#peter maneos

By: Peter Maneos

Most anyone who works out regularly has at some point experienced a plateau: the inability to move past a certain weight, speed, or time regardless of how much effort is expended. The human body tends toward plateaus in order to conserve energy. If you give your body the same task over and over again, it will eventually settle into a routine and stop progressing. The most important part of getting past that plateau involves change. The more frequently you change not only the exercises you do but the nature of the physical activity involved, the less likely you are to experience extended plateaus. For example, if your workout consists largely of isolation routines involving equipment like the pec deck or cable-based machines, you should switch not only the settings on the machine but the type of underlying motion. Consider trying the equivalent exercises with free weights. That might not seem like it would make a big difference, but you’ll be surprised. Each exercise “tool” requires a slightly different use of the muscle, even for a similar motion. Switching between cables, free weights, and medicine balls or kettlebells can transform your workout. Next, change the intensity of your workout. Say you typically do 12 reps per set for each exercise. Try 20 reps at a lower weight and faster speed, or 7 reps at a higher weight and slower speed. Also, change the rest time between sets. If you tend to take a short break between each set, try placing two different exercises back to back with no rest in order to give your body variety. Another important consideration is the proportion of cardio in your workout routine. It’s very hard to lose weight and build muscle at the same time; you’ll simply wear yourself out on the cardio before you get to weights. Keep cardio on weight training days to a light warm-up. Check back soon for some more tips, or visit my personal training website.