Have a hard time losing fat or building muscle? Do you work out and eat clean, but your efforts are in vain? If so, you might need to tweak your diet and training plan. Common mistakes, such as resting too long between sets, doing cardio the wrong way, and eating too little protein, can hurt your progress and lead to plateaus. Even the pros fall into these traps! Fortunately, it's never too late to make a change.
Need help? Here are three surprising reasons why your workout isn't working:
Lack of Intensity
Two people can do the same exercises with the same number of reps and sets, and still get different results. In addition to genetics, workout intensity is what makes the difference. Training at a slow pace can be counterproductive, especially if your goal is to lose fat.
Your body adapts quickly to exercise. Thus, it's important to push it harder and keep your muscles guessing. A short, intense 40-minute session can yield better results than hour-long workouts. That's why HIIT and tabata are so effective. Get out of your comfort zone and bump up the intensity!
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Lack of Variety
Doing the same workouts day in and day out is a surefire way to hit training plateaus. Whether your goal is to build mass or shed fat, mix things up and keep your routine varied. This will boost your gains and prevent your body from adapting exercise.
Experiment with new lifting techniques, swap dumbbells for barbells, and change workout variables, such as the number of reps and sets. Replace cardio with HIIT or other far-torching activities to spice up your workouts.
Tweak your routine every four to eight weeks. This allows you to track your current plan and see what works and what could be improved. Monitor your progress and make changes accordingly.
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Too Much Cardio
Do you really think that running on the treadmill for hours will get you ripped? If it was that simple, you'd already be lean. Too much cardio raises cortisol levels, sending your body into a catabolic state. This leads to muscle loss, weight gain, fatigue, fluid retention, poor sleep, and hormonal imbalances.
Excessive cardio training also lowers testosterone and growth hormone levels, which in turn, limits your ability to burn fat and build muscle. Strength training, full body circuits, and HIIT work better than cardio for fat loss, so give them a try!
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Don’t forget about nutrition! Diet and training are equally important. Not even the best workout can offset the harm caused by bad eating.
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