Why Am I Not Seeing Results?

There are many intrinsic and extrinsic factors as to why individuals may exercise. For instance, it is very common that people work out for extrinsic factors such as weight loss, body toning, or mass building.

Resistance training has been proven to yield results in each of these areas, if done so correctly and consistently. The challenge many people face when beginning their exercise programs, is the lack of patience in seeing results. 

In our society, we tend to want things to occur immediately, but results do not always show as quickly as we would like. You should not let this discourage you in your route to better fitness; there are many ways in which you can speed up the process of reaching your fitness goals. Below I have listed 5 reasons why you may not be seeing the results you want and how you can fix these issues.

Poor Nutrition

As important as exercise is for physical improvements, nutrition is just as important, if not more than. You can work out 5-days a week and burn hundreds of calories, but if you are eating poorly between workouts, you will see no results. Your body needs adequate nutrition to refuel itself and poor dieting will not allow it to do so. Eating junk while exercising will only cancel your progress and keep you stagnate in your pursuit of better health and wellness. Eating a well-balanced diet with adequate nutrients, from a variety of sources and in moderation is the best way to get quick results from exercise. If you are not getting the results you would like, it may be time to analyze what you are putting into your body.

Lack of Intensity

Often improvements may be hindered because you are working out at an intensity that is too low to yield the results you are looking for. If you are exercising at a low intensity, weight loss and mass building will be difficult. Although low intensity exercise is beneficial for specific populations and for health benefits, if you are looking to see physical changes, moderate and vigorous intensity are the level you should be working at. Different intensity levels yield different results. 

The amount of effort you put into the workout may be your downfall. If you are not breaking a sweat or increasing your breathing when exercising, you are doing so at an intensity that is too low for progression. You should feel your heart beating faster than normal and your body should begin to fatigue near the end of your workout. Increase your intensity level and challenge yourself, so that you can reach the goals you desire.

Lack of Consistency

If you are serious about reaching your fitness goals, you should have a schedule for when you are going to work towards reaching them. If you only exercise when you feel good, you may not be exercising as often as is needed. Consistency is key to being successful at anything. If you are not making the effort to get into the gym on a regular basis, you will not reap the benefits of your workouts. Keep in mind that working out regularly is not working out every day. Allow your body to recover but be sure to hit the gym at least 3-5 times a week. Take pride in what you are doing, it will be worth it in the end.

Lack of Patience

Just as eating pizza once will not make you gain fat, working out once will not make you lose fat. These things happen over time and your body must learn to adapt to the load you put on it. Every year I see people begin working out two weeks before spring break, attempting to "get in shape" for the beach. This is due to a lack of understanding on how your body works. Many people believe that at any moment they can change their body without putting the time and effort in to do so. This leads people to have false expectations and eventually turn them away from exercise because they don't see the results they thought they would. Many settle for excuses like "I can't burn fat" or blame genetics. 

They can very well burn fat and drop pounds if they were consistent and patient in doing so. If you have just began working out and are not seeing results, hang in there and stay with it. Everyone's body responds to exercise slightly differently but your results will come if you are putting the work in.

Lack of Periodization

Mixing up your workouts is crucial to making bodily improvements. Doing the same thing over and over will only allow your body to adapt to the exercise load and become idle. It is vital that you work different muscle groups and increase your resistance load as you gain strength. You should be challenging yourself in the gym and with time, adding more weight or reps.

Periodization allows you to shock your body and challenges it. This can be done by decreasing rest periods, increasing weight, reps, the types of exercise, and even the order of exercises. If you have found yourself at a standstill in your progress, try switching up your workout regimen.

In conclusion, I hope that this article helps you pin point some of the reasons as to why you may be experiencing a lack of progression in your workout program. 

There may be multiple issues with your training so you should examine all areas to find any hiccups that can be fixed.


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