It can be frustrating to go to the gym week in and week out and not see any visible progress. I’ve worked in several commercial gyms and can tell you from experience that the majority of gym members feel this way. They constantly put in the work, but the results just aren’t there.
In times like this, it can be easy to throw in the towel and give up. But the fix to this problem is typically related to two things. So if you’re not seeing results in the gym make sure you have these two items in check.
What are they?
1. Create a better workout plan
The average gym-goer is notorious for doing one of two things each time they hit the gym. They either perform the same workout routine every time or constantly switch things up where they never repeat the same exercise twice.
Neither of these will create sustainable results, which is why creating an appropriate workout program is so important. So, what goes into the perfect workout?
The perfect workout routine is the one that you will consistently follow each week. There’s no one-size-fits all approach. Having said that, here are some big rocks you need to focus on.
- Use big compound exercises: Compound exercises include things like squats, deadlifts, lunges, push ups, and rows. All of these exercises use a lot of muscle mass and burn a lot of calories. Whether your goal is to lose fat, build lean muscle, or get ridiculously stronger these types of exercises will lay the foundation. If you want to figure out how to design your own program, take a look at this.
- Time your rest periods: Walk into any gym and you’re bound to see members clinging to their cell phone between exercises. Our bodies need to be exposed to a specific stressor (i.e. lifting weights with timed rest) each time we workout, which will create a change in our body composition. Forgoing proper rest periods doesn’t allow this to happen. This wastes a lot of time and negates a lot of the progress you can see. Aim for 30-60 seconds of rest between sets.
- Set a goal: This is one most people don’t think about. But creating a specific goal for yourself like deadlifting 2x your bodyweight, running a spartan race, or performing your first chin up can keep you focused while your in the gym. This will allow you to put in the effort you need to get the results you want.
2. Follow sound nutritional principles
Nutrition will make up 70-80% of the results you want. If you are getting in the gym each week but eating garbage, don’t expect anything to happen. You must create a solid nutritional plan.
Now, just like the perfect workout plan, the perfect nutrition plan is the one that you can consistently follow. Here are some principles to focus on.
- Eat a high amount of protein: It doesn’t matter what your overall goal is, eating enough protein is crucial. It’s responsible for helping you build and maintain lean muscle. How much should you eat? Shoot for .7-1 gram per pound of bodyweight. This will also help fill you up and prevent hunger cravings if your goal is weight loss.
- Include plenty of fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables offer many health benefits like disease prevention and are very low in calories. Needless to say, they should be apart of everyone’s diet. If you don’t like a lot of fruits and veggies find some that you do and stick to those for the time being. Remember some is always better than none. Plan to have a minimum of one fruit and one vegetable with each meal.
- Enjoy treats in moderation: This is where everyone gets it wrong. They think they can never eat their favorite treats again when trying to improve their health and fitness. That’s not the case. Maybe your weakness is beer or cheesecake. Whatever it is don’t be afraid to have a little bit. Think 1 beer not 5 or 1 piece of cheesecake not 3. Doing this every so often can make it easier to stay on point with your nutrition plan each week because you won’t feel restricted.
As I said earlier, it’s easy to become frustrated when things aren’t going your way and there’s no measurable progress to be found. But don’t let that stop you from continuing your health and fitness journey.
More often than not, changing these two things can get you back on track. The big thing to think about here is consistency.
When going after your goal, be consistent. If you aren’t seeing great results, assess your plan with the principles outlined here. Some slight tweaking may be all it takes for you to get your ideal body.
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