You are going to the gym faithfully, day in, day out, and not seeing the results you want. It is frustrating, I know, but there are very simple changes you can make that will help you achieve the results you want. Luckily, none of them involve more time in the gym! Here goes… 5 Reasons your current workout isn’t working…

1) The time spent doing cardio training is always on the same machine, and for the same length of time.

Vary the cardio: If you run on a treadmill, try the cycle or swim; if you do step aerobics (does anyone do this anymore?), hop on the elliptical for a change.

Vary the time: If 30 mins is your standard workout time, shoot for 40 mins. If you are working out longer than 45 mins, try moving around the gym: 15 on the cycle, 15 on the treadmill, 15 on the elliptical.

Vary the intensity: Intervals burn calories like lighter fluid! Do them…period! 1:2 or 1:3 ratio is good for starters. For example, up the intensity for 2 mins (i.e, after two mins, you NEED to slow down), then ease up for 4-6 mins, then repeat. Work up to a 1:1 ratio (2 mins “on”, 2 mins “off” (not really, off, but easing up the intensity until you can hit it hard again 2 mins later).

2) You aren’t strength training. Strength training 2-3 times per week will change your body. Aim for 8-10 exercises that work multiple muscle groups (lunge with lateral rotation, bicep curl with a squat), 10 reps. Use a weight that challenges you also. Too often, we pick weights that are too light because they are easier. Make that 10th rep count!

3) You aren’t getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation wreaks havoc on workouts. To give it your all, every workout, you need sleep. 8-9 hours — make it a priority!

4) You aren’t eating the right foods. High-sugar foods, simple carbohydrates (bread, potatoes), condiments, and other empty calories send blood sugar sky high and leave you feeling depleted and tired. Fruit, veggies, grains, beans, lean meats, and the like, eaten in small portions all day long will keep blood glucose in check and fuel your workouts!

5) You aren’t building in a recovery day or two each week. Muscles need time to adapt to a workout. This is why you are sore when you change your routine, but, don’t become addicted to that sore feeling…let your muscles rest. If you’re in the habit of hitting the gym 6-7 days per week and you’ve hit a plateau, try a day of rest between your hardest workouts, or go for a simple walk or swim. The rest will do the body good.

Warm weather is here (hopefully to stay) and that can mean only one thing: shorter pants! If you aren’t quite ready to don your short-shorts, I have the move for you.

The Forward Lunge

Main Muscles Involved: Glutes, Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Hip Flexors

The Exercise: Use bodyweight, or dumbbells, a body bar or weighted medicine ball if you want added challenge. Start with feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your chest up and abdomen pulled in — take a long step forward. The heel of your trailing leg will come off the floor as you settle into your lunge. The thigh of your lead leg should be parallel to the floor, your shin perpendicular to the floor (assuring that the knee is aligned over the front heel rather than forward over the toes).

Tips: Try to keep your chest high and eyes forward to prevent tipping forward. As you return to the starting position, keep your core tight (this will help with alignment on the return movement and assist with balance). Push through the front heel (you’ll feel your glutes engage here) and return to the starting position. Notice also how the glute of the trailing leg has to “pull” you back (you’ll feel this in the hamstring and glute of the trailing leg).

Repeat with opposite leg.

This question came in a few weeks ago from Lisa, an avid strength trainer who is stuck on “fixed” machines. It is a tough question to answer because I don’t want to deter folks who, if it weren’t for fixed machines, would otherwise avoid the gym. The thing is, fixed machines provide a simple way for you to learn the basics, develop strength in the major muscle groups, and build strong bones too! The problem is that fixed machines confine you to a restricted motor pattern – that is, the machine only moves one way. Sure, you can adjust the height of the seat, etc. to match your size, but if your motor pattern doesn’t match the machine’s, you aren’t getting the full benefit of the exercise. Let’s look at this dilemma another way. If I ask you to reach for a book on a shelf, the way you reach for it (angle, height of arm) will be different from mine, your neighbor’s, and so on. The same is true with fixed machines. They might fit the motor pattern of your neighbor, but not you.

And another thing…both good and bad. Fixed machines support the joints well. If you have arthritis, an injury, or are just beginning weight training, using fixed machines helps support the painful and/or weak joint so that the muscles that act upon that joint can get stronger without compromising the joint. However, this is a pitfall as well, especially if you want to strengthen the joint. Here is where free weights (dumbbells) have a significant advantage.

Free weights load the muscle you are working (and thus the joint you are moving) throughout a much larger range of motion than fixed machines will. Sometime, try doing bicep curls on a machine where your elbows are resting on the pad and do a few repetitions, noticing where the exercise begins and ends. Then, go over to the free weights and grab a set of equivalent-weight dumbbells. Again, do a few reps, noting where the exercise begins and ends. With free weights, you begin the exercise with your arms straight down and work AGAINST gravity until they reach the shoulders, right? Almost 180-degrees of movement. The fixed machine, on the other hand, offers much less, and gravity? Forget about it.

Circling back to the joint thing…the tiny “supporting” muscles that directly attach to and around a joint are almost always neglected in fixed weight machinery. Using free weights, they can’t hind – they have to engage to support the joint you are moving. Using the bicep curl example again, notice that with a fixed machine, the elbow is completely supported by the pad it rests on through the entire exercise. Using free weights to do the same exercise, the tiny muscles in the forearm that also act upon the elbow to help in move must come into play to support the weight you are holding. The benefit = stronger joints! And stronger supporting musculature. Note: you want this, because a strong, stable joint is an “uninjured” joint, if you get my drift! Important stuff, and if you’ve ever had shoulder surgery, you know what I’m talking about

More on this topic later!

Have a great weekend all!