i’d been feeling disenchanted with the gym lately. i’ve been going, pretty consistently, since january. we are now in July. so, that’s, 6 months, yes?
well…the only thing i really have to show for it is a really nice back. i’m serious. i weigh EXACTLY the same thing i weighed on January 1st. my clothing fits EXACTLY the same way it fit back in January. it seems that no matter what i eat or how much i exercise, i’ve reached a plateau of sorts. i go for the weekend to my mom’s, pig out, eat like a total cow (i can’t even add up on all my fingers and toes how many girl scout cookies i ate while i was there…i would need to borrow some limbs to do that…) come home, get on the scale, the same. i go for a couple weeks where i’m watching everything that goes into my mouth, i exercise religiously, get on the scale, the same.
but i do have a really nice back…
anyway, i’ve recently discovered that my problems with the gym, are, well, they are my fault. Sure, i go and do 20 minutes on the weight machines. inner/outer thighs, ab machine, legs, arms. and then i do 30 minutes on the elliptical while i watch my soap opera (or Ellen, whichever is more interesting at the time). sounds great in theory, right? 50 minutes of working out. should be aces.
but, you, like me, would be WRONG.
sure, i do the machines. but, i’m definitely not doing them hard enough. i put the weights low for fear of turning my nice arms and legs into mammoth wrestler’s arms and legs. so, yes, i go through the motions, but i could be working my muscles so much more.
and sure, i do the elliptical for 30 minutes. and it’s great for my heart and all, but apparently, according to my friend Chad AND lots of research i’ve been doing, the elliptical might possibly be the worst machine for weight loss. it’s easy and low impact…and those should have been my first signs. a workout shouldn’t be easy. so, basically, i’ve been training in my comfort zone, which, in reality, is useless.
so, now i’m training outside of my comfort zone. more reps. higher weights. the bike and the treadmill instead of the elliptical. i’m dying…but at least i’m working.
and if at the end of the next six months all i have to show for it is a nice back, remind me to cancel my gym membership and move full-time into eating cookies.
I’m feeling your pain.
I joined at about the same thing. And basically same results. I look better, but my weight has been close to the same. Oh, till I went away for the weekend, ate at Cheesecake Factory, IHOP and other stuff, and LOST 5 lbs.
Do not get it.
I heard elliptical is good. But, I’m a running on the treadmill kind of girl.
I had to sign up for a 10k race to push myself at the gym…I’d been dropping the toddler off in the daycare, then taking loooong showers, blow-drying my hair, painting my nails & calling it a GREAT workout day!
Hi Ali,
I work out regularly and have found the same thing. The key is, as you’ve started to do, to change it up. If you do the same workout day after day, week after week, your body gets used to it and it’s not working as hard. So, run one day, walk uphill the next, try a few different elliptical machines. Try changing it up in one work out- run for 10 min, then bike for 10 and finish up on the elliptical. If it’s nice out, try going for a jog outside. You might not be able to run for as long as you can on a treadmill but you’re getting a great workout on varying terrain and its quicker than going to the gym if you’re short on time that day.
Same goes for weights. You muscles have memories, so it takes some new exercises to surprise them out of doing what they’re used to. If you do a different workout every day, not only will you see a difference, but the workout itself is more fun since you just decide as you go what you’re going to do. Anyways, that’s my 2 cents. Hope it helps!
I had the same experience with the gym, though I gave up after a shorter period (4 months)…I was running on the treadmill for what I thought were great 40 minute runs, plus doing some heavy weight training. I hated the weight training, I would shake with muscle fatigue after. I gained 3 pounds, and when I ran my first 5 km in the great outdoors I had absolutely zero cardio/fitness. The benefit for me was that the gym had a daycare where I could lodge my three kids while I worked out. The one thing that works consistently for me for weight loss, toning, overall well being is jogging — a good 45 minute to one hour run, I’m pretty slow but go over all types of terrain which also boosts fitness. I think you just don’t push yourself hard enough indoors.