Yesterday I wrote about how I am reaching a plateau in my fitness journey. I've read up on plateaus lately, and found out the signs of them and why they happen (see yesterday's blog).
I've discovered that fitness or weight loss plateaus are a real thing that happens to everyone. In yesterday's blog, I wrote about how I am currently feeling frustrated and stuck. A friend commented on my Facebook page that I shouldn't be viewing this as a bad thing, that it should be viewed as "being on the brink of another exciting improvement!" I really like the way he looks at it. So I need to change my mindset. Instead of being flustered about it, I just need to see this as a great challenge. And I like challenges, I get to use my stubbornness for something good!
So I did some more reading and researching yesterday on how to break through this plateau. From most of the information I've read, the trick to them would be trying to recognize them quickly so you can adjust your routines accordingly to work through them.
Learning to recognize plateaus can be made easier by keeping a log and tracking weekly progress. Tracking not only what you do but the difficulty of it can help you see your progress and if it is time to change things up a bit.
Top things to track are as follows:
-Workouts- including sets, reps and weights
-Progress photos-every 2-3 weeks
-Sleep and rest-how much and how tired do you feel
- Meals- what you are REALLY eating
By keeping a log, you can start to recognize the issues as they come along. Then it's just learning how to deal with them. There are a few key things I found in my research that will help someone get through a plateau and continue on with their goals.
1. Measure food for accuracy.
After a while of tracking food and meals, a person may start to get lazy about it or add a few extra grams or treats here and there and not remembering that those things add up. Maybe it is time to re-evaluate your macros (ratio of carbs, fats and proteins).
I've been pretty diligent on measuring my food to ensure I am getting enough of what I need for fuel. However, maybe I have been slacking a little bit and adding a few extra grams here and there without really thinking about it. So more diligence it is!
2. Cardio!
I know cardio is not really a fan favorite but it can make a difference. Adding more cardio can boost the fat burning needed to bust through a plateau. Changing what your cardio is can also make a difference. If you go at a more slow and steady pace, try sprints. You'd be surprised at the difference that running sprints, such as a HIIT, can make. Alternatively, if you are more of an elliptical bunny, try the spin bike. Changing the time and intensity can make a big difference.
I have been slacking a bit on my cardio lately and concentrating more on my weight lifting but I think I will try to dedicate a little more time to fit the cardio in. It is important not just for fat burning, but it also gives me more endurance and stamina when I fight.
3. Weight lifting
This one is pretty basic. Increasing weights can make a difference as well as changing sets and reps. Other little things such as when dong squats pausing at the bottom for a couple seconds before coming back up can exhaust the muscles a little more.
I've been increasing my weights as I go along, I have been feeling like I am getting stronger over time. I have also been trying to increase the reps in my sets from 8-10 to 12-15 for certain exercises or going with heavy weights and only doing 7 or 8 reps. Just trying to mix it up a bit.
4. Diet
Diet is a huge factor in all fitness regimes. It is also something can can be continually changed and tweaked a bit. Try decreasing your overall carbs in a day and increasing protein. Also ensure the timing of your carbs is when you need it the most, which is usually pre and post workouts. Decreasing overall calories by a certain percentage can help too. This can be done by increasing veggie intake and overall decrease in fat. Maybe you've been restricting calories too much and need a re-feed meal. Look back on your diet lately and if its been quite restricting then maybe your body needs a re-fuel.
This is something I can tweak a bit. I do need to watch how much fat I am taking in. Fat is important for a normal functioning body in that it aids with metabolism and hormone production, but too much is not beneficial either. Also, I need to ensure I am taking my big load of carbs (usually in oat bran or grain form) around my workouts a bit better.
5. Rest
This one I found to be very interesting concept. Over training causes negative effects on the body, rather than positive results. We all know that rest is crucial for muscle growth so allowing your body more time to rest can give it the extra boost it needs for growth. One of the articles I read suggested taking a planned week of rest. During that week, they still eat normally or even a little less to compensate for inactivity and they come back rested and ready to go. I found that to be an interesting concept that does makes sense. I think that most people's instinct is to train harder, but maybe that is not always the answer. Sleep is also very important for the body. During our deep sleep is when the Growth Hormone (GH) is at its peak. During that peak is when we recover, produce hormones and grow. Sleep is also needed for energy.
This one is interesting to me. I've thought about trying an additional rest day during the week. I also know that one of my fall backs is not sleeping enough. After Ju Jitsu in the evenings, we rush home to make dinner, eat, make lunches and then bed. I usually stay up later though writing and doing social media stuff, so I think I need to try to shut my brain off earlier and get my butt to bed. Unfortunately there are only so many hours in a day!
Overall I think I have a start on how to get myself through this plateau. I read that its best to do small changes and tweak as you go along, rather than change everything all at once. I know I will learn more as I go along and learn to recognize theses things over time and I will be able to respond to them. I will also change my attitude in the future so that I don't allow these things to throw me off so much.
I've discovered that fitness or weight loss plateaus are a real thing that happens to everyone. In yesterday's blog, I wrote about how I am currently feeling frustrated and stuck. A friend commented on my Facebook page that I shouldn't be viewing this as a bad thing, that it should be viewed as "being on the brink of another exciting improvement!" I really like the way he looks at it. So I need to change my mindset. Instead of being flustered about it, I just need to see this as a great challenge. And I like challenges, I get to use my stubbornness for something good!
So I did some more reading and researching yesterday on how to break through this plateau. From most of the information I've read, the trick to them would be trying to recognize them quickly so you can adjust your routines accordingly to work through them.
Learning to recognize plateaus can be made easier by keeping a log and tracking weekly progress. Tracking not only what you do but the difficulty of it can help you see your progress and if it is time to change things up a bit.
Top things to track are as follows:
-Workouts- including sets, reps and weights
-Progress photos-every 2-3 weeks
-Sleep and rest-how much and how tired do you feel
- Meals- what you are REALLY eating
By keeping a log, you can start to recognize the issues as they come along. Then it's just learning how to deal with them. There are a few key things I found in my research that will help someone get through a plateau and continue on with their goals.
1. Measure food for accuracy.
After a while of tracking food and meals, a person may start to get lazy about it or add a few extra grams or treats here and there and not remembering that those things add up. Maybe it is time to re-evaluate your macros (ratio of carbs, fats and proteins).
I've been pretty diligent on measuring my food to ensure I am getting enough of what I need for fuel. However, maybe I have been slacking a little bit and adding a few extra grams here and there without really thinking about it. So more diligence it is!
2. Cardio!
I know cardio is not really a fan favorite but it can make a difference. Adding more cardio can boost the fat burning needed to bust through a plateau. Changing what your cardio is can also make a difference. If you go at a more slow and steady pace, try sprints. You'd be surprised at the difference that running sprints, such as a HIIT, can make. Alternatively, if you are more of an elliptical bunny, try the spin bike. Changing the time and intensity can make a big difference.
I have been slacking a bit on my cardio lately and concentrating more on my weight lifting but I think I will try to dedicate a little more time to fit the cardio in. It is important not just for fat burning, but it also gives me more endurance and stamina when I fight.
3. Weight lifting
This one is pretty basic. Increasing weights can make a difference as well as changing sets and reps. Other little things such as when dong squats pausing at the bottom for a couple seconds before coming back up can exhaust the muscles a little more.
I've been increasing my weights as I go along, I have been feeling like I am getting stronger over time. I have also been trying to increase the reps in my sets from 8-10 to 12-15 for certain exercises or going with heavy weights and only doing 7 or 8 reps. Just trying to mix it up a bit.
4. Diet
Diet is a huge factor in all fitness regimes. It is also something can can be continually changed and tweaked a bit. Try decreasing your overall carbs in a day and increasing protein. Also ensure the timing of your carbs is when you need it the most, which is usually pre and post workouts. Decreasing overall calories by a certain percentage can help too. This can be done by increasing veggie intake and overall decrease in fat. Maybe you've been restricting calories too much and need a re-feed meal. Look back on your diet lately and if its been quite restricting then maybe your body needs a re-fuel.
This is something I can tweak a bit. I do need to watch how much fat I am taking in. Fat is important for a normal functioning body in that it aids with metabolism and hormone production, but too much is not beneficial either. Also, I need to ensure I am taking my big load of carbs (usually in oat bran or grain form) around my workouts a bit better.
5. Rest
This one I found to be very interesting concept. Over training causes negative effects on the body, rather than positive results. We all know that rest is crucial for muscle growth so allowing your body more time to rest can give it the extra boost it needs for growth. One of the articles I read suggested taking a planned week of rest. During that week, they still eat normally or even a little less to compensate for inactivity and they come back rested and ready to go. I found that to be an interesting concept that does makes sense. I think that most people's instinct is to train harder, but maybe that is not always the answer. Sleep is also very important for the body. During our deep sleep is when the Growth Hormone (GH) is at its peak. During that peak is when we recover, produce hormones and grow. Sleep is also needed for energy.
This one is interesting to me. I've thought about trying an additional rest day during the week. I also know that one of my fall backs is not sleeping enough. After Ju Jitsu in the evenings, we rush home to make dinner, eat, make lunches and then bed. I usually stay up later though writing and doing social media stuff, so I think I need to try to shut my brain off earlier and get my butt to bed. Unfortunately there are only so many hours in a day!
Overall I think I have a start on how to get myself through this plateau. I read that its best to do small changes and tweak as you go along, rather than change everything all at once. I know I will learn more as I go along and learn to recognize theses things over time and I will be able to respond to them. I will also change my attitude in the future so that I don't allow these things to throw me off so much.
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