When you are on a fitness plan, you will have good days and bad days. You will put a lot of pressure on yourself, reach different plateaus, and sometimes feel like you are making no progress. And, the only way to get through those tough barriers is to steel yourself and smash through them.
But how do you do that? Today, I’m going to share some of the things that I have experienced on my road to fitness. There have been plenty of struggles; I can assure you! But, if you learn to recognize the signs, it will be much easier for you to take the right action. Let’s take a look at some of the most common problems.
Getting started
The hardest part of beginning a new lifestyle is starting it in the first place. It’s the first barrier you will face, and will continue for a good couple of weeks after you get going. There will be a lot of pain and discomfort involved as you work out muscles that you haven’t used for years. And, you will get out of breath easily, and feel like you just can’t keep up.
But you have to keep going. After a few weeks, you will start to feel better. Take each day as it comes and don’t expect instant results. Before you know it, you will be ready to set higher targets.
Plateaus of weight loss
Once you start working out, you could lose weight, or put it on. Muscle is denser than fat, so the more you build them up, the more you will weigh. However, there will be a tipping point when the fat starts to fly off. It’s a great time, and you will notice the difference. The trouble is, once you reach a certain stage your weight loss will plateau.
At this point, you have two options. The first – and best – is to forget about it and keep doing what you are doing. The second is to invest in some wrestling scales. (Check www.wrestlingscales.net for more info.) They are highly accurate and are used in gyms, boxing and wrestling weigh-ins, and hospitals. If you feel the need to control your weight to the minutest detail, they are an excellent option.
Plateaus of fitness
Plateaus of fitness are perhaps the hardest barriers to get through. Because you have worked so hard, for so long, it is disappointing when you feel like you are stalling. There are few things you can do to break through, however. The first is your diet. OK, so you have been super strict about what you have been eating. But have things started to slip? If so, it’s going to have an effect on your performance.
The next is something that a lot of people forget about sleep. Without enough sleep, your body won’t recover, and your performance will be affected. Finally, take a closer look at your workouts. Have you started missing the odd exercise here and there? Be honest, and what you find might be revealing. In many cases, this final plateau is purely down to you getting bored and fed up of your routine. In which case, try spicing things up a little and find alternatives to the exercises you have grown tired of.
Have you hit fitness plateaus before? I’d love to hear about your experiences so let me know in the comments section below!
