How to Structure Your Workout & Avoid Plateaus

Hitting the gym day after day can get monotonous especially if you are going through the same routines over and over again. But I’ve noticed that I get comfortable with the same machines and exercises and keep going back for more because that’s what I know. Recently I’ve hit my plateau which has got me thinking it’s time to switch things up. My regular routine consists of the following:

• Leg day
• Biceps and back
• Triceps and cardio
• Full cardio day
• And just a smidge of chest exercises here and there
• And most recently a lot of glute exercises!
• (no shoulders- but they are still hit with other exercises)

To be completely honest this does get a little boring, but not only that, my body has gotten used to these exercises and knows what to expect. We want to make sure to keep our bodies guessing. It is important to constantly change your routine, work new muscle groups and get your heart rate up with different forms of cardio. There are SO many different ways to switch up your routine. Here are a few to try:

• Get out of your comfort zone! Try yoga, take a kick boxing class at your gym, get outside for a run or an outdoor bootcamp or circuit training, whatever is most foreign to you! Ive recently fallen in love with Nike Training Club and Burn Pilates.
• Include supersets or dropsets. A superset is two exercised back to back with no rest in between. A dropset is when you perform your exercise and immediately drop the weight and continue with more repetitions.
• Increase the weight and decrease repetitions. Make your workout challenging, don’t just go through the motions. Focus and increase difficulty levels! (Pre workout helps here of course. I love Optimum Platinum PRE)
• Add in or swap for new exercises- there are tons out there peeps! Don’t be afraid to try something new.
• Incorporate HIIT (high intensity interval training). You will burn FAR more calories and a shorter amount of time. Make use of your precious time and burn as many calories as possible!!
• Reverse the structure of your workout… —->

Depending on who you ask, each will tell you a different theory behind how to structure your workouts. A routine that works for some may not work for others. We are all different, it’s just a matter of finding what works for you. I have found best for me to train a focused body part first then finish with cardio because I want all my energy focused on a specific muscle group and I am most focused when I first arrive to the gym. I usually start with a couple of core exercises to get warmed up, then move on to compound exercises. A compound exercise is a multi-joint movement that works more than one muscle group. Compound exercises typically use more energy to perform and don’t isolate one muscle group. For example, I like to start with push ups, tricep dips or pull ups on arm day and lunges or squats on leg day. After compound exercises I then prefer to go into the more isolated exercises. Isolated exercise means you are focused on a specific muscle with one single joint movement. Lastly, cardio if there is any energy left to spare. 😉

My point here? Get creative! Try new things, change the structure of your routine and constantly keep that body of yours guessing. I know a lot of you here are beginners, so why not find a gym in your city that can help you achieve your goals? If you are in the Sacramento area, find a Gym in Sacramento. I can also give you some suggestions of gyms, training, different classes and boot camps here in San Francisco. Start today, so you can look back a year from now and see how far you’ve come.

What is your favorite way to bust out of a plateau?

*I was financially compensated for this post. The opinions are completely my own, based on my experience.