Why Your Workouts Aren't Working (Even If You Think They Are), Pt. 1

Just because a workout feels great doesn't mean it's doing you any good.

You could even get some great results, but eventually you'll stall out, or regress completely if your workouts are missing a key element.

In Part 1, I'll explain what that element is.

In Part 2, I'll discuss a couple common mistakes that can also cause your workouts to stop working.

Here's Part 1...

Spinning Your Wheels

We all have a tendency to do things that come easy to us.

Naturally big guys tend to lift heavy stuff. Naturally flexible women tend to like yoga. Certain body types are better suited for running long distances, while others are better for sprinting.

It’s not bad to lean toward what's natural for you. But if the purpose of your workouts are to improve your health, fitness, physique — or anything, really — there will come a time when you need to do something outside your normal interest.

Otherwise, you’re just working a skill you already have. And that’s great. But it’s not changing anything.

Know Your Weakness

It’s easy to figure out what you need work on. It’s probably something you really hate.

For me, that’s flexibility.

Remember those physical fitness tests in elementary school? Even then I could barely touch my toes. The P.E. teacher always asked if I knew I was supposed to reach as far past my toes as I could. I knew. I just couldn’t do it.

I quit gymnastics as a kid because I was sick of my coach telling me I needed to stretch. A couple decades later I finally realized he was right.

I didn’t go all out and commit an hour to stretching every day. Because I still hate it. But I did incorporate a little bit into all of my workouts.

I’m still not very flexible, and probably never will be. I’m not genetically gifted that way. But I’m better now than ever before.

The Challenge

My point is not to avoid things you like. In fact, doing things you like should be the bulk of your program. That way you’re more likely to stick with it.

The point is to make sure 10-20% of what you do is working on things you don’t like.

I challenge you to add just a little bit of something you hate into your routine.

It can be a specific exercise (like burpees or front squats), a type of training (like weights, endurance, or mobility), or it can even be nutrition related (like eating your veggies).

Doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it’s something you normally avoid. Commit to doing a little bit of whatever it is for at least a month.

If you need help knowing exactly how to do this, get in touch with me here.

But don't stop there.

Continue reading in Part 2 and avoid the common mistakes that can also make your workout worthless.