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by Michelle Sutton-Kerchner
Every successful fitness journey begins with a plan. Part of that plan should include inconsistency. You need just enough of it to be consistent. Here’s why …
Avoid a Plateau
Most of us love routines. With all of life’s surprises, we often try to make our daily activities predictable. It’s comfortable and we can proceed without questions, inner-analysis, or debate. Unfortunately, when this consistency follows through in our workouts, we eventually hit a plateau.
Great, you’re sweating it out on the Fitness Floor day after day. Way to commit! But, you’re not making any progress and getting discouraged. Working out becomes boring and unproductive. That commitment—it’s in jeopardy.
Keep Muscles Guessing
You need a fitness program that evolves with your body and mind. A personal trainer can help make this well-rounded and appropriate for your skills and goals. It is important to always incorporate new muscle groups and use them in multiple ways.
Challenge your strength and stamina by constantly introducing new equipment, intensities, and methods. As you adapt, your body becomes more conditioned. You burn calories more efficiently. And, you achieve those fitness goals.
Follow this plan for about six weeks, long enough to establish a strong foundation before switching. Become familiar with the exercises involved. Maximize their effects on your muscles. Before you overuse muscles, and risk injury from repetition, it will be time for change.
When you’re ready for an update to your regimen, you will know. Your mind and body will shift to autopilot. Results will lag, as will motivation. Right about then, you’ll be due for your complimentary reevaluation with a Center trainer, which is the ideal time to add new challenges.
Consistently Be Inconsistent
When working with a personal trainer, s/he usually provides new workouts on a very regular basis. Some members report, “No two workouts are alike.” When changing things up on your own, between reevaluations with a personal trainer, follow their formula:
- Incorporate the basics: stretching, strengthening, and cardio work.
- Rotate the focus. For example, spend one day with weights and another swimming.
- Rotate the specifics. Alternate the muscle groups worked by using equipment that focuses on different parts of the body.
- Vary the intensity and duration.
Follow the same formula when choosing your weekly Group Fitness classes. Go for one that concentrates on strengthening. Then, pick a class that focuses on cardio training for your next workout.
For example, alternate BODYPUMP™ with Cardio Kickbox class. If the classes differ enough from each other, you can do them both on the same day. (This does not mean you can take off the rest of the week. Consistently inconsistent.)
Focus
Know the difference between changing things up and workout chaos. “Not all who wander are lost (J.R.R. Tolkien),” applies during a philosophical walk through the woods—not when you have goals to accomplish. If your time on the Fitness Floor looks like a game of musical equipment, and you never know which machine you’ll end up using, it’s time to focus.
Remember to maintain your foundation. Focus on accomplishing the basics. This will lead you to a general direction. Then, allow yourself variety within those areas. Try fresh ways to work your core, tone your arms, or increase your heart rate. Incorporate them into your plan, but do so methodically.
Flexibility feels good for the mind and body. It prevents physical and mental stagnation. It helps us remain committed to a healthy lifestyle. If you aren’t in the mood for a treadmill run, or your hip is objecting, hit the pool instead. The same mission is accomplished while remaining self-accommodating. It’s your workout. Do it your way, every time.
Image Credits
Personal trainer chat: pixabay.com/en/fitness-training-cardio-gym-1877210
Vision sign: pixabay.com/en/puzzle-planning-strategy-process-1686918/
