Most people who have tried to lose weight or increase their fitness know exactly what it feels like to hit the dreaded plateau. In fact, when it comes to a plateau, it’s not a matter of if you hit one—it’s when you will hit one.
Plateaus are very common in weight loss and fitness programs. What happens is the body becomes very efficient at performing exercise routines, especially if the routines are the same week after week. It doesn’t take too long for the body to require less energy to perform the same workout routine, which in turn can produce less of a result.
So how do you break through the inevitable plateau? Here are three different ways to move through nutrition and exercise plateaus.
Adjust Your Nutrition: Protein, fats and carbohydrates make up the macronutrients in your diet. A simple and efficient way to break through a weight loss plateau is to adjust the proportions of these that make up your diet. Specifically, you want to increase your protein and fat intake and decrease your carbohydrate intake.
Increase Your Workouts: Another great way to break through a plateau is to increase your workouts throughout the week. This can be adding in another workout day, whether it is solely weight training, cardio or a combination or both. This will increase your overall energy output and help break you out of your rut.
Mix It Up: If your workout routine is very similar week in and week out, it’s definitely time to mix it up. There are many ways to adjust your exercise routine. Here are a few ideas:
–Increase the weight
–Add more sets
–Select a different exercise that works the same muscle groups
–Add in some interval training
–Move through the workout more quickly
–Add in supersets
Mixing up your workout routine will cause your body to adapt all over again to the exercises, which in turn will amp up the energy expenditure and burst you out of that plateau.
Jason DeHenzel has trained some of New York’s most prestigious clients, including high-profile lawyers, advertising executives, movie producers and musicians. Sophie DeHenzel is a Pn1-certified nutritionist and former downhill ski racer. The pair founded DeHenzel Training Systems, a 2015 Home-Based Business of the Year from the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce. DeHenzel Training Systems develops customized fitness plans for clients of different abilities, experience and commitment. Find out more at dtsnova.com.
