When you start a new exercise or health goal, the first weeks are full of motivation and intensity. However, if you’re not careful, you can quickly see your progress stall out and become frustrated by the lack of results from your workout.

This can happen due to a number of reasons, but with a few adjustments, you can get back on track to reaching your goals.

RECOMMIT

You must identify if you’ve been following a good exercise plan, if so, have you truly been sticking to it 100%? A good workout program will include mostly compound strength movements using your major muscle groups. Try tracking your workouts or putting your exercises in a checklist format to make sure that you are accomplishing what you want. Doing on 60% of the work will get you only 60% of the results. Renew your commitment and stick to your plan for 6 weeks before thinking about altering it or switching it to something else.Results that are lasting take time and too often, we quit or take our foot off the gas right before we are about to see positive change.

PUSH YOURSELF

In order to see progress, week-after-week you must ask a little more from your body. One more rep, one more set, one more pound of weight on the bar, or a heavier dumbbell can signal progress. Just because 20 lbs used to seem like a heavy weight doesn’t mean it will stay that way. Eventually, it may start to feel easy and you must increase the weight in order to progress. Maybe 5 push ups used to be challenging, but soon you’ll be able to grind through 10 push ups, then 20, and then you may have to add weight or try a new variation. Embrace the fact that your body is adapting and don’t be afraid to try something that previously seemed past your limits.

ASK FOR HELP

If you’re confused by the concept of progressive overload (i.e. in order to see physical change or get stronger, we must continually ask our body to work harder and harder) or you’re not quite sure how to do this, consider hiring a personal trainer to help you select the right exercises and design a workout program for you. We can show you how to perform the exercises properly, track your progress, and ensure that each workout leaves you a little stronger than the last one.

So recommit to your goals, keep pushing yourself, and ask for help if you need it. Doing these 3 things will surely keep you moving forward with your workout and you’ll be ready to show off all your hard work.

Originally from PRO Pulse May-June 2015
By Katelyn Travers