If Your Fitness Routine Does Not Challenge You… It Will Not Change You

Written by admin on October 17, 2018. Posted in Motivational, News, Rowing, Rowing Benefits, Workouts

Improving your health and fitness takes time and hard work. You shouldn’t expect to see changes after one or two workouts, but if your daily workout routine isn’t producing noticeable results after a month or so, there might be a good reason why.

How do you know if your exercise routine isn’t working? Well… In my 20+ years of experience in the fitness world there are a few telltale signs:

Top 10 Reasons Why Your Daily Workout Routine Isn’t Producing Results And What to Do About It

Are you failing to make any progress toward your fitness and nutrition goals?

Are you feeling a decrease in fitness performance and new or reoccurring injuries?

If you’re unsure about the efficiency of your daily workout routine try to do your own assessment of your situation:

Do you still look the same after 6 months of exercise?

Are you lifting the same amount of weight you did when you started?

Do you have new or worsening injuries? Are you losing muscle?

These all may be indicators that you need to change your approach to exercising.

Take a look through these 10 potential problems in your daily exercise routine. If one (or more) of them sounds like it applies to you, try the suggested solutions to get back on track.

1. You don’t have a clear goal

Make sure you have more than a few reasons to work out… write down a list of about 20 things in which why having a daily fitness and healthy nutrition routine will benefit you over time. The more reasons you have… the better but if you only have one or two goals it could set you up for failure and inconsistent workouts. If you don’t have a clear goal, chances are good you don’t have a barometer for measuring your progress, which means you won’t know what type of results to look for.

Explanation:

Before you start your journey, you should know what it is you want to accomplish. Instead of losing weight it should be if you fit into your clothes better and look healthier. Feeling good is your first priority and looking good will come with those goals. Once you get clear on the reasons why you’re exercising, you can create a S.M.A.R.T. goal (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Sensitive).

From there, set specific and realistic benchmarks, which gives you a way to check your progress while also helping you stay motivated and focused. I personally use a journal to log my workouts and progress everyday to track my progress weekly/monthly/yearly. Remember patience is key is starting and keeping you eye on any goal in life. It’s all a process and it takes time to accomplish specific weight loss, fitness, and nutrition goals.

2. You’re not challenging yourself enough

There are 5 heart rate zones you need to focus on and understand before you get into an exercise program. Around 70-80% of your total workouts should generally be in zone 2 and or 3 which is considered aerobic and ‘Fat-burning zones.’ You don’t need to be on the brink of exhaustion after every sweat session, but you won’t see results with your daily exercise routine if you’re constantly breezing through your workouts. The remainder of the workouts should be in zone 4 or 5 which is considered the anaerobic muscle/fat burning zones. In these following top threshold heart rate zones you want to keep pushing your limits to force the body into adaptation. As your body gradually adapts to a specific workout, you become stronger, more efficient, and more conditioned. Once a workout that used to seem difficult starts becoming easier, it’s time to increase your intensity again.

Explanation:

To ensure you’re pushing yourself hard enough I personally have come up with your own RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) pain scale ranging from 1-10. Ask yourself how truly painful is the workout you are doing at that specific moment and compare it to a doctor’s office pain scale. 10 being the most excruciating down to 1 which has no pain or discomfort at all. You want to hold that scale for the majority of your workouts from 4-6 and then pump it up towards 7-9 from time to time to keep building strength and endurance during your workouts. If you think you’re working hard (during a high-intensity cardio session), but you’re not seeing heart rates above 80–85 percent for at least 10 minutes of the effort, you may not be doing as much as you think. she explains.

3. You are doing the same endurance workout every single day with no weight training

In a similar vein as the point above, doing the same exact daily workout routine (down to the number of reps) day after day and week after week is a surefire way to stall your progress. Once you become efficient at something, you need to add a new stimulus to keep your body adapting and improving.

Explanation:

There is one exception! Rowing at the Roworx fitness center in Long Beach can be the answer to your entire fitness routine. Rowing uses nearly 90% of the total muscles in the body while working together to perform the natural rowing stroke. Inside the boathouse, anyone can take the one-hour indoor rowing classes and the views are spectacular. We just a few feet away from the water with panoramic views of the sunsets over Marine Stadium in Long Beach. These classes are usually also paired with strength training techniques while using small weights in order to get the best possible workout. Meet our friendly, knowledgeable rowing instructors or check out some of our equipment. The benefits of rowing? It burns up to 800 calories an hour—that’s more than running! And, because it’s no impact, it’s easy on the knees. (Read nine more reasons to start rowing.) Try adjusting the amount of weight you lift, changing your number of reps, reducing your rest periods during high intensity training workouts, or adding sprints to your cardio session and you can even alternate the days you work certain muscle groups.

4. You jump from one workout routine to the next

And now for the opposite problem: too much change. Bouncing from running to circuit training to yoga all within a week and then something entirely new the following week may seem like the smartest way to shock your body into shape (and avoid boredom), but this strategy can actually backfire. If you change your workouts too often you won’t give your body the chance to improve upon those exercises and movements, so very little adaptation happens.

Explanation:

Exercise ADD is real, but if you want to see significant progress, stick with a consistent fitness routine like Roworx (for example, Roworx training 4 days a week and cycling and walking 2 days) for a minimum of 8 weeks. This will help you stay committed to the workout you are doing, [while] setting an optimum time to jump to a new workout routine.

5. You’re not sleeping enough (8 hours a night is optimal)

Getting enough sleep is critical to improving your fitness, metabolism, and well being. Without at least 8 hours sleep, your muscles never fully repair or grow stronger, meaning you lack energy for your next workout and you can’t perform your best. If you sleep fewer than 7 hours a night and feel fatigued or foggy on a regular basis, you probably need to make some adjustments.

Explanation:

Set a regular bedtime and aim for a minimum of 8 hours a night to allow your body and mind an opportunity to rejuvenate. I also recommends developing a nightly ritual if you have trouble winding down: take a hot bath, drink a cup of herbal tea, meditate, watch a movie or read a book. Natural sleep remedies can go a long way to helping you get a solid nights sleep.

6. You’re not giving yourself time to recover between workouts and how to balance your lifestyle with your workout routine

If you are not getting enough recovery time between workouts this can harm your fitness goals and progress while making you more susceptible to injuries. You can only push your body so hard before it will shut down and break both physically and mentally. If you find yourself extremely sore, exhausted, or consistently in pain, you’re probably doing too much and not giving your body enough time to rest and recover.

Explanation:

Give yourself a day or two of rest for each muscle group worked and use the R.I.C.E. concept (Rest, Ice, Compression, And Elevation). If you do leg exercises one day, don’t stress the same muscles by doing squat jumps the next day. Take the day off or target your upper-body muscles instead with something like a strength workout or Roworx indoor rowing class workout. This type of low impact total body workout will give your body a chance to strength and strengthen/lengthen certain muscle groups and help you recover faster.

7. You’re not practicing proper technique during your exercises

There’s a difference between doing a move that “hurts so good” because it’s challenging your muscles and doing a move that just plain hurts your body simply because you are applying the wrong techniques with the exercise. If you notice that an exercise is causing that second result, you should check your form. Moving incorrectly can lead to pains and discomfort and when you don’t exercise with the correct technique, your muscles won’t work optimally, which will inhibit some of your progress. Bad technical workout form is a likely way to set yourself up for many future workout related injuries.

Explanation:

Don’t attempt an exercise unless you understand the mechanics of the movement. If you’re following a workout program with Roworx fitness, pay close attention to the highly trained instructors demonstrate the exercise with proper form. From there, use a mirror to check your form throughout the workout and adjust your position as needed. Roworx believes in providing you with extremely experienced, energetic, knowledgeable instructors. We believe that you will see results sooner and prevent injury by maintaining efficient, safe technique. We believe that if you are having fun and engaging your mind as well as your body, you will be more consistent with your exercise plan and you will get fitter sooner. We believe there are no better exercises than the low-impact, calorie-burning, workouts of Indoor Rowing Classes!

8. You’re not drinking enough water and/or taking in enough electrolytes

If you are not staying hydrated by drinking enough water, either before, during, or after your workout, it can set your workout up for failure. Without enough water in your body combined with the right amount of electrolytes it can make you feel depleted of energy. If you’re getting plenty of sleep and still feel fatigued or mentally fuzzy, you may need to drink more water and take in more electrolytes like salt stix, coconut water, smart water, and or magnesium tablets such as Mg Sport.

Explanation:

As a general rule, Roworx Fitness recommends using your weight to figure out how much water you need to have every day: divide your body weight by two and drink that amount in ounces. For example, add another liter (32 ounces) if you’re working out hard or outdoors that day. If you can’t keep track of how many times you refill your reusable water bottle and/or buy a gallon jug (128 ounces) instead and draw lines on the jug labeled with times (8am, 12pm, 3pm, etc.) to keep you on track throughout the day.

9. You’re not eating the right amount of calories with the proper balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats

Both eating too much or not enough can impact how your body responds to exercise. Generally, eating too few calories can cause you to lose muscle and fat, Dale says. Exceeding your daily calorie count, on the other hand, can cause you to gain fat. My answer is to make a mental note of what you are eating everyday and keep your calorie intake to a minimum and adapt each day to what you feel what calories you need. If you are going to work out for a few hours than you will need more calories for that specific day. It’s as simple as calories in vs. calories out. Also make sure you are eating enough good protein in your diet. Your muscles need protein to recover and rebuild so if you aren’t getting enough you could be limiting your results. One good indicator that you may not be consuming enough protein is a visual loss of muscle mass. Supplements such as Red Ace Organics (Organic beet supplement shots) can also help you maximize your performance in your fitness routine.

Explanation:

To lose weight you need to be in some form of a caloric deficit in order for your body to pull energy from stored sources. But if you’re trying to build muscle and mass, you need to eat more calories and protein than usual. Determining the right amount of calories, protein,, carbohydrate, and fats for your specific body type and goals can be tricky, so here is a great place to start to bridge the gap with great nutrition without adding all the bulk. Once you have a number, be diligent about sticking to it. Tracking calories on an app is a good way to maintain accountability with nutrition, and can also help curb overeating. To maximize muscle growth and repair, aim to consume about 20 grams of protein within about 45 minutes after every workout. Eggs, chicken, and turkey are all great sources of proteins. Complete by Juice Plus+ is a perfect answer to getting enough high quality protein in your diet that is also a whole-food-based beverage mix as it provides balanced nutrition in every scoop. Complete by Juice Plus+ can be used in any number of ways: as a healthful “on-the-go” breakfast, pre-exercise energy drink, post-workout recovery drink, or a late night snack. This combo comes with two pouches each of delicious French Vanilla and Dutch Chocolate Complete flavors.

10. You’re bored with your workouts

The way you view your workout program impacts how you approach and execute the workout. So, if the thought of your workout makes you want to quit because it is too boring chances are good you’ll only give it half the effort or skip it completely. And while it’s normal to occasionally feel like you’re not in the mood to exercise, you shouldn’t despise or dread your workouts every day. Roworx classes at the boathouse offer an an indoor workout workout filled with natural light and a beautiful view. Roworx fitness is located steps away from the water so you can enjoy our amazing views of the Marine Stadium which was the site of the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games Rowing events.

Explanation:

Choose a daily fitness routine that will help inspire you to lose wight, get lean, offer low impact, total body workout just like Roworx fitness in Long Beach. Enjoy our amazing views of the water on Marine Stadium at a registered historical California landmark. If you love to get your heart rate up but hate traditional cardio like running, try an indoor rowing workout. Trust the process and remind yourself why you are exercising.

Workout Wisdom

If you’re not seeing results with your daily workout routine, it may be time to change things up. Beyond choosing a smart exercise regimen in which one that challenges you to continually push yourself while having the right nutrition, sleep, hydration, and recovery are crucial to improving your fitness. Once you identify ‘WHY?’ your routine isn’t working, you can start taking steps toward improving it. While being involved with Roworx Fitness, the health industry, and involved with a lifetime of playing sports I have come to the conclusion that the number one reason why people fall short of their fitness and nutrition goals is the lack of self-discipline and/or willpower. Some people think it is easy for me to preach fitness because it is my job as a fitness owner and instructor, however, nearly 50% of the workouts I do don’t come easy. That is to say if I had the option to NOT workout about half the time I would take that option. Something that my coaches have taught me over the years in college and on the US National Team was the ability to understand hard work and put in the miles day in and day out. The ability to train and ‘grind’ through the daily workouts no matter how bad the fitness sessions were. My coaches taught me the need to work strenuously through challenges and maintain a high level of effort over a long period of time despite failure and other things getting in the way of progress. Knowing how to deal with the highs and lows of the daily workout ‘grind’ is how you will succeed in accomplishing your fitness and nutrition goals. Helping people understand that the daily ‘grind’ to achieve greatness in maintaining a healthy lifestyle habits is the core of the work you need in order to overcome adversity and instill willpower. One of the best and worst quotes I have heard from my father, John Nunn, was that when things got tough for me during US National Team training sessions he would often say: ‘Anyone can train on a good day…It’s when you train hard on the bad days that will get you the results you need to win races.’ This is a very true statement and there are 5 main steps to help give you ‘WIN’ the willpower you need to reach your fitness and nutrition goals.