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Get Out Of Your Rut
By Tom Bonanti
You’ve probably been there before, or
maybe you’re there now: you just can’t get into your workouts.
The exercises seem boring, the weights are too heavy, and you
feel like you’d rather be anywhere else but in the gym. You are experiencing a performance
slump – a frustrating, seemingly unexplainable drop in
performance which typically lasts for an extended period of
time. In nearly every case, though, a source can be found.
Slumps are often traced to a lack of recovery time from
stressful situations, insufficient sleep, overtraining, or just
a general feeling of malaise over life in general.
First of all, you’ve got to rest. And
by that, I don’t mean lying on the couch watching episodes of
the “The Biggest Loser”. Active rest refers to recovery methods
that involve movement. For example, walking, stretching, yoga,
and golfing are all types of active rest that can help you
recharge your batteries. If you simply can’t stay out of the
gym, incorporate a wide variety of low weight, high rep weight
training exercises for each of the various muscle groups. You’ll
be amazed how you’ll grow once you resume more intense training
habits. Passive rest is also essential and it
can help rejuvenate your soul as well as your body. Examples of
passive rest include meditation, napping, sitting in the park,
or catching up with an old friend for some conversation. Note:
passive rest does not include sitting on a bar stool drinking
for six hours. Understanding your nutrition and how
it affects your body is crucial not only to successful training,
but also to your recovery process. During a slump, a lot of guys
either eat like birds and lose size, or they binge out and get
as big as cows. Whatever you’re going through, you’ve
got to eat! Eat your meals at consistent times throughout the
day. Eat light and often. Consuming smaller meals every 2-3
hours raises your metabolic rate and stabilizes blood sugar and
energy levels. Never skip a healthy breakfast and stay away from
quick, sugary, fatty comfort foods that will ultimately leave
you feeling worse than ever. The dedication necessary to succeed at
body building is substantial, and it requires focus and
intensity. When you’re in a slump, you’re often frustrated and
negative about your drop in performance. Look for opportunities
to lighten up and laugh. Avoid negative people who drag you
down. Listen to music that can calm and soothe as well as
energize and rejuvenate you. Psychological changes associated
with positive emotions occur that directly oppose the chemicals
that accompany negativity and frustration. Finally, a good night’s rest is by far
the most natural and essential recovery activity. Depriving
yourself of sleep is like depriving yourself of food. A sleep
debt of as little as three hours has been shown to significantly
reduce physical strength in weightlifters. Lack of good quality,
uninterrupted REM (rapid eye movement) sleep can cause paranoia,
migraines, and violent mood swings as well as unwanted weight
gain. Busting out of your slump doesn’t happen automatically – it takes planning and effort. Remember, recovery in your training and everyday life is just as important as the hard work you put into them. For more tips on how to fire up your workouts this summer contact trainertomb@aol.com!  TOM BONANTI IS A CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER AND OWNER OF PUMP’N INC GYM AT 1271 NE 9TH AVENUE FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33304, www.pumpnincgym.com. |
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The
good news is that no matter what the hell the problem is about –
job stress, a breakup with your boyfriend, a let down after
vacation, or overtraining itself – there are mechanisms of
recovery that can have you back in the gym doing battle with the
weights in no time. A number of these tips come from Jim Loehr,
a sports psychologist in his book, "Stress for Success.