Who hasn’t been disappointed when you don’t see the benefits of working out? Exercise is fun and brings well-being. But for many of us, training is often associated with performance. We all have goals, to become stronger, faster, more enduring, and we want to achieve them through training. Whether we’re bodybuilders, CrossFitters, or runners, we’re all disappointed when we don’t see the benefits of working out.
No matter what athlete you are, it is impossible to follow this upward curve that you experienced at the beginning of your practice. Over time, your progression curve slows down. Rest assured, this is a normal phenomenon. However, if you don’t see small progress but regressing results or even no results at all, you are probably not doing the right things.
In this article, we’ll give you eight reasons why you’re not seeing the benefit of working out.
1. YOUR GOAL IS TOO VAGUE
Your results are not significant and yet you train? The first step is to precisely determine your objectives.
Besides having no goal at all, the most common mistake athletes make is that the goal they set is either too far away (which usually leads to a lack of motivation) or the objective is too vague.
A simple example of a loose goal might be, “My goal is to get stronger. » Ask yourself the following questions: How do I measure this? What does getting stronger mean? Do two more push-ups? Double the load of what I lift?
Here is an example of a clearly defined, achievable and measurable goal:
“Full back range of motion at 1.5 times or double body weight (depending on your fitness level) in 18 weeks.”
2. YOUR GOAL IS UNREALISTIC
Often we don’t believe in ourselves enough, but some of us take it to the other extreme and set the bar way too high. As a result, they end up disappointed with unrealistic goals.
So before you completely throw in the towel, be aware of what is achievable with your current fitness level. For example, if you don’t have solid running experience (much less if you don’t have any running experience at all), setting a goal to run your first marathon in under 3 hours means set yourself up for failure.
To be more realistic, you could aim to run a 5k or a 10k first . If you opt for a marathon, your objective on this first experience should be to gain experience and cross the finish line, not to mention a time.
3. YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
Setting achievable goals is a key part of addressing the problem, the next step is to figure out how to track progress.
If you have a big goal six months from now and there’s a good chance you’re not ready, you probably haven’t done the right things for yourself.
The key is to set smaller steps along the way and adjust your plan as you go . There are several ways to do this, but to name a few, here is what we suggest:
- If your goal is to back squat at double bodyweight in 18 weeks, start the cycle with a test to see where you are at first, then test again in 8 weeks to see your progress. Then adjust your program accordingly to achieve your main goal at the end.
- If you’re looking to perform better in training, one way to see if you’re headed in the right direction is to pick a time for a certain rowing or running distance. Monitor your heart rate during this period and see if you can lower your average heart rate in the following weeks in the same area. If your average heart rate gradually decreases, you know that your work capacity has increased.
It is advisable to have at least 3 months to see a suitable physical change, whatever your goal. Ideally, if your main goal is, say, 3 months from now, I’ll set smaller goals, milestones, every two weeks and make sure they’re realistic enough for me to achieve them, have a sense of accomplishment and growing motivation.
When tracking my training, different time domains are used and heart rate tracking plays an important role. If my goals are related to strength/power or endurance, I monitor weights (kg) and reps.
4. YOU DON’T HAVE A VARIED WORKOUT
Simple routine is the enemy that keeps you from getting better results. Repeating the same exercise routines will more easily plateau in your performance and workout results. In addition, your motivation will follow the same path because you will get tired. Your body needs new stimuli and progressive training if you want to see results.
A more developed cardiovascular system will also increase your ability to recover faster. It is therefore advisable to work on your endurance.
HIIT and steady-state cardio are essential, even if your main goal is to build muscle and strength. To optimize muscle growth and strength, you need a strong cardiovascular base to fuel your muscles with nutrients and more.
The best way to vary your workouts is to do functional fitness because of its complexity. If you perform consistently varied functional movements, your body’s hormonal responses will be greater. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that your body will not be able to adapt as quickly and will have to work harder to follow this new practice.
There are many ways to spice up your workouts by varying intensity , weight, duration, or working on different or new muscle groups. It can sometimes be interesting to try new activities.
Think outside the box – vary your workouts and the results will speak for themselves.
5. YOU DON’T WARM UP
Are you equipped and can’t wait to start your training? When you’re feeling fired up about working out, it’s tempting to skip the warm-up and start the session right away. But if you don’t warm up, you’ll get less out of your workout because your body won’t be ready.
Do you know what the purpose of a warm-up is? It gently activates and prepares your muscles for training and makes your heart pump more blood into the muscles with every beat. The best way to prepare your body for exercise depends on the workout you’re about to do, but some common principles apply to warming up in general.
A good warm-up should include 3 steps:
- Gradually increase your heart rate. This will get the blood flowing throughout your body by doing something simple, like burpees, jogging, or rowing.
- Do a mobility routine, otherwise known as scales, to get your muscles and joints ready and mobile for the next session. For example if you are going for a run, focus on your ankles, calves and posterior chain.
- Put your mind in the game and start practicing the moves ahead. It is important to make a clear difference between training and practice. For example, before a weightlifting session, you practice all the different technical components of the movement.
6. YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR TRAINING
It’s great to be excited about working out, but if you’re trying to reach your goals fastest by doing the same thing, you might feel like you’re running on a treadmill: doing a lot of effort without moving forward.
The ideal amount of high intensity training per week depends on your fitness level and your total training load for the week. I typically do two shorter (5-10 min) and one longer (20+ min) HIIT type workouts per week. But you have to adapt the amount of intensity training to your state of fatigue and your feelings.
Mobility should at least be part of your daily warm-up routine before your workout to ensure your body is ready to go and take you to the best results. If you are unable to perform the movements correctly because you lack mobility, the results of the training will also be worse.
Here is a very important rule for increasing any type of fitness: mechanics -> consistency -> intensity. If you’re lacking in mechanics because you’re not achieving the full range of motion in a certain movement, you won’t be able to move into consistency and your progress will stagnate or even stop. If this rule is followed correctly, it will always guarantee you an increased fitness level.
7. YOU DON’T RECOVER
As the age-old saying goes, “No rest, no gain!” This means that to see fitness results requires recovery.
When it comes to rest days, I believe in the 3 ON-1 OFF style. This will work for most people, keeping in mind the full charge for a week.
Of course, your fitness level will affect how long you need to recover. A rule of thumb would be three training days a week for beginners and up to five for more advanced athletes.
Along with post-workout recovery routines, rest days, and active recovery, sleep is one of the key factors in recovery. While you sleep, hormone production is at its peak, so the quantity and quality of your sleep will clearly affect your results.
A good way to gauge your recovery status is to perform an orthostatic test in the morning three times a week. Experienced athletes will also find themselves comparing previous results and assessing their current status based on how they feel.
8. YOUR DIET IS NOT SUITABLE
With all the conflicting nutritional advice, it’s not always easy to know what to do and when to do it. For many athletes, optimal meal timing is individual, so the only way to really know what works for you is to try, monitor, and tweak.
Because our bodies are unique, it’s difficult to give generic nutritional advice that applies to everyone, in all situations, but if you want to eat whole, unprocessed foods, high-quality proteins, and essential fats (eg. , avocados and nuts) as often as possible, you are off to a good start.
