Coaching Corner: Pounding Plateaus

[caption id="attachment_5773" align="alignleft" width="420" caption="H3 Guest Lyle Orr and Jeff Ford"][/caption]

For a triathlete there is no better feel than getting fitter, stronger, and faster with every swim, bike, and run. On the other side of the spectrum, there is no worse feeling than hitting a training plateau. Before you know it you’re training harder than ever, multiple workouts a day, but starting to see less and less positive results. As an athlete, that’s when the inevitable question comes up, “What’s transpired?”

Reality is what has transpired. Just like weight loss, training plateaus are part of the triathlete’s life. A REALITY is a FACT OF LIFE. This is often a sign that you’re doing too much and overloading your system with adaptations. While it’s inevitable that you’ll hit a plateau in your weight loss journey, you needn’t let these plateaus keep you down for long. As in training for a race, all you need is a brief recovery period. Whenever you encounter a plateau this is how you pound thru it:

Go Back To Your Vision – The mind is our strongest tool. Clearly define who you are going to be. All the healthy life promoting behaviors you’ll be doing. What will you look like? Who will you be around? Are you hiking, crossing a finish line, or spending active time with family?

Record Every Fragment of Food You Eat – Head back to the journal. No matter how successful we become at tracking, it is always humbling to go back to the notebook. Become a student of your health, recognize any eating triggers and evidence your food intake to be completely positive and fully aware.

Push the Envelope Past the Plateau – Zoning in and mastering a routine is phenomenal; however the 45 minutes, 4 day Elliptical routine can place your body in a groove. Even after a few months your body can adjust to a set mode of exercise. Constantly varied, functional movements have proven to push past plateaus. Add interval training including a different surface (beaches, trails, pavement), and vary the speed and the inclines.

Generate a New Passion – I started out as a marathoner, but last month it was time to make a transition. Finding a new passion or activity when it comes to breaking a plateau is huge. You discover that invigoration that began your exercise program. It’s like that first Cardio Boxing class with Amber or the first Treading Class when the instructor jumps on the stretch table (really?).The fact of the matter is weight-loss becomes a side benefit when you have fun; A result of a recently unlocked passion.

Don’t Get Discouraged – The easiest way to get to discouraged is solely focusing on the numbers. For the triathlete, no recent PRs (personal records) or improved training workouts – For weight-loss the scale not dropping in a few weeks or no movement in the belt loops. We ask ourselves, what happened?

Again REALITY is what happened. Understand that no matter who we are – we hit plateaus in life. It is not about knock down, it is about how you respond and get back up to push thru a plateau. Remember the reasons; and number one, that sole motivator that sustains your success. Motivation is what keeps us going; habit is what makes weight-loss a reality.