Virtual Trainer -- Article 1 -- Page 2 of 2
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If you are a seasoned exerciser with a well-established routine, it is never too late to set a concrete goal and revamp your workouts. In fact, fitness enthusiasts actually do too much. Sometimes, these dedicated souls take working out to extremes, wanting to do as much as possible with the mindset that more is better. This approach to exercise will inevitably lead to injury as a well as a plateau in your training. The best way to go above and beyond what you're doing now is to shake things up a bit. However, if you are overtraining, you may need to add another rest day. You're overdoing it if you get irritable easily and can't sleep even though you may be physically exhausted. Other signs of overtraining include chronic colds, anxiety, concentration problems, and chronic injury.
To get over a dreaded slump in your workout routine, you have to work smarter. Performing the same exercises with the same weight in the same order is no way to make gains. Learn different exercises and add them to your routine. Also, change the order of the exercises and train with a new repetition and weight sequence.
As you incorporate this new approach to strength training, use a stopwatch, or a watch with a second hand, to time your rest between sets. Typically, people lift as much weight as possible with a lot of rest between each set. A better idea is to lift less weight, do more repetitions and take less rest. To determine how much rest try this experiment. One week, rest one minute after each set; the second week, rest two minutes; and the third week, rest three minutes. You'll soon discover what level of condition you are in, and if you need more than three minutes to lift the same weight you normally lift.
In conjunction with less rest, plan a three to five week phase in which you approach strength training as a body builder, not as a power lifter whose every lift is near his/her one rep maximum. The cornerstone of bodybuilding is to use sufficient weight and optimal range of motion, not to lift as much weight as possible. Put tension on the muscle using concentration and proper form and resistance. With this in mind, if three to six repetitions are your typical set, try eight to 12 repetitions per set.
And remember, take it one day at a time. People tend to have an all-or-nothing approach when it comes to exercise. If obstacles happen to come your way, learn from them and move on. Tomorrow is another day.
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