Why Resolutions Fail

Watching the crowds dwindle in gyms across Lakeland, it doesn't take a personal trainer to tell you the holiday season is here in full swing.

In my experience, even the most dedicated gym goer has trouble summoning the strength to perform squats, burpees and push ups before sunrise without a break now and again. In fact, a pre- January break is exactly what I suggest for the majority of gym goers.

Known as a "deload" in weight lifting circles, this is a period where we back off of our normal routine to allow our body to heal and develop to it's fullest potential (though full should not necessarily involve multiple trips to the buffet). From a psychological standpoint, this time of year should also serve as a period to collect our thoughts and set goals for the new year.

For many of us, these goals will involve weightloss and hitting the gym hard in January. But while you will undoubtedly summon all the motivation and energy necessary to crush these goals during the first several weeks, the question remains whether you can endure for the long haul.

More often than not, the factors which tend to stall progress are the logistics of how to get this done at all. These typically include:

• Penciling in a workout schedule
• Picking out a diet
• Committing yourself to a basic fitness program
• Getting the family on board

Beyond these issues, we also have fitness related issues which are the focus of this article. In my experience, the factors I will describe are the top three reasons why clients with another-wise flawless workout program fail to meet their goals. By considering and addressing these issues now, you are set up for success for months (versus days or weeks) to come. 1.

1. Hormonal/adrenal fatigue

The adrenals are walnut-sized glands located on top of each kidney, where they serve as important manufacturing centers for many of the body’s hormones. Whenever our bodies perceive we are under threat, our adrenals produce a "fight or flight" response by producing the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol.

While these hormones enable us to achieve amazing feats such lifting cars and leaping over buildings (maybe that is just me), problems arise when this stress lasts longer than a few hours. Because many of us spend years in stressful situations and relationships, a constant exposure to these hormones means a breakdown of elements such as the metabolism, immune system, digestion and cognitive function.

If you feel jittery, on edge and chronically tired on a regular basis, chances are this pertains to you. Because this is issue has a detrimental effect on both metabolism and attention span, the first order of business in preparing for weightloss is managing this condition.

Some factors to consider include:
• Enrich your nutrition, reduce refined carbohydrates, and cut back on stimulants- These include white bread, processed coffee and sugar.
• Consider nutritional supplements that support adrenal function. Start with a high-quality multivitamin–mineral complex rich in stress vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.
• Reduce stress, exercise in moderation, and take more time for yourself. It’s helpful to make a list of your stressors, especially those that are ongoing or self-imposed.

2. Too much cardio

Though we have all heard a thousand times that we need to change up our cardio to achieve results, this statement goes deeper than switching from outside to the treadmill. The reality is that if you are running long distances or only doing intervals (think bootcamp) then you are only feeding the body one stimulus for adaption.

Because we need both aerobic endurance (for better recovery and fat utilization) and anaerobic endurance (to go as hard as possible and help our bodies deal better with carbohydrates), a mixture of both is a necessary evil.

But before wrapping your mind around this equation, I want you to consider the difference between the two:

Aerobic characteristics:
• 60-70% of maximum heart rate
• Ability to talk comfortably during exercise
• 4-6 out of 10 on perceived exertion scale

Anaerobic characteristics:
• 85-100% of maximum heart rate
• Inability to talk comfortably during exercise
• 7-9 out of 10 on perceived exertion scale

With interval training in particular, the goal is truly to go hard as hard as possible. If you find that you are sandbaging or talk to friends during a 30-60 second interval, chances are your workout is primarily aerobic.

While these values are best monitored via a heart rate monitor, I find simply measuring pulse after a good run or circuit helps me to determine whether or not I am "in the zone".

3. Failure to recover

Though I feel all gym goers should perform to fullest potential for the day, we cannot simply hammer ourselves day after day and expect better results. In fact, one of the main reasons exercise junkies fail to achieve better results with more effort is a failure to allow their bodies to truly recover and develop.

While I have touched upon recovery techniques in previous columns, my go to option is staggering my workouts so progress is made on harder days while easier days allow for recovery and development. This strategy pertains to both strength training and cardio and becomes increasingly important as we become more experienced in exercise.

For someone seeking fatloss, my optimal training split would consist of the following:

• Monday (Hard): Strength Training + Longer Run
• Wed (Easy/Medium): Mobility Circuit + Jogging
• Friday (Hard): Strength Training + Interval Circuit • Saturday (Easy/Medium): Mobility Circuit + Jogging

While Monday may consist of a strength training session followed by a longer run, Friday's hard could consist of weights followed by interval circuit to ensure both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems were addresses.

For Wed and Saturday, I typically employ a mobility circuit followed by jogging to help to get the blood flowing.

Weekly Fitness Challenge:

The bottom line is that because we are in this for the long haul we must pace our bodies for gradual success. By tackling the "little things" which seem to trip us up, the path is cleared for our journey to begin.

With that said, the other factor in this equation is work capacity. Because this is crucial to anaerobic training, my challenge for you with our video of the week is to perform the following workout 2-3 times this week and attempt to set a baseline and beat your score with each passing workout.

Post your results below and receive a week of fitness classes with you know who. Are you willing to work as hard as possible to achieve your goal? I hope to find out below.