Surprise your body!

Feel like you haven’t been making progress in your training lately?

Has your weight stopped changing? This frustrating plateau is familiar to many gym-goers. Here’s why you need to change your training from time to time to avoid plateaus and setbacks.

Your muscles have a “memory” and quickly get used to exercises you perform regularly. After a period of training, your body may switch into “maintenance mode” instead of continuing to progress. You’ve probably noticed yourself how an exercise that initially felt difficult becomes easy over time. To keep progressing, though, you need to give your body new challenges. Here are some ways to spice up your training program.

Add supersets to your training program

For example, choose one biceps exercise and one back exercise, then alternate between them until you’ve completed 4 sets of each. Example: set I – 1 biceps exercise and 1 back exercise; set II – 1 for your biceps and 1 for your back, continuing until you’ve completed 4 sets. Supersets let you take shorter rest breaks because you move straight to the next exercise. This keeps your heart rate higher throughout your workout and makes the workout more intense.

Change your rep count and weights

For example, do 4 sets of 15 reps one week; the following week, do 5 sets of 20 reps with lighter weights. When choosing your weights, make sure the last 3 reps are very difficult.

Add plyometrics to make your body work harder

Add plyometrics to your workout. (Translator’s note: these are exercises performed explosively or with a jump, using surfaces at different heights. For example, plyometric push-ups involve pushing up explosively, almost as if you were bouncing on your hands, and you can add a clap in the lower phase. Other examples include jumps onto an aerobic step or another platform, and various jumping kicks. The key is explosive movement, springy jumps and so on.)

For example, do one set of biceps curls, followed by a set of alternating jumping lunges. Adding plyometrics allows you to alternate between training your lower- and upper-body muscles in supersets while increasing the intensity of your workout.

Extend your cardio sessions

For example, add 2 extra minutes to your cardio sessions each week.

Build endurance into your cardio training

When training on a treadmill, increase the incline by 1% each week. Increasing the training load lets you challenge yourself without extending your workout.

Being creative and introducing new elements makes your body work harder and your workouts more interesting. You’ll also enjoy your gym training program more when you do something new each time. By continually changing your training program, you’ll get to know your body better and discover which exercises it responds to best.

Original article: Jennifer Andrews IFBB Pro 26 January 2012 www.fitnessrxmag.com

Author: Egle Eller-Nabi (translation)

Source: Turg.Fitenss.ee

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