Stuck in a rut with your training?
The number one reason people stop achieving results with their training is because they program hop and never really have a structured program in place to achieve a goal.
You may have experienced it yourself.
Not quite knowing what you’re doing in your workout but feeling that some sort of exercise is better than none.
The second reason people plateau in training is down to the comfort zone.
In other words, training at the same intensity with the same weight or on a run at the same speed for the same distance but you’re doing exercise, right?…
Right. You’re doing exercise. But you’re not training.
It gets to a point where there is no training effect here.
To effectively make the transition from ‘exercise’ to ‘training’ and see rapid improvements, it’s essential to follow these guidelines and then the sky’s the limit!
1. Set a specific, achievable goal like run 5km under 30 mins in 8 weeks.
2. Set a simple program in place, with assistance if necessary, focusing on reaching the goal.
3. Ensure you apply the principle of progressive overload gradually increasing the stress put on the body to encourage adaptation.
You can do this by manipulating one of the FIT variables below;
Frequency – add an extra training session.
Intensity – gradually increase the load on strength exercises or speed on a run.
Time – gradually increase the duration of training through additional sets with weight training or distance on a run.
4. Apply the training principle of specificity or do exercises that produce the training effect required to achieve your goal.
For example, if you want to bulk up with muscle, it’s not advisable to do long cardio sessions but focus on weight training with heavy weights for low repetitions.
You may argue that all you want to do is lose body fat.
Exercising more, no matter what form, will help you do this.
However, giving yourself a clear ‘training’ goal and applying the principles of overload and specificity, will accelerate results, give you a sense of achievement and prevent any plateaus along the way.