Fitness classes, everyone seems to have done a few at some time or another, perhaps you are attend one regularly. There are so many different classes these days that there is something for everyone’s taste.
Aerobics
Pilates
Yoga
Resistance classes
Spinning
Classes for seniors
Core Stability
Dance
Martial Arts based classes
The list goes on and on. Every year fitness companies bring out a new variation of class for people to do. A new piece of equipment will come out, promising to be the answer to your fitness problems, suddenly all the gyms start doing classes involving it, everyone’s raving about it until the next “big thing” comes along.
Time and time again I hear people say “I started doing xyz class, it was great at first I lost a few pounds and got fitter, but now nothing is happening, what has happened? Do you think I should try a different class?” If this is what you have been thinking recently I’m gong to give you the answer to these questions.
If you do what you have always done you get what you have always got! Think about a class you have been doing regularly, now think back to when you started it, think about the exercises you did when you started the class and the ones you are doing now. I bet they are very similar. You have probably been doing pretty much the same thing since you have been going to that class.
If your unfit and you start doing a class you fitness will increase, this is great to start with, but your fitness is only going to keep increasing until the exercises and routines in the class become to easy for you. When the exercises become too easy you body does not need to adapt to get fitter to be able to do them. So after that initial fitness boost when you first started your fitness and weight loss will plateau.
Classes can only be taught to the level of the most unfit person participating. Changing to another class won’t make any difference give it a few months and you will be in a plateau again.
The answer to this problem is this. START TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN FITNESS! If you attend a class regularly as soon as you walk through the door you hand over all responsibility for your fitness to the instructor. Most class instructor are very good, but everyone in that class is there for different reasons, some want weight loss, others to tone, some want to get fit and others just come along for the social aspects. There is no way in a large class of 20 people that the instructor can cater to everyone’s individual needs. This is why you must start taking RESPONSIBILITY for your fitness needs.
To get out of a plateau you can do the following:
Work yourself progressively harder in the class. If you use weights in the class, start getting heavier weights. If you do spinning a lot crank up the resistance gradually each session. If you want to get progressively fitter you are going to have to work yourself progressively harder each session.
Workout by yourself. Completely take charge of your fitness and start working out by yourself. Get a program set up and each session work yourself a little harder than the last and give you body something new to adapt to each workout.
Get a personal trainer. A great personal trainer will give you a different session each time you come to the gym, thus giving you body something new to adapt and get fitter to all the time. They will help you progress towards whatever goal you may have, be it fitness, weight loss, toning, body building etc…
Take you board what I have said and start applying it to your workouts. Through a bit you of persistence you will reach whatever goals you may have sooner than you think.
To book a session or for comments and questions call or e-mail me:
E-mail: pete@petegriggs.com. Phone: 07947 049889
Please Read Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the above articles are those of the authors and theirs alone. Information in the articles is not to be taken as medical advice, please consult you doctor before undertaking any type of exercise programme especially if you have any medical conditions.