Keys to Getting Results When Working Out

[softballperformance]

Not Changing Your Program Often Enough or Not Working Hard Enough!

In addition to being consistent and going to the gym regularly, there are two other vital rules of thumb to get results:

1. You must change your program every 4-6 weeks!
2. You must work hard enough!

A major mistake that a lot of people do is to stick to the same training program for way too long. You see, the body has an amazing ability to adapt to any new stimulus. The idea behind exercise is that you challenge your body by doing “stuff” that it’s not used to. As a result, the body responds by adapting to the stimulus which results in more strength, power, speed, and endurance. In other words, you get fitter by adapting to various training stimuli. If you want to keep getting fitter, you have to change your program because once the body has adapted to a program, it reaches a plateau.

So, in order to keep getting results, you must keep changing your training programs to always throw new stimuli and challenges to your body so it keeps adapting and getting stronger, faster, and more powerful. The fitter you are, the faster the body adapts.

The body usually adapts to new training program within 4-6 months. It’s basic exercise physiology! As a rule of thumb, you should make changes to your training program every month.

Here is a partial list of the things you can change:
• Exercises
• Number of sets
• Number of repetitions
• Speed of execution
• Order of exercises
• Workout frequency
• Training system (i.e. supersets, pyramid, etc.)
• Etc.

So, make sure that you change your program every 4-6 weeks if you want to maximize your results and avoid wasting your time!

The other thing you must do to get results is to work hard enough. This is a particularly important message to women because they tend not to push themselves as hard as men do.

To get stronger, you must go beyond what your body is used to. In other words, you must lift a heavier weight that your body is used to in normal life. So, let’s say that you used 45 lbs for an exercise and it is a challenging weight to start with but that you keep using the same weight for a while, it’s going to get a lot easier probably to the point where it will be pretty easy. At first, you will be making interesting strength gains because it is a challenge for your body but after a while, you body will get used to the load and will not get any stronger. That’s why it’s important to keep increasing the weight when it gets easier.

Too often, athletes stick with the same weight too long when they are working out. You absolutely must increase the weight as an exercise gets easier.

As a rule of thumb, once you get close to the prescribed number of repetitions, you should not be able to do more than one or two extra repetitions. If you can keep lifting this weight past the prescribed number of repetitions, it’s too light! At that point, you should increase the weight slightly.

A little word of caution: it’s not good either to use too much weight because you are likely to use bad technique to complete the exercise and you are more likely to get injured. The key is to pick a load that will be challenging but that allows you to maintain good form at all times, even when you are tired!

[qwikvr6]

There is a work out program called P90X out there that is incredible. The secret behind the P90X system is an advanced training technique called "Muscle Confusion," which accelerates the results process by constantly introducing new moves and routines so your body never plateaus, and you never get bored! Whether you want to get lean, bulk up, or just plain get ripped, there's an endless variety of ways to mix and match the routines to keep you motivated. One of my buddies has lost 45lbs since October using this program. The beauty is you don't need to buy a bunch of equipment.

http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/best_sellers/p90x.do

[softballperformance]

P90X is a great program. I have seen it. I would suggest that you build a foundation first before entering this workout. I know a trainer who only uses that workout and many of his clients couldn't get through at first because it is somewhat too intense - it is.

The workout are somewhat intense and are better suited for people that have a base of training experience or aren't going anywhere with their current workout. For a beginner or somewhat who has been sedentary for more than 1 year, you should do a basic workout first to get to a certain level and after you can read all of the benefits of that workout.

Muscle Confusion is absolutely nothing new. It's exactly what I was describing as you need to change your workout every so often to avoid plateau. It's another name for one of the fundamentals of strength training: the principle of variety. Good word they have chosen to describe it.

The workouts are sound and well-progressed.