Picture this: You’ve just joined a gym and you couldn’t be more excited. You start meeting with your trainer, working out, and sweating your tail off… but a month later, you step on the scale and don’t feel like you’ve seen any progress. What gives?
It can be frustrating to work hard and feel like you’re not seeing results. Remember this: You’re not alone in your struggle — and don’t get down on yourself! While all good things take time and hard work, there may be a few reasons that you aren’t immediately seeing the results you want. One or more of these common factors could be affecting your results.
1. Your body is adjusting
Gaining weight when you first start working out is normal. We repeat: Gaining weight when you first start working out is normal! That doesn’t mean you’re not reaching your goals — it could just be your body adjusting to your new routine, whether by retaining more water or by building muscle that shows up on the scale as weight gain. Be patient with yourself and your body!
2. You’re over-fueling
When you first start working out, you may notice that you’re more hungry than usual. While eating enough before and after a workout is important, an increased demand for fuel can sometimes make us overestimate just how much food our body actually needs, especially after a tough workout.
If weight loss is your goal, you may want to start using a fitness tracker or meal planner to monitor how much you’re eating. Just remember: Properly fueling your body is incredibly important, no matter your fitness goals.
Related: Why am I Always Hungry and What Can I Do to Change That?
3. Your body needs more fuel
Fact: All movement requires fuel, and building muscle requires extra fuel. If you’re wondering why you haven’t made any strength gains in the gym, it could be that you aren’t fueling up with the right nutrients. To build muscle, make sure you’re eating plenty of protein, and that you’re not skipping that crucial post-workout snack.
4. Your body needs to recover
Believe it or not, rest is just as important for building muscle as exercise. Why? Your muscle fibers break down due to the hard work of exercise, particularly during strength training. Breaking down muscle fibers sounds like a bad thing, but don’t worry — it’s a perfectly natural process. During rest, those broken-down muscle fibers are repaired bigger, stronger, and better than before. In short, that’s how your body builds muscle!
When you don’t prioritize rest, your muscles don’t have time to heal themselves, which can lead to a lack of progress and even overtraining syndrome. You heard it here first, folks: It’s okay to take the recovery day! Here are some of our favorite ways to recover.
5. You need more sleep
Like we said, your body needs time to rest! That means taking a day or two off from the gym, and it also means getting enough sleep. Sleep is vital to all your body’s functions, not just exercise. Adults need at least 7 hours of sleep per night. That amount of sleep will not only help you get better exercise results but can also help you:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Strengthen your immune system
- Improve your mood
- Reduce your risk for serious health problems like heart disease
As for those days when you need to choose between hitting the gym and hitting snooze? We’ve got an answer for you.
6. Your workout doesn’t reflect your goals
If you’re consistently hitting the gym but not getting the results you hoped for, examine your goals and consider whether your current workout routine aligns with them.
For example: If you want to improve your endurance but you’ve only been working out for 20 minutes at a time, you may need to carve out more time for your workout sessions. If building strength is your goal, you may need to move into the free weights section and away from the cardio machines. Every workout is a good workout, but routines tailored to your goals lead to more effective workouts.
7. Your workouts lack variety
A well-rounded workout routine should include a variety of movement types. Surprising your muscles with new moves can break them out of routine, which challenges them to adapt and work harder. This can be as simple as changing up the moves in your core routine or switching from the elliptical to a spin class.
Performing different types of exercise will not only make your workouts more effective, but can also prevent injury and make everyday activities easier by improving your strength, flexibility, and balance.
8. You’re not having fun
Not having fun at the gym?! What?! Just kidding. We get it; working out might not always be the best part of your day, and sometimes just getting a workout in is a win.
But if you’re pushing yourself through 3 miles on the treadmill every day without a single ounce of joy before, during, or after your run, it might be time to change things up. Try a group workout or ask a Coach to teach you a new tool like the TRX trainer. Variety really is the spice of life — and your workout routine!
9. You’re not hitting the gym regularly
Sometimes an inconsistent workout schedule can slow down progress.
Not getting into the gym as often as you’d like? That’s okay; it’s a common challenge. Take a step back and consider what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to change. Five workouts a week doesn’t work for everyone. Are there barriers — like a busy schedule or demanding job — keeping you from the gym? Ask your coach how you can make your workouts work for your life.
Progress doesn’t have to stop when you leave the gym — in fact, it shouldn’t! Check out these tips for incorporating movement throughout your day.
