Quitting Before the Magic Begins

Four Things to Look at to Bust through your Plateau

1. Periodization for changing the intensity of your workout

2. Cortisol spikes and insulin resistance

3. Hormonal dysregulation leading to lack of sleep

3. Hiring a coach to tweak your program  

Periodization for Changing the Intensity of your Workout

The most common explanation for why the scale isn't moving after a while is lack of periodization, and essentially, no plan. When you attend the same types of classes for a long period of time, lift the same weights, do the same cardio routines, and have poor form, you will find that your body becomes way more efficient at burning calories. Just because you're sweating doesn't mean the program is intense enough to get results.

Without progressive overload - increasing weights, decreasing reps, adding complexity - your program will become stale in 4-6 weeks. Within 12 weeks, the program is no longer effective. You must change your program by this point or you'll struggle to see the scale move.

Some ways to shake up your routine include upping your weights every 2 weeks as you get stronger or modifying your exercises to add compound movements that incorporate more than one muscle group. Doing unilateral training can also help you identify muscle imbalances to improve athletic performance.

For bodyweight exercises like pilates, barre or yoga, increase the complexity of the moves and to the advanced versions of the exercises every few weeks.

For cardio routines, add intervals instead of only doing steady state (same speed, resistance, wattage).   

Cortisol Spikes and Insulin Resistance

Cortisol is the killer of many a weight loss program and the primary culprit of plateaus over time. When you have a stressful job, too many commitments stretching you thin, no downtime, lack of sleep, and pushing yourself too hard at the gym, your body retaliates and your metabolism becomes sub-optimal.

Everything you eat sticks to your body. The calories you consume are not burned, instead they are held and stored in your body fat. Insulin resistance is when your body no longer processes sugars to burn them for fuel. 

To combat this, you must decrease the intensity of your exercise routine.

Contrary to the point above about increasing intensity as you become more efficient at exercise, when cortisol is high, your body needs rest and recovery.

Instead of doing high intensity interval training, add more mobility and yoga.

Instead of lifting heavy, try bodyweight movements like calisthenics, barre or pilates.

You can also start decreasing your weights and adding more reps if you're only doing hypertrophy type workouts (low reps, heavy weights).

After doing this for about 4 weeks of active recovery, your body will have the chance to kickstart your metabolism so you can start increasing intensity again.

Hormonal Dysregulation and Lack of Sleep

As you age and hit 40+ years, your hormones will start changing. For women this could include the decrease in estrogen during peri and post-menopause and increase in cortisol. For men, this could be the decrease of testosterone as muscle starts deteriorating from lack of weight training. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome can also lead to weight gain in women due to hormonal imbalances. If you suffer from Hashimoto's or autoimmune disorders, you will also require lower intensity programs. As both men and women age, their cortisol levels also increase from work and family commitments.

When hormones shift, our sleep also suffers. Our bodies start holding on to calories consumed thanks to chronic insomnia and stress.

In this case, it's important to see your doctor to find out how you can regulate your hormones through diet, exercise, medication, and hormone replacement therapy, if required.

Meditation, self-care, gratitude journaling, and having a regular spiritual practice can help your mental health which could improve sleep over time by managing stress levels.

Hiring a Coach to Tweak your Program

Finally, if you are finding that your regular routine is no longer getting you the results you want, a personal trainer can recommend changes that will challenge your body in ways you never imagined.

Personal trainers assess your current physical state, lifestyle, nutrition, and habits to come up with a plan that will work for you.

Customization is vital because everyone's journey is unique. What worked for you in your 20's doesn't work in your 40's. What worked for your friend doesn't work for you because your biology isn't the same.

Personal training isn't a luxury, it is a necessity if you want to keep getting stronger and maintain a high quality of life.

Whether your train with a PT once a month or 3x a week, you will see better results than training alone.

Studies have shown that working out with an accountability partner is more motivating because it gets you to show up when you don't feel like it, and work harder because someone else is watching.

Plateaus are a Sign your Body Needs a Change

When you hit a plateau, don't get discouraged. Your body composition may still be changing, though very slowly. If there are elements outside of your control like hormonal imbalances, stress, and insomnia, intervention may be required. There's no shame in asking for help from the right professionals. Our job is to help you transform your body and do it in a way that works for your time, budget, and commitment level.

Please contact the transformation professionals at Rage Fitness at 1-825-945-7733 or fill out the online contact form and book your demo session today.