Working Out But Not Seeing Results?
Worried that all the work and effort you’re putting into your body isn’t showing off? Concerned because you’ve been working out for a few months now and still don’t see results? Don’t worry, many people who start exercising have that problem too. Exercising and taking care of your body is a marathon and not a sprint. Plus, it’s something that you slowly learn and grow as you go. There might be a few steps that you’re missing or lessons that you haven’t learned yet. To help you along, here are 12 possible reasons why you aren’t seeing the changes you want to see.
1. Reformat Your Expectations
First, you have to get real with the expectations that you’re presenting for yourself. Everyone’s body is different and not everyone is going to get ripped abs in just a few months of exercise. Exercising and real healthy change (whether it be losing weight or gaining muscle mass) takes time. There’s no quick fix here, so don’t expect any.
Also, remember not to compare yourself to others. Whether it’s the superheroes you see in the movies or the bodybuilders you see at the gym or in fitness classes, their bodies are their own. They're not yours!
2. Work On Consistency
Next, you’ll want to work on the consistency at which you exercise and workout. Make sure that you stay at it. Again, this isn’t about the quick change to your body. Exercise and fitness should be about living a healthy life and continuing that lifestyle for the rest of your time on Earth. With that, you HAVE to find a level of consistency within your workout routine. That doesn’t mean that you have to work out every day of your life or stick to the same schedule for that time, but it does mean making sure that you are regularly working out.
3. Give It Your All
With that, you want to be fully committed to working out. When you decide you what to exercise and live a healthier life, you should stick to that idea. Give it your all when you’re exercising. Don’t skip on ten minutes of a 20-minute jog because you’re too tired. Give it your all.
Of course, that’s not to say you have to be 100% “on” all the time. If you feel like you’re breaking down (in a bad way), take a second to breathe. Take a minute in that jog to walk. That way, you’re not hurting yourself beyond repair or ruining your form and thus wasting your time. You can keep a slow pace as long as you're still committed to moving.
4. Balance Your Workouts
On top of that, you want to make sure that you balance out the types of workouts that you’re doing. Don’t skip out on leg day. Don’t avoid abs just because you think crunches are painful. Get the full-body experience by balancing out the way that you exercise.
5. Your In-Between Rests Are Too Long
As explained above, you have to give it your all when you work out. That includes being mindful of how often and how long you rest. Resting is good. BUT, you don’t want to make a workout useless by resting too long every time you try to get your fitness on. Make sure you don’t rest for 3 minutes and then work out for 2. Keep it consistent, remember?
6. Switch Up Your Routine
Something not working with your routine? Switch it up! This is different than making sure that you have a balanced workout. What we mean here is that sometimes you can be so focused on doing bodyweight exercises that you miss out on the chance of getting some lifting in there. Or maybe you need to get some cardio going. Switch up the types of workouts you do with your routine to keep things fresh. That way, you can avoid the plateau effect.
7. Seek An Instructor
If you feel like all you’re doing isn’t helping you get the results you need, maybe it’s time to seek out a professional. Find a fitness program or instructor near you to learn from. Join a class and get that pro advice that can take you to the next level.
8. Add More Recovery Days
So far, we’ve talked a lot about shifting the way that you work out and getting at it from different angles. But maybe, your problem is that you work out too much. Maybe, you need to relax some more. Exercising every day sounds like a great idea, but it actually isn’t. You need to give your body enough time to recover. The whole point of the exercise is that you’re breaking your muscles down and ripping them apart. Those muscles then need time to relax and rebuild themselves into stronger forces. If you don’t give your body that time with a rest day or two, you’re wasting your time.
9. Prioritize Sleep
Or maybe, it’s your sleeping habits that are the issue. It might be time for you to get some more sleep under your belt. Change your sleeping schedule to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. That will (probably) help solve some of your issues by extending the amount of time you’re asleep. Despite what the modern age of the internet and technology has presented us, humans were meant to be awake when the sun rises and asleep for most of its downtime. Give yourself, at least, eight hours of sleep and let your body heal.
10. Address Your Diet
Or maybe, it’s the food that you’re eating. Nobody likes a calorie counter and not many people like to do that counting either. So, don’t worry about that. Instead, worry about the amount and kinds of food you’re eating. You don’t have to go crazy by changing your entire eating habits, but you may want to readdress your dietary habits to healthy choices like whole foods and less added sugar.
Though, DO NOT prohibit yourself from such foods either. Life would be very boring if you never had a cookie again or a bready sandwich. Allow yourself to enjoy the simple pleasures of beer with friends or a slice of chocolate cake. Just don’t go crazy… on either side of the spectrum.
11. You Don’t Take Supplements
Or maybe you need to be taking more supplements into your diet. Protein Powder is great because it provides a great resource for both graining muscle mass and lowering fat. Plus, it can cause other health benefits like leveling your blood sugar in the fight against type two diabetes. For more information about why you should be consuming protein powder and how, check out our beginner’s guide to protein powder.
12. Chill
Lastly, you need to take a breath and chill. This goes further than our sleep and recovery days notes. This time, don’t go crazy worrying about seeing results, in whichever way you constructed them in your mind. Chill and readjust/reassess whatever you need to readjust/reassess. Again, exercising and healthy living is a marathon and not a sprint. You will, hopefully, be doing it for several more years and decades. Take the time to enjoy that without rushing or worrying. Chill and enjoy the ride.
