5 signs it may be time to switch up your workout plan

Most of us know that while our bodies crave routine, and it can take many months of dedication to a fitness program to start seeing results, it’s also important throughout our lives to make adjustments and changes to our workouts. While there can be many reasons to make changes to your gym routine, we can all agree that it doesn’t make sense to keep our workouts the same FOREVER. Still, it can be tough to move on from a workout plan we like, are comfortable with, and has worked for us in the past. 

Here are some reliable signs that it may be time to switch things up with your workouts: 

• You’re bored. Are you having a hard time focusing or concentrating on the workout? Do you feel like you’re on autopilot at the gym, or spending your workouts checking your phone or wishing you were somewhere else? That’s a pretty big red flag that your workout plan isn’t working out (see what I did there?) A major component of an exercise regimen should be that it’s fun—not only is that a better way to spend time, but it also means you’ll be more likely to stick to the plan and see results. There are so many ways to be fit and move your body, so if you aren’t enjoying the plan you chose, you can simply choose another one.

• You are seeing plateaus or even declines in your fitness and performance. If you’re suddenly noticing a plateau or even loss in strength gains or body composition from a workout plan that has worked for you previously, this does not mean that you aren’t working hard enough or that you’re failing – it may simply mean that your body has become accustomed to the stimulus you’re giving it and is craving something different. It seems like the first instinct for many of us to blame ourselves and label these plateaus as failures rather than perfectly normal parts of progression. The biggest hindrance to success is often our own negative mindset and tendency to give up when we experience these challenges, rather than see them for what they are: information that will help us make positive change. 

• You’re tired. Do you drag your ass to the gym? Are you having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep? Do you feel sore and achy for days after your workouts? These may be signs that you’re going too hard in the gym, or perhaps just need to scale back in a few places. Maybe it just means the timing of your workouts may need to be adjusted. We can help you figure out the root cause of your low energy—because ideally, your workouts will invigorate you rather than bring you down. 

• You’ve had a major life change. Maybe you’ve been a CrossFitter for ten years, and you loved it: you have a bunch of friends at the gym, you have a ton of great memories, and it helped you get really strong. But perhaps now you’ve moved away from your CrossFit gym, you have a nagging injury, a busy new job, or a baby at home that’s taking a ton of your energy. While many people may feel compelled to push through these new challenges and keep busting your ass doing MetCons, a better option may be scaling back and trying some less stressful workouts. This does not mean you’re weaker, or you’re giving up; it  means you know how to program intelligently and have your workouts complement your life, rather than take over your life. 

• Your goals change: We often guilt ourselves a lot over this one. We equate changing goals with giving up, but that’s not usually the case. Sometimes, in the course of trying something, we realize it’s not actually what we want, and we pivot to something else. Training, and life, is always about learning, and if you decide a specific goal is no longer serving you, that’s a lesson rather than a failure. Instead of wasting time beating ourselves up over changing goals, or sticking to one we no longer care about because we don’t want to be failures, let’s use these experiences as information to better serve our new goals, and get cracking on those instead ☺ 

Want to learn more about intelligent programming for strength and muscle-building, and try our 12-week training program? Sign up for our Muscle Science For Women course, starting January 10. Space is limited, so sign up now!