if I had put down my phone! Now, I utilize my iPod to motivate myself through my workouts.
I chewed gum.
I’m a big gum chewer, so I didn’t see anything wrong with popping a piece before starting my cardio workout. I didn’t realize that the act of chewing gum prevented me from moving faster. My brain couldn’t seem to do both things simultaneously. When I stopped chewing gum during my workouts, I was able to put more of my energy into pushing myself to go faster and farther. And I cut down my risk of choking—an obvious plus.
I did the same routine.
Looking back, it’s no wonder I didn’t make any progress in the gym. I did the same exact workout from week to week—I didn’t increase my pace on the elliptical, I didn’t run farther on the treadmill, and I didn’t lift more weight or do more reps when strength training. My body got used to doing the same exercises over and over, so I didn’t see any changes. Now, I like to switch things up every week. Plus, changing my routine keeps me motivated!
I spent too much time chatting with my workout buddy.
Making a gym date with a friend is a great way to motivate yourself to work out. But when I spent most of my workout chatting with my buddy, I realized our gabfests distracted me from the real reason I was at the gym—to exercise! Now my friend and I head to a class together and keep quiet (we don’t want to be shushed by the instructor) and we save our gossip session for the locker room.
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Excellent things to think about… Thank you!
I love your blog! A lot of great topics and definitely motivational!
These are some great motivators to step it up in the gym!
I have started working out 4 weeks ago. Burned over 35,000 calories and gone 65 miles of workouts last month. Very proud of myself. I expected when I got on the scale today, it would not go as high. I was wrong. yes, my clothes are loser. And have more energy. I also nurse my 18 month still and am wondering if this has anything to do with it. I am also doing weight lifting too. I want so bad to be where I was when I got married. This is a bummer to see my weight hovering close to where it was when I started 4 weeks ago. Yes, I have cut out most sodas, and most junk food. And am eating more lean protein. When can I see the weightloss start? Will it just turn to muscle and I be a size 18 all my life with huge thighs?
This makes a lot of sense and I’m glad I came across this. I have maintained well for 2 years after losing 20 lbs but lately, I’ve been up 2 lbs and I’m eating well so I was frustrated what the problem is. My workouts I think have just become complacent. I’m going to use these tips and workouts to keep things interesting and reaching my target heart rate!
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