11 Things You Didn't Know That Are Sabotaging Your Results!
Happy Saturday Empyreans!
If you’ve hit a plateau and are no longer seeing results from your workouts, it’s not because you ate too much at lunch, or because you are just not an early riser.
Sure, diet and exercise consistency matter, but there may be other habits that are interfering with your goals. Habits that you don’t even realize are sabotaging your efforts. To make sure you’re getting the most from each sweat session, watch out for these 11 things that are sabotaging your results!
1. You're... Too Monotonous
If you find yourself doing the same workout routines—with the same weight—and spending hours in the gym with no results, it’s time to take it up a notch. There are plenty of ways to change up a routine without creating a brand new one.
For example, one way is to limit rest periods between each set. If you're taking a 2 minute break in between sets, shorten them to 1 minute,,, or even 30 seconds! Or you can also superset exercises; meaning doing 2 different exercises that target the same muscle group. This will really get that burn your looking for, ensure maximum blood flow to the working muscles, and improve your cardiovascular system all at the same time.
Limit your rest time between sets and feel the difference during and after your workout!!
Not only will you get the job done quicker, you'll also create a longer lasting, fat burning effect that continues long after you complete your workout!
2. You're... Doing Workouts You Hate
We highly recommend to never attempt a workout you hate because you feel like you have to workout. If your schedule is filled with workouts you don’t like, the chances that you end up skipping them (and injury) increases greatly!
There are so many different types of effective exercise programs and classes out there (swimming, rock climbing, dancing, one-on-one training, boxing, Spinning, yoga, etc.) so find something—or better yet, a handful of things— you love and get your sweat on! And don’t totally neglect one type of training just because it’s not your favorite. Instead, find a way to do it that feels good for you.
3. You're... Starting with the Wrong Mindset
Many folks psych themselves out before their workout regimen even begins. The ‘I’m not ready yet,’ or ‘I have to get fit before I can go to the gym,’ mentality is the biggest saboteur that I’ve encountered in my professional experience. There is no "perfect" time. If you wait for the "perfect" time, most likely it will already be too late. The "perfect" time is right now.
Conversely, other folks jump out of the gates too hard and fast. In an attempt to make up for lost time or to make quick gains, they find themselves overworked and often times injured thereby relegating themselves back to the sidelines.
If you find yourself thinking these things, remember to remind yourself one day at a time, one gain at a time.
4. You're... Always Taking the Same Class
If you have one hour to dedicate to working out, don’t do the same thing every day. Your body ends up adapting to the same routine and you stop seeing results. Instead, find workouts that are constantly varied and incorporate both strength and conditioning, like our HIIT classes, which will maximize your results with quick bursts of all-out effort.
Every workout is different and programs change monthly. The only thing that doesn't change is how awesome the workouts are! Boom!
Yoga and mobility classes also help with flexibility and can keep you injury-free. Participate in workouts that challenge your body and take you to higher fitness levels, like ours!
5. You're... Winging It
If you want to see results and maintain them, consistency is key. Your long-term fitness relies on regular exercise, not just a few hardcore weeks before a beach vacation.
To make your workouts add up to real results, make a plan. You wouldn't go on a long road trip without a map or GPS, right? You need a plan or some sort of direction to keep you on track. It's also perfect for times you start to fall off track for a bit. At least you know where and when on that plan you can jump back in.
Winging it will increase the chance that you'll give up entirely, leading to more wasted time and efforts.
6. You're... Only Thinking About the Exercises
I cannot stress how important it is to fuel your body for your workouts—pre-workout, post-workout and throughout your day. Think of your body as a machine that needs fuel to run and it’s your job to pump it with efficient nutrition.
A good way to think of your nutrition is as a complete lifestyle change rather than ‘dieting’. Consistency is what gets results—with nutrition and workouts—and that turns into a lifestyle. We have to set ourselves up for success and that starts with fueling properly.
"You ate whattttttt??" hahaha love this picture! Our nutrition expert Justin Marrone giving one of our clients an awesome nutrition consultation. This guy is the best!
That's why we strive to have the best nutritional guidance included with our training because we know the importance of exercise nutrition and why you'll need to make it a lifestyle change in order to really SEE the results you want.
7. You're... Skipping a Warm-Up
I can honestly say that the warm-up before a workout is sometimes almost as important, if not more, important than the workout itself! Why? Well for one thing you wouldn't roll out of bed and start doing push ups, right? It's the same concept when you hit a workout without warming up.
The warm up needs to be a transitional phase from "rest" to "physical activity". Warming up will get your mentality on point and focused, it will improve blood flow throughout the body, ready the muscles to receive impact, and increase your overall core temperature to fire up the metabolic effects of working out.
Here at Empyrea, you'll never catch us at a workout without a proper dynamic warm up to start it off!
8. You're... Treating Yourself Post-Workout
It's ok to treat yourself after working out, if that was the intended plan. Don't treat yourself after every workout, especially if you're trying to hit a fitness goal!
Hahahaha love this!
Instead, use your post-workout treat as a reward for when you've reached a short-term goal or when you've been really consistent with your workouts. At least now, while your enjoying those slices of pizza or pint of ice cream, your caloric deficit will be deep enough to not harm your results. If it's after every workout, you'll just stay exactly the same and waste a lot of time and precious efforts.
9. You're... Not Logging Enough Sleep
One of the biggest obstacles I see with my clients—and admittedly, often myself—when it comes to overall health, is lack of sleep. Most of my clients live very busy lives and sleeping often gets pushed to the back of their lengthy to-do lists.
Sleep is a HUGE part of seeing amazing results. No sleep, no GAINZ!
Then they wonder why they feel so fatigued during and after their workouts, why their performance is declining or why they are getting injured. Sleep is critical for strength and recovery. You need to give your body a chance to rest, reset, and recover in order to get stronger and stay consistent.
10. You're... Failing to Be Present
One of the greatest things about exercising—but also one of the most essential and commonly forgotten elements—is that you can leave your day at the door. When you’re at the gym you should be focused on your workout, but that’s easier said than done when you’ve got something intense going on at work or in your relationship.
Talk about grinding my gears! Don't be that person... please.
When our minds start to drift back to whatever is weighing on us, the muscles stop engaging as deeply as they should. So when it comes time for working out, try your best to focus on what’s happening in the moment. Put on your headphones, play your favorite playlist loud, and get the job done! Or join our classes where we do all of that for you! All you have to do is show up!
11. You're... Forgetting to Cool it Down
The number one thing I see clients doing that sabotages their workouts is skipping a cool-down. The purpose of your cool-down should be to help lower your heart rate and to stretch the body while the muscles are still warm after a workout.
This will assist your body in recovering more quickly and efficiently, which translates to higher chances of consistency and better athletic performance. We also recommend foam rolling post-workout to break down any scar tissue and muscle adhesions that get built up from working out. Don't know what that is? Try Empyrea out for a MONTH and find out because we always stretch and foam roll after every workout!
You can get 1 massage every month at a Massage Envy or we can show you how you can give yourself the best massage you've ever had... every session.
There You Have It!
Yes, your exercise routine and nutrition are super crucial, don't get me wrong, but there are so many other little things that you can change to your current routine that will give you great results. A sound training program and nutrition plan will only accelerate the whole process. At Empyrean, we have that sound training program and nutrition plan you need to SEE the results you desire.
See, feel, and know the difference with Empyrea! No selfies here, all business!
Feel free to try us out for a whole MONTH and see why it really is the BEST!...Oh yea, every purchase is backed with a 30-day Money Back Guarantee so if you don't like it or its not for you, we'll gladly give you back every penny because we're cool like that ;)
