If you’re a regular at your local gym but aren’t seeing the results you want, it can be really frustrating. Perhaps you’re not seeing shifts in your weight, or your measurements aren’t making much progress. You might just feel like you’re not getting fitter or stronger despite your efforts. If so, here are a few places you might be going wrong.
You still have an unhealthy diet
It’s easy to assume that plenty of exercise can cancel out an unhealthy diet, but the saying ‘abs are made in the kitchen’ really is true. The results you get will generally be eighty percent down to diet, and just twenty percent down to exercise. It’s not to say you shouldn’t exercise of course, the health benefits of moving your body should never be overlooked. But if you’re eating what you want with the intention of burning it off at the gym, you’re never going to get the best results. It takes a lot of time and effort to burn off calories, even with intense cardio activity. So burning off a huge excess every day isn’t realistic, you’re far better off keeping an eye on your calories and then exercising to build muscle, tone and improve endurance.
You’re not being consistent
Getting great results involves being consistent. If you’re exercising five times a week one week and only once the week after, you’re lacking consistency. Decide on a workout schedule that suits your lifestyle, something you’re able to maintain long term. Any exercise is better than nothing, and every workout will be helping your body. But to reach your goals and really see those great results, you need to be showing up regularly and getting through your workouts.
You’re doing the same exercises
Being consistent doesn’t mean doing the same things over and over. In fact, if you’re always doing the same routines, using the same equipment and going through the same exercises then you’ll stop seeing results. You’ll have already worked the muscles needed for those practices and it will stop being a challenge. Switch things up, you might be surprised to know that you can be very strong and fit in some areas and weak in others. Go to an MMA academy and try doing some martial arts, go swimming, even practice yoga long with your regular gym sessions.
You need to be patient
The reason you might not be seeing the results you want is because you need to give it more time. If you’re eating well, changing up your activities and working hard then eventually, you will see and feel changes. But it won’t happen overnight, give it a few months and be patient. You’ll get to where you want to be. Don’t overthink it, if you’ve not been exercising long then just turn up and get it done. In time, you’ll start seeing and feeling your process but it can be quite gradual. So don’t give up.