Why Can't I See Results From My Workouts!?
“What's the best kind of workout?”
Something I get asked on a daily basis
Firstly, my go to answer is ALWAYS “The one you can do consistently”
CONSISTENCY is the vast majority of people’s problem. You will not get results overnight and you will not get any results if you keep stopping and starting when it comes to your workout programme.
Secondly, it depends on your body type and the goals you are trying to work towards. Some people’s bodies react better to heavier weight with lower rep range and others to lighter weight with a higher rep range but there are some features that should appear in everyone’s workout routine IF you are looking to tone up and build some lean muscle
Aside from consistency The 4 main reasons holding people back from seeing results are
1) Not working hard enough and getting their heart rate high enough. Generally speaking the higher your heart rate the more calories you burn. However you can get your heart rate high through many forms of exercise but not all will result in the same outcome. Example a spin session will result in a high heart rate but won’t help develop lean muscle. Resistance training will increase your heart rate and will also develop lean muscle. That is what ‘toning up’ is - building lean muscle while stripping back body fat. If you just keep burning calories and losing weight without actually developing any lean muscle in the process you will have no ‘tone’ - you will just get skinnier and skinnier. There is a BIG difference between just going to the gym and going through the motions of your workout and actually putting in the effort required. Just because you showed up to the gym does not guarantee results. You need to pushing yourself and ensuring your session is actually going to move you towards your results and not just be a tick box exercise
2) STRUCTURE - I see so many people follow a random bag of mixed exercises and wonder why they aren’t getting anywhere. They do a HIIT class one day, yoga the next, some running the day after and then finishing the week with a spin session. Then the following week might be a completely different selection of exercise.
Without structure your body will never adapt to the exercise and have enough resistance to look the way you want it to if you just keep mixing up the routine every single day/week.
If you want to tone up and build lean muscle you NEED to do resistance training, I am not saying you need to hit the weight section and start lifting super super heavy but you do need to ensure that some kind of resistance training is the main aspect of your training.
The vast majority of my clients train 3 times a week with resistance training being the main feature. Depending on your location and time, this can be at home or at a gym. Covid has taught us all that a gym is not necessary to see results, albeit it can make it ‘easier’ to see results quicker simply because the range of weights available there compared to some peoples limited equipment at home
However, Limited equipment or not - results can still be obtained when STRUCTURE is placed in someone's routine. If you look at your exercise across a week and it's completely random then that is the first place to start. Strip it back and start resistance training at least 3 times a week. There is an example of a resistance training session you can do at home or in a gym at the below of this article
3) PROTEIN - When you train and workout you are essentially breaking the muscle fibres in your body. These are then naturally restored when you stop working out, ie the other 23 hours of the day. We can ensure this is done optimally and our bodies are developing and growing lean muscle by feeding it enough protein. The meal directly after you workout will help to ensure this process is effective. The amino acids in protein will help to rebuild the muscle fibres broken during the exercise and help you recover quicker. There have been many different studies done arguing the exact amount of protein each person should consume. The rough guide is 1.2-1.7g of protein per kg of body weight. However there will be factors that change that, including the intensity of your workouts and your current body composition.
4) CARDIO - The overuse of cardio is why a lot of people see little results when it comes to developing lean muscle. Performing cardio TOO MUCH can prevent you from developing lean muscle from your strength training. As advised above, exercise breaks down muscle fibres and the actual muscle growth happens in the rebuilding of these. If you are doing too much cardio and not allowing this rebuild to occur then you are making it harder for yourself to see results. Now, you don’t need to totally eliminate cardio all together. It is recommended for general fitness and health to do some form of cardio most days, this can vary from a walk to a swim to a light jog. Ensuring that it is AIDING your goals and not making them harder to achieve is key
Example of a lower body workout
**Barbell Back Squat - 4 sets of 8 with a challenging weight but allows to maintain perfect form throughout
Rest 90secs between each set
**Bulgarian split squats - 4 seat of 10 each leg with a challenging weight but allows to maintain perfect form throughout
Rest 90secs between each set
**Single leg hip thrust supersetted with romanian deadlifts - perform 8 reps on each leg of the single leg hip thrust then 10 romanian deadlifts. This is one set, do 3 while resting for 2mins between each
**Goblet Squat supersetted with frog pumps- perform 12 reps of the goblet squats then 30 frog pumps. This is one set, do 3 while resting for 90secs between each