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Silver1080 Silver1080
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 08:04
 Unrated
I've hit a Plateau
I have cut down my calorie intake to about 1200-1400 calories a day and I have been working out on my elliptical for at least four days a week for 45 minutes each day. I also do about 100 crunches on my fitness ball and about 15 – 20 push-ups each night before I go to bed. I have been doing this for about four weeks now and I lost 10 pounds in the first week, since then I have weighed in each week and I have been the exact same weight for three weeks now. I have hit a plateau but I know I have more weight to lose, how can I change my routine so that I can begin to lose pounds again?

lelogosdemoi lelogosdemoi
Charlotte NC
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 09:04
 Unrated
change it up suggestions
Are you doing your ellipital in the mornings? Doing cardio first thing in the morning will give your metabolism a boost for the restof the day - if you're not already doing that you might give it a try, even if you only have time for 20 mins in the morning and then do your other 25 later on. Also try doing intervals instead of just plugging away at a steady pace - that does two things for you: 1) changing the rate of exersion constantly keeps your body from adjusting to the workout (which is why you've plateaued), 2) burns more calories WHILE you're working out and has a greater/longer afterburn effect--where your body keeps burning calories after you stop working out. Intervals take a lot more out of you so you won't be able to do them for 45 mins - start with 20 mins and work your way up til you can do it for 30. You won't need to do more than 30. Here's how it works: warm up at an easy setting/pace for 3 mins, then for 1 full min push it hard so your heartrate is close to max - you feel like you can't talk while you're doing this and you certainly can't sustain that pace for more than a min, then for 2 mins go back to your easy pace to let your heartrate recover, then back to 1 min of hard work really pushing it followed by another 2 min easy recovery pace. On an elliptical you have two options for how to do these - you can keep the settings the same and just vary your speed - so you might do 8 mph on your 1 min of hard work and 3 mph on your 2 mins of rest, or you can keep your revolutions the same and vary the settings up and down.

One other suggestion - crunches are the least effective ab exercise you can do and there doing 100 of them is doing little more than taking up a lot of time. I LOVE that you are doing pushups!! Are you doing knee pushups or full ones? I do not like knee pushups b/c they use only your shoulders/chest/arms and do not engage your abs and back like a full-pushup would. Using more of your body is always better. If you can't do full pushups on the floor - rather than making them easier but dropping to your knees put your hands on something elevated - even doing them against a wall will do more for you than knee pushups - then you can do them against the back of a couch or rail, then with your hands on a chair or bench, then on a low step until finally you've built the strength to do them on the floor. However you do them, I'd try to do 2-3 sets of 10. Instead of crunches - do ball passes: lying on your back, hold the ball between your feet and then bring your feet up and grab the ball with your hands, holding the ball in your hands reach back behind your head as you extend your legs back down, then return lifting your arms and feet up again and "passing" the ball from your hands to your feet. Start with 3 sets of 10 complete passes and then work your reps up to 30.

Another great ab exercise to do with your ball are jackknives. Fitclick has a great description for those on here so I won't take up space describing them. Start with 3 sets of 6 and work your way up to sets of 15 (these are HARD....take it slow).

Once crunch I DO like with a ball are side crunches - put the side of your hip on the ball and your feet out straight - it's helpful to brace your feet against something, hands behind your head and crunch up on your side - do 8-12 reps on one side and then switch. You can do 2-3 rounds of this.

Also do plank holds - on fitclick it's listed as bridge. You're on your elbows and toes with your back a straight line and hold that position for 30 seconds. Start with 2 sets and work your way up to 3 sets of 2 mins. This is another HARD one that will take time to increase.

That should be enough change for now to shock your metabolism back off your plateau. If you want more ideas later let me know!

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Fri, Oct 8, 2021 15:10
 Unrated
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