4 Ways To Break Out Of A Workout Funk
Learn how to bring back the reliable workout spark that keeps you going!
It's not hard to tell when you're in a workout funk and your routine needs a little shake up...
Your practice doesn't get you out of bed like it used to.
Working out feels less like self-care and more like a chore.
You procrastinate like a pro to avoid having to do it at all.
You're still motivated and showing up, but the spark is gone.
So what the "funk" is going on?
If any of the above sounds familiar, you might be experiencing a workout plateau.
Plateaus are one of the only downsides to a long-term relationship with fitness because sometimes you will get stuck.
This blog takes a look at why this happens.
Adaptation
With repeated movement in any type of exercise, your muscles adapt by becoming stronger and more efficient. As a result, the exercise gets easier. Once this happens, doing the same exercises in the same way will stop producing results because you've closed the gap between attempt and ability.
Solution = Periodization
Regularly increase the baseline for a given exercise by changing variables like reps, weight, and complexity. This prevents overstaying your existing thresholds and promotes continuous, incremental progress.
When you cycle sync your workouts, you can time these baseline shifts to happen when your body is most responsive in the follicular and ovulatory phases.
Habit Fatigue
This happens when your enjoyment of a well-established routine diminishes over time. Essentially, what once felt fresh and exciting now feels like a chore, making it harder to maintain the habit or see continued progress.
Solution = Novelty
The antidote to a lost spark is novelty. This stimulates new neural pathways and alleviates habit fatigue. Create novelty by changing when or where you work out, sweating with a friend, or trying a new exercise/style. You might swap dumbbells other equipment like kettlebells, barbells, or resistance bands.
With a cyclical approach, you're entering a new training mode each week which produces novelty and keeps things interesting.
Mind-Body Disconnect
If your mind and body are disconnected, workouts are not only less effective, but they're less fun. When your brain decides to play hooky, your body is stuck doing all the work and this can zap your motivation big time. Mental fatigue happens when we're distracted, disinterested, or disengaged.
Solution = Attention
If you're feeling disconnected, start asking yourself why. Pay attention to your mental activity during workouts. When are you prone to checking out? Is there a particular exercise or environment that makes this more tempting? What distracts you and pulls you out of the work? Double down on your breathing during workouts and try to notice something new about each exercise in every set.
Cyclical fitness is essentially body literacy applied to exercise. It invites a deeper level of awareness because you're asked to respond to signals from your body throughout the month.
Inadequate Recovery
Hard work happens during your training sessions, but results like weight loss and muscle gain actually happen in between them. The problem with workouts that are overly (and repeatedly) intense is that you overshoot your body’s ability to recover. This can stall your results or even move them in the wrong direction.
Solution = Rest Like You Mean It
Give yourself at least 24-48 hours between intense workouts to allow inflammation to resolve. Don't push through muscle soreness and opt for stretching or mobility work instead. Be generous with protein on work days and rest days. This will supply the building blocks your body needs for muscle repair.
Cyclical training modulates workout intensity according to your ability to recover. Additionally, you regularly work in lower intensity modes to promote recovery and allow inflammation to resolve. This lets you come back stronger in subsequent cycles.
A menstrual cycle-informed approach has built-in safeguards against workout plateaus, but it doesn't mean they won't happen.
