Why You're Working Out but Not Seeing Results (And How to Fix It)

What a Fitness Plateau Really Is

Is there anything more frustrating than working hard, doing everything you are told to do to lose weight, only to hit a plateau? No, you did not suddenly lazy or off track. Your body is adapting to all of the hard work you are putting in. Our bodies are fascinating- they like to stay comfortable with little change. What you've done is created a new norm for your body. Now your body is saying, "I like it here. We don't need any more changes!" Your body responds to repeated stimulus. In order to to continue working, you must progress your effort.

Common Reasons Workouts Stop Working for Women

• Repeating the same weights and reps

• Training hard but not training with intent

• Too much fatigue, not enough stimulus

• No clear progression plan

• Eating "healthy" but not supporting performance

  
  

How to Break Through a Fitness Plateau

Breaking a plateau requires more than just working harder. It requires a smarter approach to training, progression and recovery. Implementing a strategy called progressive overload is the piece you are missing. This simply means you will continually make an exercise harder. This can be by adding more reps each week, increasing the weights or slowing down the movement to increase time under tension.

Adding more exercises can actually work against you. Tweak your program so it's smarter, not more. Multiple exercises work the same muscle; there's no need to stack several that produce the same stimulus.

One of the hardest things to focus on is recovery. You've been use to grinding, adding more, putting in extreme amounts of work. Muscles grow during rest. It's imperative you take rest days- this means no heavy lifting, no intense workouts! Simple, steady-state cardio such as walking is the limit. Getting enough sleep each night is also important.

Nutrition and training go hand in hand. Have you ever heard the phrase, "You can't outwork a bad diet?" You also can't expect your body to perform when under-fueled. The purpose of food is to give your body energy day to day. This energy first goes to simply keeping you alive! When you are pushing the demands of your body, you need more fuel, not less. Extreme dieting will keep you stuck.

Who This Approach Works Best For

This is not a beginner's program. To be successful, there are a few prerequisites. First, you should already be training in some capacity, whether that is on your own in a gym or participating in group fitness classes. You should have familiarity with bar bell and dumbbell work. Second, you must be comfortable in a gym setting. If you are intimated by choosing your machines on your own, you will probably slink away out of fear. Third, you are feeling frustrated with your progress. These are the women who have "outgrown" the group fitness setting. Fourth, you are coachable. You are ready for structure and guidance and are willing to stick to the plan. This is exactly why I built FemPowered Physiques around helping women who are already consistent but stuck.

When Coaching Makes the Biggest Difference

So you know what's not working, you want to make some changes to see progress again ... you may try to branch out on your own. I'm sure you've seen plenty of reels, short video demonstrations and "3 tips to ..." on social media. You may have even tried piecing these together to create your own program. This strategy will ultimately leave you spinning your wheels. You'll keep guessing, trying, changing. As a coach, I have the perspective of looking from the outside in. I react to data, not emotion. When you try to create your own plans, you likely make changes due to momentary, emotionally driven discomfort. I'm able to look at your pogress and create a program that is fit for you.

If you're consistent in the gym but not seeing results, personalized coaching can be the difference between spinning your wheels and finally seeing progress.

If that sounds like you, you can apply for coaching here.