Breaking Workout Plateaus with Variety

There's never an easy way to do workout programs, and that's the way things should be. Granted you can afford several shortcuts, but you can only stretch these so much without compromising your progress. The main gripe people have with workouts involves the schedules. It always seems like gym and fitness are secondary priorities to work and leisure, unless you're a fitness buff who measures by the calorie. Taking on a workout program takes determination, and the least you can do is follow through with the same drive you invested at the beginning. Schedule is a minor problem, maintaining progress throughout the program is more difficult.

Plateaus Get in the Way of Workout Progress

I'm talking about the dreaded workout plateau. It's an inevitable part of the workout program, and the only way out of it is through. Plateaus happen when the body gets too accustomed to routines, when it considers these mundane and unchallenging. There's danger in doing the same routines for several weeks in a row, without increasing the load at the very least. Your body should take on routines with a variety of movements to stretch its capacity to its limits. Plateaus are also caused by diet and supplementation, so long as elements in your program stay stagnant for very long, you're bound to hit a roadblock which takes several weeks to break.

Variety as Antidote

The best way to break a plateau is to invest in variety. Your workout program should involve routines which vary every week. It's also doable by taking different exercises schemes, like supersets. A superset involves two exercise routines stacked on top of each other. You can do push-ups and pull-ups in quick succession, related exercises which develop opposing muscle groups. You can also do routines which develop unrelated muscle groups, like the quads and the biceps. The key to a superset is the absence of rest in between each set, maximizing the body's momentum and pushing the pace to progress.

Variety Applies to Diet and Supplementation

A note on diet and supplementation: you really have to switch things up in these areas if you want to shorten a plateau. This especially applies to your supplement program (Xtend, paired with intra and post-workout formulations). If you're taking the same brand of pre-workout supplements over the month, for example, your body develops a tolerance for the concentration and you'll need something more to achieve the same benefits the next time around. Consider brands like Xtend as part of your workout program, but rotate its use with other brands as well, in other formulation. Invest in the variety of your exercises, diet, and supplementation and maximize your workout's results.

Intense, Focused 30-Minute Workout Gets It Done

Any fitness buff will tell you an efficient workout is more of a lifestyle than a daily routine. It's true that you'll spend a couple of hours, several times a week at a gym, in an effort to achieve your goals in several months. A workout program involves more than exercise, though. You've probably earned enough experience to realize diet and supplementation are also part of it (brands like DFine 8 offer the best example). The problem with the lifestyle is your schedule; if it's too hectic to accommodate the sessions (which I seriously doubt), then you could try crunching your routines into a timespan of thirty minutes. Yes you've read it right, thirty minutes can transform your body, and it's very doable if you know how to do it right.

Intensity instead of Duration

It's still debatable, but you'll have to agree a good workout is more about intensity than duration. It follows that a two-hour workout is too long a duration when you're going to spend it on routines that don't stretch your body to the limit, right? In the same breath, an hour-long session is effective if every set and rep maximizes your capability. Experts still agree that it's doable in a fraction of the time, which means you can pull off a mean session in as short as thirty minutes. The key is to ensure it has the same proportion in resistance and cardiovascular exercises. In a practical sense, that's a third cardio and two-thirds resistance training.

Thirty-Minute Doable Workouts

The body doesn't really measure progress in terms of seconds and minutes, it works in a continuum. In a thirty-minute workout you'll spend ten strong minutes on the treadmill or stationary bike. A full-body resistance training follows, targeting the lower quads and hamstrings, combined with horizontal and vertical upper-body exercises. It's best if you take on a routine that works most of the muscle groups in one fluid motion: the dead lift. Sign up for a program at your local gym and make sure you're doing each rep properly. Push-ups, presses, and cable routines are perfect for upper-body muscles.

Exercise Isn't Enough

You'll compensate for the shortened duration of the exercise with intensity, and it's important that you're covered in terms of nutrition and proper supplementation. Your diet essentially depends on your workout goals, but the usual servings of protein, complex carbs, vitamins, and minerals apply. Supplementation should also involves a diverse profile, taken before, during, after, and in between sessions. You can check for DFine 8 at NutritionWarehouse for starters, or choose brands in different formulations to gain other benefits. Keep a log of your progress so you can adjust your routines accordingly. It's the least that you can do if you're crunching your workout time to accommodate your hectic schedule.

A Holistic Approach to Your Workout Plan

Supplementation is sadly an underrated element in workout programs, and many fitness buffs set off to a slow, effortful start when they could've propelled their progress at the get-go. If you've ever heard advice which tells you exercise isn't enough to help you achieve your workout goals, then you should heed it and consider diet and supplementation just as important. Sure, you'll probably complete your sessions without investing in proper nutrition, but you're risking strain and injury with it. At the very least, the results are unsatisfactory compared to those who complement their exercise routines with proper nutrition. Consider your program as holistic, involving clear-cut, customized meals, workout sessions, and supplementation.

Supervised Training Ensure Efficient Results

It's best if you hire a personal trainer to handle the dirty details for you. Doing it with trial and error wastes time and effort, and there's a chance your program takes you one step forward, two steps backwards in the process. Exercise reps require proper form and execution, and a personal trainer ensures you're doing it right every time. Tracking your progress is also part of the process; it sets your pace and helps you adjust whenever you need to. You can reasonably predict an oncoming plateau, letting you shorten it or avoid it altogether. Exercise routines are adjusted to your pace and current capacities, so a proper program should keep you on your toes, with your comfort zone constantly behind you.

Supplements Should Complement instead of Replace

The dilemma of supplementation often involves formulations and brands that are supposed to maximize your progress. Oftentimes, though, the result is the exact opposite, due to the wrong combinations and improper intake. Protein supplements, for example, are meant to be taken according to the bulk you want to achieve. There's a tendency to take more than you need to when you see instant benefits in a matter of weeks. Variety and moderation are important in supplementation, if you want maximum benefits and avoid the side effects, health risks of excessive intake.

The Dangers of Dependence

You can’t help but take more than you have to when it comes to some supplement formulations, protein supplements and pre-workout boosters in particular. Since the effects of pre-workout supplements are immediate and lasting, there's a tendency to depend on it to boost drive and focus. The problem is in the stimulant components, which are as addictive as controlled and prohibited substances. Consider pairing your sessions with formulations like C4 pre workout, but make sure everything is done in moderation and within your personal trainer's (and doctor's) recommendation. Make the most out of your progress and do it right.

Variety Prevents, Kills the Dreaded Workout Plateau

An efficient workout program takes into consideration a variety of factors, and most people overlook some of these in favor of quick fixes and instant results. You can customize your own program through months, even years of trial and error, but it's better if you spare yourself from the hassles, hire a personal trainer to walk you through a proper, efficient program. This is easier said than done when all you're seeing in your training is progress, but you can only sustain this for so long. Plateaus are inevitable, and these are dreaded even by the most seasoned bodybuilders. Consider essential components of a proper workout if you want to avoid a plateau, shorten its duration if ever you go through one.

Anatomy of a Workout Plateau

One of the main causes of a workout plateau involves workouts which dwell too long in comfort zones, with repetitive, predictable routines. A routine is composed of sets of exercises, but you have to stretch your body's capability once you feel the sets are doable with less effort. It's either you'll mix things up, take on new routines, or move on to heavier loads, increase reps until your body feels the strain. The key word to workout progress is variety, not only in exercise but also in diet and supplementation. Indeed, your program should be holistic, with your current state of health and workout goals fully considered.

How to Prevent, Shorten a Plateau

You can anticipate a plateau by plotting your progress on a chart. I know this seems troublesome for most people, but you can adjust your pace after a few months of monitoring, make sure your progress is consistent and sustainable. A chart also lets you customize your routines in a span of a few weeks to several months. The troubles of plotting your progress seem unbecoming of juiceheads like yourself, but you'll surpass anyone with the same goals but winging it with impulsive plans. Discipline extends beyond your ability to commit to a routine; you should also have the patience to do the necessary paperwork, especially in sorting out a diet and supplement plan.

Supplement to Cover for Nutrition Gaps

Supplementation is a crucial part of an intense workout program, since your body is spending more nutrients than diet can provide. You have to ensure you're taking bodybuilding supplements in the right formulations, though, and in the right combinations. Contraindications are possible, and double-dosing to obtain better results leads to nasty consequences. Do note the ideal servings indicated in the product descriptions. Make the most out of your program, ensure your diet, exercise, and supplement plan complement each other.