Trigger warning- This blog will be talking about fitness/gym. If you feel this is a subject that may trigger you in any way, please don’t read on and be kind to yourself.🥰
Hey guys, hope you’re all well, I know this isn’t meant to be a fitness blog but to me mental and physical health come hand and hand, and therefore I thought I’d come at you with a fitnessy blog today, especially as it’s January. Now I am no expert but all the progress I’ve made in the gym this past year has been purely down to me and my own trial and error, so I wanted to share with you some of the things I’ve learnt along the way and why you may not be seeing the physical results you really want.💪🏻
1). You need to remember “Quantity over weight”- This is a big one! People often think that lifting weights requires the biggest weight possible. The bigger the weight the bigger the muscle but that’s so wrong. Muscles grow when pushed past their limits, you needing to be feeling a lactic acid burn. In order to do this make sure each set of any exercise you do ends with a drop set. Start on a low weight, increase the weight after each set but on the last set, also include a lower weight with as many reps as possible (AMRAP). This will push your body to the place it needs to be to grow muscle. If you don’t know what I mean, Google “drop sets” and all the information will be right there.🥰
2). Include both cardio and weights- don’t focus on solely one thing- Another misconception about the gym. Women often focus on cardio to burn fat and men often focus on weights to build muscle. We need both. If you’re training for a 10k, aswell as running training, Include weight training in your plan too. Both come hand in hand, helping to burn fat, tone and become strong. You don’t become a runner by just running everyday, you need lots of other qualities too. All round fitness will bring you much better results.
3). You’re not having fun- this is one of the key reasons for people falling off the fitness wagon…they stop enjoying it so give up.
I promise you, with all the types of exercise in the world, there is something you will enjoy. Find what you enjoy and don’t turn back. There’s so many times I’ve gone to the gym with a session in my head, but I wasn’t feeling it that day. I didn’t go home or do a half hearted session, I did one I enjoyed instead and got so much more out of it. There isn’t just one way to build your bum, there’s numerous ways…so find what makes you happy.
4). You haven’t used the right lighting yet- this is another big one. Quite often we’ll work so hard for something and think we are seeing no results. But have you looked at your body in the right lighting? Don’t just look for progress in the same bedroom mirror you always use. Most gyms have an area with great lighting and you’ll see yourself and think “wow I didn’t know I had those muscles”. Because you’re not looking in the right light! This kind of lighting is not there for vanity and Instagram pics but for you to see your definition and almost invisible muscles that you don’t see in other light. Body builders don’t look the same in their bedroom mirror as they do on a stage, remember to look in the right places! All your progress is there, I promise you!
5). You’re being too strict with yourself– January comes, everyone gets on the health kick. No more chocolates, zero alcohol, no fizzy drinks and 5 workouts a week.
Sorry but this is too much. You’ve just had a month of Christmas indulgence and you’ve relaxed for the past 2 weeks. Do you really think your body can adapt that quick? NO. The more we restrict ourselves…the bigger the urge to binge. Allow yourself a few chocolates now and then, cut back the alcohol but don’t go cold turkey and don’t go from 0 workouts to 5 because guess what? By February you will be back where you started.
Set goals but don’t be so hard on yourself. Make it fun, make it easy to adapt to and allow yourself to slowly get back into a routine. Trust me, 0-100 never works.❤️
6). You give up too early- Sometimes it can be disheartening when you don’t see results straight away, but don’t give up…it’s a process and you’ve got this!! People often focus far too much on the outcome rather than just trusting the process. Don’t worry about not hitting your targets or not seeing physical progress…you will get there just keep going, one day at a time.
7). You’re not eating the right things– I don’t really want to speak about diet because that’s not something I like to write about/focus on, but one thing I will say is make sure you are eating enough of the right things. Protein is key in recovery and building muscle so just be mindful of what you’re eating after a session. Make sure you have everything your body needs to replace what it has just burnt/used up.
8). You’re working out too much- Another misconception is that the more you work out the better. Again, not true. Quality over quantity. If you train too much your body never has time to recover and you increase the risk of injury/fatigue, meaning your sessions won’t be as affective/enjoyable. Rest days are so important for both your mind and body.💪🏻
So there’s my 8 reasons as to why you may not be seeing results. As I say, I am no expert but everything I have said has helped me to see massive progress. I really hope you enjoyed reading today’s blog and good luck with smashing those future goals! You’ve got this.🙌🏻
Love your mind 