Have you been working out hard lately and just not seeing the results you want?
I hear it time and again . . . “Sara, I’m putting in the time. I’m pushing myself, and NOTHING Is happening!”
And trust me, I also personally know the feeling . . . but I also know why you’re (or I’m) not seeing the results you want.
I bet one of the 5 reasons I have listed here is what has you stuck in a rut. And if you prefer to watch me babble, rather than read on, you can watch one of my Facebook LIVE videos, from when I was pregnant sharing my own struggles, at the bottom of this post.
1. You are NOT working to fatigue.
This may be a hard one to hear (especially if you claim that you’ve been giving it your all), but you may not be pushing to your limit. Keep in mind, pregnancy and early postpartum recovery is sometimes the exception to the rule. (Click HERE to read about the Top 4 Biggest Postpartum Exercise Mistakes.) To see better results, you have to work to full fatigue. You’ll know you’ve made it there when that last rep is just too much. So how do you fix this? During your strength workout, increase your reps or sets, or . . . (see number 2).
2. You haven’t increased your weights in a while.
Now this could also be why you’re not working to fatigue. Answer this for me, “Have you been doing shoulder presses with the same 8-10lb weights for the past year (or maybe 5 years)?” If you want to see better results, you need to challenge your body by lifting heavier weights. So pick up those 12, 15 or even 20lb weights. You may do less reps but you will certainly start seeing better results and you will BE stronger. Being strong makes you a more functional human beings. And no, you are NOT going to bulk up – you’ll need to eat a lot more and lift a LOT more for that to happen.
3. You might be missing out on a muscle group.
There may be a muscle group you are not working or may just be unaware of. Review the workouts you’ve been doing for the past few months and try to look for an area you may not be hitting directly. This is one of those times when consulting a personal trainer (like me!) can definitely be helpful. If you’re specifically looking for more results in your upper body, consider signing up for my FREE 10-Day Upper Body Blast Challenge.
4. You aren’t lifting often enough.
If you only have a chance to workout twice a week, both of those days should be total body workout days. Splitting and doing one day of upper body and one day of lower body a week is just not going to produce the strongest results. Try working your upper body 5 days in a row with my FREE 10-Day Upper Body Blast Challenge.
5. You might be over training.
If you are someone that is obsessive about their workouts, that might be your exact problem. You may be overtraining. If your body isn’t given time to recover, it may revolt against you. Rest your body when it tells you it’s too sore. By letting it recover, you’ll be able to do more than you know when you jump back in a day or two later.
I am here to help you see results. Jump on board with my FREE 10-Day Upper Body Blast Challenge.
