You eat right. You work out. But those last few pounds just won’t seem to budge. Luckily, there are ways to break through your weight loss plateau and reach your fitness goals. Bayshore Fit’s Jeff Fink and Beth Scanlan, co-owners and fitness experts, weigh in on how they help clients work through a slowdown.
Tip #1: Increase Intensity
Say you’ve been running on a treadmill for 30 minutes each workout. The first thing Jeff suggests to his clients is to make your workout harder while shortening the length.
“Make the effort more intense,” says Jeff. “And you can, because by doing that you can actually cut the time and start working out more efficiently.”
“Intensity is the biggest thing that people are lacking,” adds Beth. In fact, she often sees people on a machine for an hour or longer going at a slow pace, wondering why they aren’t getting results. “Their intensity is simply not high enough.”
Interval training is an effective way to get more out of your workout, rather than a long, steady session. For example, try going “all-out” for one minute, then recover for a minute. Then, go back to high-intensity, everything-you-got and back to a minute rest. Continue alternating intervals until you hit your target time.
Tip #2: Mix Up Your Cardio
Do the same workout every day and your body will adapt — and plateau. Jeff suggests finding different types of cardio to keep your body challenged.
“If you tell me you’re used to doing 30 minutes on the treadmill, instead, let’s do 10 minutes of running outside, then come in and do 10 minutes on the bike. And then let’s do 10 minutes on the rower,” Jeff says. “So, you’re still getting 30 minutes while you’re doing these short, hard intervals, instead of a steady pace of 30 minutes.”
Tip #3: Stick to the Basics
“Exercise really is science. So typically, when people are not losing weight, they’re not following the rules, whether it be the guidelines on exercise or the guidelines on their diet,” says Beth.
It really is that simple: clean eating — not fad dieting — and putting in the time at the gym is going to get you the results you’re looking for. Sorry, no magic pill or shortcuts.
Tip #4: Add More Workout Days
Incorporating a few more workout sessions a month makes a difference. Every week that you can sneak in one more workout has you burning more calories than you were in the previous week. Instead of having specific workout “days,” Jeff recommends sticking to an every-other-day routine.
“People get too caught up with regimen, like ‘my workout days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday.’ So that’s fine. But if you have the time, or the ability or the flexibility to do it every other day, well then in a two week period, you’re working out seven days versus six days,” he explains.
At Bayshore Fit, we have something for everyone to crush their workouts! Members enjoy free classes, indoor and outdoor training areas, and friendly personal training — all to help you get in the best shape of your life. For more information, contact our team.