You may have been sticking to your workout routine, but that doesn’t mean anything if you don’t think you’re getting results. In fact, you may actually not be reaching your goals because you aren’t working as hard as you should. How can you tell the difference? There are a few key things to look out for, so you can tell if you’re working hard or hardly working.
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#1. Scan the scale
Obviously, this is the easiest way to tell if you’re losing weight. If you’re not seeing the numbers change, and you’re eating like you should, something could be up with your workout.
#2. Go to the tape
Of course, your weight isn’t the only way to measure weight loss, especially if you’re building muscle like you should be. (If you didn’t know, muscle weighs more than fat.) You can use a measuring tape to check for changes or just pay attention to how your clothes are fitting. Are those skinny jeans getting a little looser?
#3. Meet me at the mirror
The scale might not have budged, and your measurements might show only tiny changes. But sometimes, you can see results by literally looking in the mirror.
#4. You’ve gotta get sore to soar
You shouldn’t be sore after every workout, but you should be pushing yourself enough so that at least one day a week, you feel that good soreness when you’re finished.
#5. I can’t help feeling we’ve been here before
If you’ve been doing your workout for a while, chances are that your body has adapted to it. It (and you) need challenges. Not only can changing it up keep your body from getting bored, but it keeps you from getting bored, too. Try to do a new routine every month. If you’re not seeing any kind of results, whether they be on the scale or in the dressing room, then it’s a clear sign that you need to up the intensity of your workouts. Work out a little harder or a little faster and surprise your body with a new activity. It may take some time to figure out what really works for you, but it’s worth it once you work it.
