Mediskin: Hitting a plateau! How does it happen and how can we prevent it?

Our bodies are incredible organisms and they are very resilient and can adapt to changes put on them.

What causes a workout plateau is when your body has adapted to the workout that you are doing.

After this point, you will not really see results.
I am a creature of habit and have certain routines I follow every morning, without fail. So for me when I started my HIIT I had certain routines I followed and I loved knowing what I would be doing every other day.
Unfortunately it didn't take long for my body to adapt and realise what was coming next each time.

It is good to switch up workout regiments every 4-6 weeks because that is how long it usually takes the body to adjust to fitness regiments.

Here are some variables that you can try if you ever find yourself at that plateau:

Change the intensity:

Examples- Try to use heavier weights, do more repetitions, or sets. If running, then try interval training.

Time:

Example- Decrease the amount of time in between exercises (sets): If you normally take a 60 second rest, try taking a 30 second.

When you begin a workout regimen the changes are significant. The body works hard to figure out how to adapt to these new, unaccustomed stimuli and you burn significant energy performing the work AND adjusting to the work.

Our body is designed for survival. It is great at conserving and storing energy. This is a disadvantage to those trying to reverse the amount of stored energy that we have.

Most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel.

Weight Loss is different than Maintaining Muscle while losing Fat.

I got to a point last summer where I was pushing my body and instead of building muscle and getting fitter, I plateaued and found I was actually loosing muscle the more I worked out.

I was clearly annoyed by this as I had worked hard for my abs.

I realised I needed to switch up my routine and take more time to recover.

Rest days are equally as important.

I found a picture that I was going to use as my ab inspiration and I focused on achieving the same results.

Results after 4 weeks.

Working out initially burns a significant amount of extra calories.
Your body is an adaptive machine.
Make frequent changes to your workout. Workout changes prevent boredom and increase the challenge to your body.

Your results slow down after 1-2 months. It is natural.

You may experience a rise in hunger and appetite as a result of initiating a new workout plan.
Understanding what you are eating, when you are eating and why you are eating is key.

Exercise increases nutritional needs which are difficult to attain from food alone.
If you are in a nutrient deficit and a calorie deficit, this can begin to ruin your metabolism.

Every morning I take a range of nutrients; Potassium, cod liver oil, L-Glutamine, L-lysine, and pharmaton
At night I take 2 Magnesium/Calcium/Zinc capsules.

Eating Breakfast is under-appreciated and overlooked for Fat Loss.

http://loveprotectreflecttheskinyourein.blogspot.ie/2014/02/breakfast-time.html

Avoid overexertion, since it both predisposes to injury, and does not contribute to overall fitness.
Steady progress is the fastest way to peak conditioning.

The Following Are Signs Of Overexertion:

Pulse rate not recovered to 120 beats per minute or lower within two minutes of stopping exercise.
Feelings of fatigue persisting more than 10 minutes after end of work-out. Persistent difficulty in sleeping, accompanied by on-going fatigue.
Significant fatigue the day after a workout.

An exercise program should always begin with a 2 to10 minute warm-up such as jogging in place, etc.
Then do some stretching movements, but do not attempt to stretch cold muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
Warm up before stretching.
Do not bounce your stretches, and increase your stretches gradually.
You will be surprised at how rapidly stretching progresses in just a few days.