Have you been trying to get to the gym and forming a routine? Feel like you aren’t making much progress but unsure why? It could be one of these top 3 reasons: 

1. You aren’t being consistent. 

You might think you are being consistent, but are you really? The best way to see how consistent you are is to track it over a three month period. An odd missed workout here and there is fine but they can soon add up. Use a calendar or spreadsheet to plan your workouts week by week. When you complete them, tick them off and if you miss it, put a circle around it. Over the month you will be able to see a clear pattern of how consistent you were. It is better to set realistic expectations for the number of sessions you can make each week rather than planning to do more and then missing them, so make sure you plan wisely and realistically. 

2. You aren’t following a plan 

Do you go to the gym with a plan in place? One that you repeat for at least 4 weeks at a time so you can practice the skill and get stronger in that movement? 

It is key to your progress that you follow a well rounded plan in the gym. Going in and “winging it” will only take you so far and your progress will quickly stall. If you have an idea of what you are doing, you can write your own or alternatively get yourself a coach who can plan for your individual needs. 

3. You aren’t using progressive overload 

You might have nailed consistency and have a plan in place but if you still aren’t making progress it could be because you aren’t using progressive overload. This is a fundamental principle in training where we place more demand on the muscle over time. This could be by adding more weight, more reps, more sets, improving form (eg more range of motion) or having less rest time. Creating more demand on your muscles means they continue to have stimulus so they can adapt and grow (bigger/stronger). 

So take a look at how you are currently performing in the gym. Are you nailing these 3 things? 

Coach Sarah