Breaking Plateaus In Your Workouts

Your body creates an internal set point for your weight. This weight is affected by many factors including: lifestyle, age, gender, genetics, and other triggers such as hormones, energy, appetite, water, and stress. The most effective way to releasing weight (undesirable pounds and inches) is to set a goal of 2-4 pounds per week. When you first start out you may release up to 10 pounds in a week. This is partially due to the benefits of nutritional cleansing and some extra water loss due to a shift in your activity levels which will make you sweat more (and require you to consume more water).

If you do reach a plateau with releasing weight or gaining weight there are several things you can do to break the plateau and take your performance to the next level. Some methods are physical and others mental/emotional. Either way, if you feel like you are hitting a plateau ask yourself if you are sleeping less, under more stress, drinking less water, exercising less, or eating more. If none of those things apply to you then here are some other tips to help you achieve your fitness goals:

1. Break monotony in your program and change up your workouts. A trainer can help you in this area. Doing the same exercises everyday can stunt your growth (plateau). Take a dance class or cycling class. You can modify any of your training sessions by adjusting the duration (time), frequency, type, or the intensity.
2. Try doing 2 workouts per day for a while. Doing "2 a days" can help you burn more calories and also prevent overtraining (by splitting up your workouts) which is a major cause of plateaus. The leanest and fittest people are almost always the most active. Try doing cardio in the morning and a weight circuit in the evening.
3. Increase your water intake to meet your performance needs. Shoot for 1 oz. per pound of desired body weight. After the workout add 1 pint of water per pound lost. This means you will need to weigh in before and after the workout. If you exercise in the heat be prepared to take in more water before, during, and after the workout.
4. Stick to 400-600 calories per meal. Focus on balance and variety with lots of color (shoot for 5-7 colors). Your meals should contain healthy carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Snacks should be fruits, vegetables, or healthy nuts. It is easy to overeat meals when they are full of sauces/toppings, preservatives and hidden fats. Buy a cookbook or use an online calorie counter (they make smart phone apps) to help you count calories.
5. Use a thorough body analysis to measure your results. Have a trainer help you with this for accurate measurements. The analysis should include a body fat test and a thorough measurement of inches. Muscle weighs more than fat per volume so you could and will gain muscle and lose fat and may show a net gain of zero at times. A body fat test along with body measurements is a better indicator of progress than weight itself.
6. Accept your body type. Appreciate what you have so you can move forward in fitness. Resenting your body can create stress hormones which will keep the undesirable weight on.
7. Take your Isagenix Accelerator and Isagenix Want More Energy pre-workout (30 minutes before). The Accelerator has ingredients that are designed to help the body release fat. Read more. Want More Energy helps you stay energized and hydrated. Read more. You can also add 5 grams of protein (Isagenix IsaPro) to the Want More Energy to help spare muscle protein breakdown when you are doing intense workouts.
8. Drink an Isagenix Isalean shake within 45 minutes after any workout. This will help fight inflammation, build & repair muscle and connective tissue faster, and improve recovery time between workouts.
9. Get your sleep. You need 7-9 hours of restful sleep to promote fat loss.
10. Be honest about your stress levels. If your stress levels are high then take a yoga class, spend time journaling/reflecting, meditate, or just talk to a friend.
11. Do an Isagenix 9 Day Cleanse. The 9 day cleanse is an intense approach that can help you get back on track and reset your metabolism. Read more on 9 Day. Read more on 30 day.