You're moving right along-you're losing weight, building and
toning muscle, dropping pant sizes; and suddenly, the progress seems to
stop! You've reached the weight loss and fitness plateau; the dreaded
brick wall that everyone eventually encounters along their journey
toward better health. It is discouraging to experience a plateau such as
this, especially after months of continued and noticeable progress!
Don't let this temporary setback discourage you! There are ways to bust through the weight loss and fitness plateaus!
Adjust Your Fitness Routine
Doing the same workout day-after-day not only gets boring after awhile; your body actually begins to adapt to it. Your muscles get used to the routine, requiring less energy as before to execute the movements. This translates into less calories burned during the workout.
How can you counter act a fitness plateau? Switch up your routine a little bit by adding light-weighted gloves; or you can go the courageous route and completely overhaul your whole routine! Each combination requires the muscles to transition in a different manner.
For example, if you were going straight from a squat to a standing position; try going from a squat to a jump-tuck (jump up and pull your knees toward your chest). The squat-jump-tuck combination works a different group of muscles than the combination of squat-stand.
Add High-Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T.) to Workout
There are two kinds of muscle fibers: slow twitch and fast twitch. Slow twitch fibers are associated with endurance, while fast twitch is associated with speed. All aerobic exercise engages the slow twitch fibers; but you should also be doing some anaerobic exercises which engage the fast twitch fibers.
When you participate in anaerobic exercise (H.I.I.T.), your body burns up to nine times more fat than regular aerobic exercise alone-even while your body is at rest! The reason this is so is because your heart rate is accelerated to its maximum possible rate and remains at an elevated state for up to 36 hours after an anaerobic workout! Your body has to get the energy to recover somewhere; and it gets that energy from your stored fat!
An anaerobic exercise is simply exercising as fast and as hard as humanly possible for you for a period of 30 seconds to 2 minutes. A common illustration of this is running. Start by warming up for roughly five minutes by walking and/or light jogging, then sprint as quickly as possible for 30 seconds to two minutes. Follow the sprint with a recovery period of 30 seconds to two minutes of walking and/or light jogging. Repeat this cycle for no more than 30 minutes total.
There are other ways to participate in anaerobic exercise. Any routine that will get your heart rate up to its maximum possible rate will work. Just remember to warm up before a H.I.I.T. workout, follow each H.I.I.T. cycle with a recovery period, and do a five-minute cool down afterwards.
Eat More to Weigh Less!
As your body gains muscle mass and strength, your body will begin to require more calories to function while at rest. Healthy and safe weight loss is one to two pounds a week which translates into a 500-1000 daily calorie deficit. Deprive your body of more than 1000 calories, and your body will eventually go into starvation mode. Your body will think that food is in meager supply so it reserves your fat storage and turns instead to your muscle tissue for energy. You end up keeping your fat and losing your muscle mass and strength! Bad news.
Calculate the amount of calories your body requires to function ( aka Basal Metabolic Rate ). If your daily calorie restriction is more than 1000 less than that number, increase your calorie intake to comply accordingly. Once your body realizes that food is not in short supply, it will begin to get its energy from your fat storage and spare your muscle tissues!
Now armed with the necessary information; it is time for you to bust through that weight loss and/or fitness plateau!
Don't let this temporary setback discourage you! There are ways to bust through the weight loss and fitness plateaus!
Adjust Your Fitness Routine
Doing the same workout day-after-day not only gets boring after awhile; your body actually begins to adapt to it. Your muscles get used to the routine, requiring less energy as before to execute the movements. This translates into less calories burned during the workout.
How can you counter act a fitness plateau? Switch up your routine a little bit by adding light-weighted gloves; or you can go the courageous route and completely overhaul your whole routine! Each combination requires the muscles to transition in a different manner.
For example, if you were going straight from a squat to a standing position; try going from a squat to a jump-tuck (jump up and pull your knees toward your chest). The squat-jump-tuck combination works a different group of muscles than the combination of squat-stand.
Add High-Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T.) to Workout
There are two kinds of muscle fibers: slow twitch and fast twitch. Slow twitch fibers are associated with endurance, while fast twitch is associated with speed. All aerobic exercise engages the slow twitch fibers; but you should also be doing some anaerobic exercises which engage the fast twitch fibers.
When you participate in anaerobic exercise (H.I.I.T.), your body burns up to nine times more fat than regular aerobic exercise alone-even while your body is at rest! The reason this is so is because your heart rate is accelerated to its maximum possible rate and remains at an elevated state for up to 36 hours after an anaerobic workout! Your body has to get the energy to recover somewhere; and it gets that energy from your stored fat!
An anaerobic exercise is simply exercising as fast and as hard as humanly possible for you for a period of 30 seconds to 2 minutes. A common illustration of this is running. Start by warming up for roughly five minutes by walking and/or light jogging, then sprint as quickly as possible for 30 seconds to two minutes. Follow the sprint with a recovery period of 30 seconds to two minutes of walking and/or light jogging. Repeat this cycle for no more than 30 minutes total.
There are other ways to participate in anaerobic exercise. Any routine that will get your heart rate up to its maximum possible rate will work. Just remember to warm up before a H.I.I.T. workout, follow each H.I.I.T. cycle with a recovery period, and do a five-minute cool down afterwards.
Eat More to Weigh Less!
As your body gains muscle mass and strength, your body will begin to require more calories to function while at rest. Healthy and safe weight loss is one to two pounds a week which translates into a 500-1000 daily calorie deficit. Deprive your body of more than 1000 calories, and your body will eventually go into starvation mode. Your body will think that food is in meager supply so it reserves your fat storage and turns instead to your muscle tissue for energy. You end up keeping your fat and losing your muscle mass and strength! Bad news.
Calculate the amount of calories your body requires to function ( aka Basal Metabolic Rate ). If your daily calorie restriction is more than 1000 less than that number, increase your calorie intake to comply accordingly. Once your body realizes that food is not in short supply, it will begin to get its energy from your fat storage and spare your muscle tissues!
Now armed with the necessary information; it is time for you to bust through that weight loss and/or fitness plateau!
Are you tired of struggling with your weight? Sign up for a FREE Weight Loss Strategy Session with Michelle today!
Visit Marvelous Body Coaching [http://marvelousbodycoaching.com/get-coached/] for more information on Michelle's coaching services. Also check out her new weight loss program, "The MBC Fun & Easy Method for Permanent Weight Loss".
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Michelle_Liber/759766
Visit Marvelous Body Coaching [http://marvelousbodycoaching.com/get-coached/] for more information on Michelle's coaching services. Also check out her new weight loss program, "The MBC Fun & Easy Method for Permanent Weight Loss".
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