The Hot Mommas~Fit and Fab MISISON TEN

Find Greater Success through Challenging Your Fitness Routine

This is the week I challenge us all to take our routine to the next level. Our bodies are very adaptable and they tend to get used to the stresses that we put upon them. If we want to continue to see results we must continue to change things up and challenge ourselves.  All fitness levels need to do this in order to continue to push to the next level, but also to continue to stay on track.  If we are content to do the same routine month after month, year after year our bodies will get to a certain peak and plateau. We may never see improvement at this point, and in some cases, we may see a fitness decline.  This is often the situation for those who have rapid success and then find that things become much more difficult. Struggles with weight loss, body toning, and performance enhancement all occur when we allow our bodies to be stuck in the same exercise plan.   The general recommendation is to change your routine every 10-12 weeks.  In most cases you do not need an entirely new workout – you may just need to modify the one you already have. 

There are many ways to change things slightly to break through your plateau and find success!  You can change any one or more of the following fitness routine components…

Frequency: Just as the name of this component states – push yourself to be a more frequent exerciser. Add in an extra day of cardio or toning to your schedule.  

Intensity: This component will truly take you to the next level.  Try adding in more challenging strength training exercises.  This can be done by selecting exercises that involve multiple muscle groups, extra coordination or that require more weight/resistance.  To amp up your cardio, try doing some faster aerobic  training, interval training or speed training 2 days per week (continue to get in a total of 3-5 days of cardio).

Time:  The amount of time that is spent on each exercise can be varied to change the way your body reacts to the stress put upon it. For example, if you always perform 2 sets of 10 reps of lunges, try building it up to 3 sets of 10-12.  Another example is simply adding time to your cardio workout. Adding 10 minutes will add in more calorie blasting time, plus it will help you build endurance.

Mode: The mode is simply the type of exercise that you do. For example, try changing up your strength training/toning exercises. If you always use exercise machines or body weight, try using free weights or resistance bands.  Another example, if you always walk on the treadmill for your cardio workout, try mixing it up with a stairmaster or elliptical workout.

MISSION TEN: Take a look at your exercise schedule and determine where it could be enhanced. Once you rearrange one or more components to ensure you are on track to continued success, start your new or improved program. Report back to the Blog or Facebook Post that you have completed the Mission.

NOTE: You can still make subtle adjustments if you have recently started a new routine that will enhance your training. You don’t need to revamp everything, just find a way to challenge yourself this week!

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