Clocking in at the gym and putting the time in doesn’t mean you are going to end up with the body of your dreams. Forget marathon type workouts where they only allow you to exercise half-heartedly. It is time to stop guessing and living your life in hope of waking up one day and miraculously discovering the abs you have always wanted. You must try different approaches to get the best results. You are expecting too much if you think the same exercise routine will give you everything you want. It is important to modify and experiment with different exercise routines as you go along or you will never reach your goal.

Here are some of the best ways to stop your body adapting to what you are doing and keep progress running smoothly.

#1 Assess strengths and weaknesses
Before you start do you know which muscles are tight in your body and need stretching? Do you know if other muscles are compensating when you perform a movement because of a weakness in the chain? Do you know which exercises will make your posture or pain worse? How do you know you are doing the right exercises that are right for your body? These are just some of the questions that need answering before embarking on a regular exercise programme.

#2 Train intense but keep it real
This means training within your capabilities that allows a minimum of a good technique on everything you do. This mainly points to lifting a weight that is too heavy, doing part of the range of movement or doing more reps than you can manage resulting in quick and poorly performed reps. Good reps are real reps; you can either work the body part the exercise is designed for or take the stress away from the body part by performing a poor rep, it’s as simple as that.

#3 Include big movements in your workout
Multi joint exercises work more muscles and burn more calories than isolation exercises. Most pieces of gym equipment cater for working only one or two muscles at a time. Performing multi joint exercises like squats and bent over rows correctly have the best carry over effect that helps you in work, sports and many of life’s tasks.

#4 Use gravity
Have you noticed the physiques of gymnasts? You will never see overweight or out of shape gymnast, that’s because training against gravity is one of the best things you can do to look your best. The feedback I get from clients that do bodyweight exercises within their exercise routines report how challenging and how much effort they take to perform. Make sure to include gravity-based exercises in your exercise programme. You can start off basic by doing floor exercises and work up to more demanding exercises where you push or pull your bodyweight with your feet off the ground.

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Have you ever watched a marathon race? When you see the runners who cross the finish line first, what do they look like? Then after all of the elite runners cross first, and you wait long enough (almost until traffic has been allowed again, and it’s been at least 7 or 8 hours) what kind of runners do you see cross the finish line?

They seem to get heavier, and certainly most of them don’t even look like they could have been mistaken for a runner or even in shape for that matter. They aren’t lean, they don’t look fit. So, what’s my point? It certainly isn’t to make fun of people who run marathons, quite the contrary. I’ve run a marathon and a half-marathon, and I certainly admire, the strength, dedication and focus it takes to conquer such a feat–which is why I’ve only done one of each.

I certainly also realize that it may not be the goal of everyone who takes on such a challenge to become fat-burning machines (although it couldn’t hurt), but to enjoy the challenge and the ride that comes with it.

My point is this: once your body has adapted to a certain exercise, especially at a certain mode (same speed, same route etc) your body adapts to it quickly. After this has happened, you’ve virtually eliminated it as a fat loss tool. This is why running at a steady state becomes useless as a fat loss tool. You burn fewer and fewer calories every time you go out to do something your body has become a sufficient “expert” at.

The key here is sufficiency. You don’t want your body to become sufficient at anything. Here is a week’s worth of ideas that I’ve taken from a week’s worth of my own cardiovascular exercise program:

Monday: Stair exercises:Running up 6 flights hitting every step, walking up 6 flights hitting every other step, jumping rope in between flight, step wide onto each step, walking up steps with a 12lb medicine ball overhead, turn to the side and walk up (laterally), double feet hops up the step, every other step doing double-foot hops with medicine ball.
Tuesday: Treadmill 15% incline @ 3.5mph for 40 meters, and alternate with sprints @ 5 – 7.5mph
Wednesday: Sprints outside on a neighborhood track: alternate between sprinting 100 meters and skipping 100 meters- alternate each for 1 mile, alternate backward running lunges with buttkickers 100 meters each for one mile
Thursday: Rowing machine as fast as your body will allow for 1 minute, then slow your row, for 30 seconds, and speed it up again. (this was fun, but hard as hell, I don’t know how those olympic rowers do it!)
Friday: I just go for a brisk 40 minute walk (this is a challenge for me because I hate walking, I’d prefer to run, but my body has become too accustomed to it, so I look for variations in my running such as on Wednesday’s workout).

So do you get the gist of it? You are only limited by your imagination. You can change the intensity of anything by speeding it up, adding resistance, or weight (just don’t add ankle weights for running or walking-it can mess up your knees, it is okay for leg lifts when you are lying down). For instance, I could go back to Wednesday’s workout and put on a weighted vest and do, not the same workout, but some variation.

Do I look like an idiot doing some of these things? Absolutely! However it gets me where I want to go.

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(2 Pack) Kamor Running Belts / Exercise Runner Belt / Waist Packs for Apple iPhone 6, 6 plus, 5, 5s, 5c, Samsung Galaxy － for Men, Women during Workouts, Cycling, Hiking, Walking, Running, Fitness

• It fits for most smartphones including Apple iPhone 4, 4S, 5, 5S, 5C, 6, 6 plus, Blu Advance, BlackBerry Passport, Google Nexus 4, 5, Huawei Ascend Y320, Ascend P7, HTC ONE M8, M7, LG G3, G2, LG Optimus L7 P705, Motorola MOTO G, E, X, Nokia Lumia 520, 521, 530,630, 635, 730, 900, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, 3, 4, Samsung Galaxy S5, S5 Mini, S4, S4 Mini, S3 Mini, Galaxy Tab3, Galaxy S Duos, Sony Xperia M, Z3, Z2, it might also be too small for other smartphones with very bulky cases.
• Large enough 2 pockets to carry your smartphone, phones，keys, cards，cash, wallet, fitness gear, energy bars, passport and power bank along with you. It is great for all forms of exercise including walking, running, hiking, riding bikes, working out at the gym and more.
• Water resistant (sweat-proof and rain-proof) keep your valuables dry while you exercise (not fully waterproof), not exposure to a lot of water or rain for long time.expandable running belt with 2 3M reflective stripes on the front pocket for triathalons, marathons, running races or just out being active. Strong adjustable elastic waistband ensures belts stay in place and don’t bounce or chafe during use.
• Fits 29 inch – 45 inch (75cm-115cm) waists with fully adjustable elastic strap. Left pocket length: 8.26 inch / 21cm; right pocket length: 6.69 inch / 17cm
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Kamor running belt is perfect for all forms of exercise and for men&women(damen)&ladies&kids.

Product Features:

– Superior Material – Made from Spandex with a bounce-free design to eliminate movement.

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FitWrist Wallet, Exercise Wallet (Teal)

• FitKicks Shoes active lifestyle accessory
• FitWrist wallet for active lifestyles
• For essentials: currency, ID, keys, and more
• Water-resistant lining protects your essentials
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The FitWrist wrist wallet keeps your money, ID, keys and essentials contained and safe as you work out. The stretch fit is super comfortable for any wrist size. The interior of the wallet has a water-resistant lining to keep your essentials from becoming damp as you sweat. Pouch is approximately 4 x 4 inches and the wristband has a 3″ stretchable diameter opening. Available in all four great colors to coordinate with your FitKicks shoes for your active lifestyle.

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Sports Headband – The #1 Choice for Athletes! – No Slip, No Drip Headbands For Running, Walking, Exercise with Stylish – Fashion Look – Super Comfortable – Happy Head Guarantee- Black

• ● 100% LIFETIME GUARANTEE – Abco Tech is a brand known for its superior quality, functionally efficient products, and the humble and devoted customer care service that it offers. We offer a 100% Risk-Free Lifetime Guarantee to let you buy with confidence and just to let you know that we are always standing behind our product. So, order now and get this incredible headband – not just one but for all your friends and family.
• ● COMFORTABLE AND COSY – The headband is made up of a soft, comfortable and smart premium fabric that remains hot in winter and cool in summer – thus keeping you comfortable anytime you use it. The headband grip is also carefully designed to give you a cosy feeling rather than a head crushing firm grip that wouldn’t let you wear it the second time.
• ● PERFECT FOR SPORTS OR STYLE – The headband holds up your hairs in place and has high capacity to absorb the sweat thus making it quite an excellent accessory for sports activities like running, jogging, exercising or Yoga. Moreover, it is an excellent fashion accessory that can jazz up your look, to up your style quotient. The headband is also very easy to clean – simple hand or machine wash should do.
• ● MULTIPURPOSE – The headband can also be used to protect your hairs from dust while you are traveling, for preventing your ears from the chilly wind in a cold weather, or just to give you a rockstar look. Isn’t it too much for a headband? The headband comes in a universal size that fits everybody.
• ● ONE HEADBAND, TEN INCREDIBLE STYLES – This headband is like the Swiss knife of fashion or sports accessories. You get so many style options in such a small and smart headband, just like you get too many tools in a compact Swiss knife. The headband can be used in 10 different styles – allowing you to choose the one that best suits the occasion, mood or your hairs. Moreover, the headband is reversible and looks equally good from both the sides. Different styling options can be found in the pictures.

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Saucony Men’s 6-Pack Performance No Show Socks, Grey/Blk Asst, 10-13 Sock Size(Shoe size:8-12)

• Six-pack set no-show socks with breathable Airmesh venting

Saucony men’s performance no show socks is a perfect combination of comfort and support. Great for the toughest training sessions. Its arch support, air mesh venting, and moisture management features will ensure lasting comfort

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