Feeling stuck in a workout rut?
Whether a seasoned athlete or novice, a workout rut can impact anyone's routine and - speaking from personal experience - can be seriously frustrating and tough to overcome. You might be on the treadmill or lifting weights as you normally do, but you can’t seem to hit a particular target and might find yourself struggling to hit the times and weights you had done before.
It’s so easy for those going through this fitness plateau to think they simply aren’t at the levels they once were - yet the reality is, a workout rut is far less black and white.
It’s time to get to the bottom of it.
To make things simpler and hopefully put you at ease, we have included our complete guide to the fitness rut phenomenon – what it is, what can cause it, and how to get out or outright avoid the plateau.
What is a workout rut?
It sounds obvious I know, but to overcome a fitness plateau it’s first important to understand exactly what it means and what can cause it.
So what is it?
Simply put, a workout rut is when an individual loses interest and motivation to succeed in their normal exercise routine.
You stop exercising as often or as hard as you used to and maybe even start skipping sessions altogether. This leads to a plateau in which performance crashes to a halt, workout frequency drops and suddenly, what were seemingly achievable workouts become more and more of a challenge.
What causes a workout rut?
We’ve said it plenty of times before, but no 2 people are the same when it comes to fitness. A workout rut is no different. From goals to routines to factors outside the gym, the cause of a fitness plateau is almost always unique to individual factors.
This is down to a phenomenon dubbed the mind-body connection.
The mind-body connection suggests that our mental health and physical health are directly linked to one another.
Case in point, when we push our bodies to their limits, it can lead to physical fatigue, which in turn can affect our mood and cognitive function. On the other side, mental stress and negative emotions can manifest physically, making it harder to find the energy and motivation to exercise.
To break free from an exercise rut, it is fundamental to understand both sides of the coin and then what you can do to alleviate them.
Physical Causes
- Overtraining: There’s a fine line to be met between frequent training sessions to reach a PB and overtraining. Excessive exercise can lead to fatigue, injury, reduced cognitive function and decreased performance from a phenomenon called overtraining syndrome.
Your body needs time to recover and rebuild, so it's important to balance workouts with rest days
- Poor nutrition and sleep: Fuelling your body with the right nutrition is just as important as the workout itself. Without proper hydration and supplementation, the body can only work so hard before reaching a plateau in performance
- Illness: Again, it probably goes without saying but illness can significantly impact your energy levels and ability to exercise. Trying to persist through illness can not only lead to overtraining syndrome but also fuel a sense of burnout from a perceived lack of progress.
Psychological Causes
- Stress: Whether caused by exercise or something outside the gym, high levels of stress can “impede(s) individuals’ efforts to be more physically active” by driving decreased energy levels, and low concentration.
- Lack of motivation: Whether it be from burnout, overtraining, or a perceived lack of progress, low motivation can make it very difficult to stick to and improve upon a workout.
- Lack of Enjoyment: Let’s face it - if you're not having some degree of enjoyment, it's tough to stay consistent with your workouts.
How do you break an exercise rut?
While these sorts of plateaus can be nothing short of frustrating, they are more common than you might think. Below we’ve included our Innermost top steps you can take to completely avoid or alleviate the impacts of a workout rut:
Mix up your routine
When your usual workout routine is leading you to feel burned out and mentally drained, there’s no better remedy than switching up your usual routine. Getting started on something like a CrossFit plan helps you target different muscle groups, leading to more balanced strength and improved performance. It also reduces the risk of overuse injuries that can occur from repetitive motions.
Mixing up your workout also helps to keep things mentally interesting, allowing for new and achievable goals to be hit when you aren’t hitting that PB within the current routine. A diverse routine even maximises the stress-reducing, mood-boosting, and cognitive-enhancing benefits of a workout.
Build up your workout with realistic goals
That said - setting realistic goals is just as important to getting past the workout rut and is key to maintaining motivation. When goals are achievable, you're more likely to stick to your routine and experience a sense of accomplishment. This positive reinforcement fuels gradual improvement and helps to prevent burnout and injury. Having unrealistic PB targets is one of the main reasons that an individual can get pulled into a workout rut.
Keep things simple and achievable – these are your targets and you should never feel you have to change them based on someone else's routine.
Rest and recovery
We can’t avoid it. Rest and recovery are essential when it comes to getting the most from a workout. From getting around 7-9 hours of sleep a day to making sure you take the rest days the body needs, R&R allows the body time to repair and rebuild muscle tissue, replenishing energy stores, and reducing the risk of injury.
Rest days also play a crucial role in preventing burnout and maintaining motivation. By prioritising rest, you'll experience a renewed sense of enthusiasm for your workouts. This can help you break out of an exercise rut and rediscover your passion for exercise.
We’d also argue that a core part of R&R is taking part is taking part in calming stress reduction exercises. You can read more about our top destressing techniques here.
Find a workout buddy
A good rule of life is that most things are more fun when experienced with someone else. With workouts, it’s no different.
Whether it’s your partner, a close friend or a relative, having a workout buddy is a fantastic way to stay motivated and break the – let’s face it - monotony that can come with solo exercise.
With someone else, you're less likely to skip workouts when you’re on the fence and their presence can make even the toughest sessions more enjoyable. You'll also benefit from their encouragement, pushing you to reach new goals and try new activities and generally creating a rewarding feeling.
Effective nutrition
As we’ve mentioned before, the right nutrition is fundamental for avoiding an exercise rut.
Not only does proper hydration ensure optimal performance and reduce the risk of dehydration-related fatigue, but getting the right nutrition provides the energy needed to power through workouts, preventing fatigue and sluggishness.
Looking for ways to fuel your workout?
Why not try our The Strong Protein supplement to help aid in muscle growth, or perhaps our creatine-fuelled The Power Booster Supplement?
Listening to a workout playlist
There’s a lot of science behind the benefits of music to a workout. While we won’t get into all those here (you can read more on it here), rest assured getting a good soundtrack going is a great way to escape a workout rut. It can distract from fatigue, - making workouts feel more enjoyable - elevate your mood, reduce stress and increase your energy levels.
Whether you prefer high-energy anthems or calming melodies, incorporating a good playlist into your routine can transform your workouts into a fun and effective experience.
Embracing the rut
If you do find yourself growing into an exercise rut, one of the first things to do is accept and acknowledge it. It’s a normal part of the fitness journey, and that’s okay.
By doing this, it’s easier to embrace the challenge, experiment with new approaches, and rediscover the joy of your next PB. Remember, consistency is key, so be patient with yourself and celebrate every step forward. With dedication and a willingness to adapt, you’ll be breaking through the plateaus and achieving your fitness goals in no time.
References
- Symons, I., Bruce, L., Main, L. (2023) Impact of Overtraining on Cognitive Function in Endurance Athletes: A Systematic Review. Sports Medicine 9, 69. Click here.
- Kreher, J., Schwartz, J. (2012) Overtraining Syndrome A Practical Guide. Sports Health 4, 2. Click here.
- Sinha, R., Stults-Kolehmainen, M. (2015) The Effects of Stress on Physical Activity and Exercise. Sports Medicine 44, 1. Click here.
