BURN Fitness 101: Are You REALLY Burning as Many Calories as You THINK You Are?
Many times new clients come to us frustrated because they seem to be doing more and more cardio, and getting less and less results. The cardio workout (or the strength workout) they have been doing for months (even years), just isn’t “keeping up”. The workout that, at first, burned off tons of fat… just seems to STOP WORKING.
In fact, not only has their old stand-by workout quit working the way it used to… even when they add MORE of that exercise… it still does little to nothing with their results.
Are they just getting old? Has their thyroid suddenly shut down? Are they eating too much dreaded gluten?
No… Quite simply, their body has done what is supposed to do… It ADAPTED.
Let me give you a few examples:
Jane (real name redacted to protect the innocent) decided a year ago to take up jogging. She had put on a few unsightly pounds over the years (let’s say 20lb), and she was determined to run it off! So Jane starts jogging…
She loses a pound a week for the first few weeks, adds a little distance to her runs, and loses a few more. After 3 months, she’s lost half her extra weight!
Then the losses just STOP. She keeps running, and running, and loses another pound in a few weeks, but then gains it back.
So she runs MORE, now 3-5 miles at a time, 5 nights per week. The weight drops another pound or two, then it comes back.
A year later, she’s still running, because she HAS to. If she slows down, she gains weight. If she keeps running, she stays the same.
WTH???
James decides he wants to pack on some muscle. He joins the local gym, buys some protein powder, and starts hitting the weights 3-4 nights per week. Over the first few weeks, he gets stronger and stronger, and adds a few pounds, but surely isn’t ripping his shirts with piles of new muscle. Sticking with it, following a routine out of “Muscle Mag” written by a HUGE bodybuilder, week after week, he slowly adds a few more pounds of muscle… then stops. No gains for a month, two months, etc.
WTH???
What has happened to Jane, and to James, is called stagnation. Stagnation is caused by the body doing what is SUPPOSED to do, adapt to the change/load it seems. But once that adaptation has taken place… it can comfortably handle the new load… and changes (fat-loss, or muscle-gain) stop.
You see, the longer we do a new exercise, of exercise routine, the less effective it gets. Our bodies adapt… and get more efficient. The 3-5 mile run that use to “kill” us, no longer forces change. The lifting routine that for a few months brought GREAT results, no longer produces.
So what is the answer??? Change the “mode”.
Runners, who have been running for years, need to cross-train with something else to burn more fat. Lifters who have been doing the same tired routine for months (some even years) need to change it up.
The run that use to burn 500 kcal every time out, at the same pace, bodyweight, and age… now burns maybe 200. Your body has gotten VERY good at running!
The workouts that use to tear your muscles up and produce gains, now do virtually nothing.
The runner needs to REDUCE her mileage, and add two nights per week of swimming, or rowing, or sprints! SHOCK the body! Yes… you SUCK at swimming… just like you use to suck at running!
The weight trainer needs to put down the trusty barbells, and switch to cables, dumbbells, and heaven forbid… body-weight exercises!
Make a change! Shake it up! Expand your exercise horizons! SHOCK your system…
For guidance on how to do it RIGHT, and more varied workout routines than you could ever imagine… Come see Lisa or myself at BURN Fitness Training. We’ll get your body back changing (for the better) again!
Many times new clients come to us frustrated because they seem to be doing more and more cardio, and getting less and less results. The cardio workout (or the strength workout) they have been doing for months (even years), just isn’t “keeping up”. The workout that, at first, burned off tons of fat… just seems to STOP WORKING.
In fact, not only has their old stand-by workout quit working the way it used to… even when they add MORE of that exercise… it still does little to nothing with their results.
Are they just getting old? Has their thyroid suddenly shut down? Are they eating too much dreaded gluten?
No… Quite simply, their body has done what is supposed to do… It ADAPTED.
Let me give you a few examples:
Jane (real name redacted to protect the innocent) decided a year ago to take up jogging. She had put on a few unsightly pounds over the years (let’s say 20lb), and she was determined to run it off! So Jane starts jogging…
She loses a pound a week for the first few weeks, adds a little distance to her runs, and loses a few more. After 3 months, she’s lost half her extra weight!
Then the losses just STOP. She keeps running, and running, and loses another pound in a few weeks, but then gains it back.
So she runs MORE, now 3-5 miles at a time, 5 nights per week. The weight drops another pound or two, then it comes back.
A year later, she’s still running, because she HAS to. If she slows down, she gains weight. If she keeps running, she stays the same.
WTH???
James decides he wants to pack on some muscle. He joins the local gym, buys some protein powder, and starts hitting the weights 3-4 nights per week. Over the first few weeks, he gets stronger and stronger, and adds a few pounds, but surely isn’t ripping his shirts with piles of new muscle. Sticking with it, following a routine out of “Muscle Mag” written by a HUGE bodybuilder, week after week, he slowly adds a few more pounds of muscle… then stops. No gains for a month, two months, etc.
WTH???
What has happened to Jane, and to James, is called stagnation. Stagnation is caused by the body doing what is SUPPOSED to do, adapt to the change/load it seems. But once that adaptation has taken place… it can comfortably handle the new load… and changes (fat-loss, or muscle-gain) stop.
You see, the longer we do a new exercise, of exercise routine, the less effective it gets. Our bodies adapt… and get more efficient. The 3-5 mile run that use to “kill” us, no longer forces change. The lifting routine that for a few months brought GREAT results, no longer produces.
So what is the answer??? Change the “mode”.
Runners, who have been running for years, need to cross-train with something else to burn more fat. Lifters who have been doing the same tired routine for months (some even years) need to change it up.
The run that use to burn 500 kcal every time out, at the same pace, bodyweight, and age… now burns maybe 200. Your body has gotten VERY good at running!
The workouts that use to tear your muscles up and produce gains, now do virtually nothing.
The runner needs to REDUCE her mileage, and add two nights per week of swimming, or rowing, or sprints! SHOCK the body! Yes… you SUCK at swimming… just like you use to suck at running!
The weight trainer needs to put down the trusty barbells, and switch to cables, dumbbells, and heaven forbid… body-weight exercises!
Make a change! Shake it up! Expand your exercise horizons! SHOCK your system…
For guidance on how to do it RIGHT, and more varied workout routines than you could ever imagine… Come see Lisa or myself at BURN Fitness Training. We’ll get your body back changing (for the better) again!