Not Getting Results? Check Out These 4 Tell-Tale Signs Your Workouts Are Too Easy

Make sure your workout is challenging enough to yield results.You head to the gym, put in your time on the treadmill, run through a few sets of strength-training moves, and go back home. You’ve been consistent, but lately your training has stalled, or maybe you’re still waiting for visible signs of progress to kick in. When it comes to adopting a fit lifestyle, lacing up your sneakers and getting in any old workout isn’t always enough. And if its too easy, it could result in nothing more than valuable time wasted. “There’s a difference between tough training and just going through the motions,” says Fitbit Coach and certified personal trainer Adrian Richardson. “If you’re not pushing yourself, you’re just spinning your wheels.”

Worried your workouts are falling short? Run through this expert-curated list of common clues, see where you stand, and readjust according to your training goals.

Sign #1: You’re Not Sweating
When it comes to gauging how hard you’re working, you might feel like you’re giving it your all. But if small breaks are becoming prolonged, or if you find yourself moseying at a leisurely pace more often than not, ask yourself one question: Am I perspiring? “If you didn’t break a sweat, you’re not raising your body temperature high enough, which means you probably aren’t pushing hard enough,” says Denver-based Fitbit Local Ambassador and personal trainer Jon Cerf.

Simple Fix:
Monitor your heart rate and aim to keep it in a set intensity range or “zone” that corresponds to your fitness goal. Fitbit trackers with PurePulse heart rate tracking take the guesswork out of the equation by using your maximum heart rate—the highest number of times your heart can safely beat in a minute—to set your heart rate zones for you. Giving yourself a visible heart rate range to reach for will help prevent you from cruising down easy street. Here’s a rundown of how fast you’ll want to, well, run, based on your goals:

Peak
Intensity: Vigorous (85 to 100 percent of your max heart rate)
Benefit: Increases performance speed

Cardio
Intensity: Hard (70 to 84 percent of your max hr)
Benefit: Builds cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength

Fat Burn
Intensity: Moderate (50 to 69 percent of your max hr)
Benefit: Builds aerobic endurance and teaches the body to burn fat as fuel

Sign #2: There’s A Premium On Phone Time
When you’re working out, mobile devices should be used minimally. “Rest between sets is needed, but when you’re looking at your phone more than you’re actually moving or lifting weight, your workout is probably too easy,” says Cerf. Plus, when you’re logging miles or getting in steps, texting or even just reading a text on your phone can throw off your balance and put your safety at risk.

Simple Fix :
Instead of spending time texting or surfing Instagram, stay in the moment. Use your rest period between sets to stretch tight muscles, track your progress on your Fitbit device, or challenge yourself by adding in another exercise immediately after for a superset. Resist the temptation to text by pairing your Fitbit Ionic or Fitbit Versa with a set of Fitbit Flyer headphones, so you can get tunes without relying on your phone.

Sign #3: Every Rep Feels Easy
If you’ve made it to the end of your weight-lifting set without struggling on any rep, you’re going too light. Strength training is meant to overload your muscles so that tissue breaks down and then repairs and rebuilds stronger. Throwing around a weight that doesn’t produce some tension will leave your progress at a standstill.

Simple Fix :
Reach for a weight that’s heavy enough for your muscles to adapt and grow stronger, but one that still allows you to maintain proper formwhether that means keeping your elbows by your side (and not letting them flare out) during curls, keeping a flat back on deadlifts, or pushing your butt back on squats. “You want every rep to be somewhat challenging,” says Richardson. “If you’re doing a set of 12 reps, the difficulty should start kicking in around the eighth repetition.”

Sign #4: You’re Never Sore After Workouts
“Soreness isn’t always the only indicator of effort,  but if you workout regularly and never get sore then you aren’t mixing things up enough,” says Cerf.

Simple Fix :
Crank up your workouts by adding some variety to your routine. Cerf recommends three simple ways to change things up:

1. Vary Sets and Reps
Instead of doing 3 sets of 12 reps at a lighter weight, add on a few pounds and aim for 5 sets of 3 reps. By bumping up the weight but toning down the reps, you’ll stress different tissue and get a more well-rounded lifting session. Change phases every six to eight weeks to keep things fresh.

2. Change Up Time Under Tension
Altering the duration for which you hold a contraction can help maximize your workout. “If you do biceps curls and hold for a five count at the top of each rep instead of just doing normal curls, you’ll crank up the intensity,” says Cetf.  Isolating your muscles will really add a burn to the exercise.

3. Limit Rest Periods
You don’t always have to alter sets and reps to increase intensity. Instead, try limiting your rest. Instead of waiting 60 seconds between sets, only give your body 30 or 45 seconds to recover between rounds.

18 Comments   Join the Conversation

18 CommentsLeave a comment

  • I find that it takes a long to more for me to sweat than others. In class scenarios where I may be working harder, jumping higher, running harder, not stopping like others, often they are sweatier. Could I just have a different threshold than others? I would prefer the bio feedback. Thoughts?

  • Good article. The biggest thing for me is to break a sweat and then just quickly check on my Fitbit to see which HR zone I’m in. The HR monitor on my old Charge HR is a beautiful thing.

  • The is for the helpful tips. I will add all the tips to my workouts. I do Leslie Sansone. I can’t do nothing more but it’s a start. I am trying to build a healthy life style.

  • Thanks for the 4 tips . 3 our of 4 is pretty good. The weight training I will have to pick up again. I do 40 minutes on the stationary bike and 20 minutes on the tread mill on an incline and 20 minutes on the tread mill walking at a quick pace. So I am firming up every where except my tummy.

  • Awesome advice! Thanks for the great tips… I’m going to integrate them into my daily routine and I’m pretty sure I’ll see results!

  • I do a fast walk on the treadmill with an incline I don’t feel like my fitbit tracks my steps accurately on the treadmill

  • What about people who can only briskly walk? I have injured knees related to old sports injuries and would like to know to up my game without impacting my knees. Stairs and hills are out of the question. Any suggestions.

  • I get bored easily with my workouts, so thanks for the great ideas that will put variety and challenges into my routine without risk of injury.

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