4 reasons why you may not be seeing progress in the gym:
Have you been going to the gym regularly, eating “clean”, working hard on yourself but not seeing the changes you would expect to see after putting in so much effort? Have you found yourself trying all the different workouts and diets you see on social media, but none of them seem to work for you? That can be incredibly frustrating. But good news, there is a solution! Here are 4 reasons why you may not be seeing progress in the gym:
Ask yourself…
1. Does your program reflect your goals?
First you have to determine WHAT you want to achieve and WHY. So many people think they want to achieve a goal simply because they are supposed to, but maybe they haven’t considered what they really want. So many times I talk to clients that say “I want to lose weight and be healthy” but when we dive further and find out what that really looks like to THEM, the picture turns out completely different. Everyone has a different idea of what “fit” means, so it is important to define yours. Then, you can work on a program that reflects that.
If you are doing HIIT exercises and running on the treadmill but want to see toned musculature and have a big booty, it is unlikely that you would achieve that doing only those things. If you want to see abs but also grow in size, you might have to revisit your approach and take one thing at a time, rather than all at once.
2. Are you staying consistent by doing the same thing for a few MONTHS at a time?
Seeing change in your body takes time, as well as doing the same things repeatedly. You have to be patient and trust the process, you may see initial changes in your body at the 4-6 week mark of being CONSISTENT – doing the same workouts and achieving progressive overload. Then at the 10-12 week mark you can start to see actually physical results. 12 weeks is a long time to stick to one thing, and if people are not connected with their goals they often give up or change their routine before they get to that point. So if you are wondering why you may not be seeing progress in the gym, stick it out and trust the process!
3. Are you increasing the difficulty of that program?
Are you lifting heavier weights than you were 2-3 weeks ago? You should be able to choose heavier weights as you progress. You can also adjust your tempo, and do variations of exercises to increase your strength.
4. Are you considering ALL aspects of your life such as sleep, rest days, nutrition, and stress?
You can be doing all the right things in the gym, but if your mindset and recovery aren’t right you will probably be missing out on some gains. Sleep is the key to your goals, regardless of what they are. You need adequate sleep to recover and be able to perform, sleep also helps your muscles build, and has been shown to moderate appetite. Subsequently sleep deprivation leads to increased appetite and overall poor food choices. Click here to find out how to get better sleep.
If you say NO to any of the above questions, it is time to consider them and possibly change your approach.
If you’ve answered YES to ALL of these questions and are STILL not reaching your goals, send me a message so we can discuss how to get you the results you deserve.