i regularly go to class at the gym, mostly the les mills program (attack, pump and combat). i just feel that i've reached a plateau again with my cardio training. attack's the hardest for me and even that, i've gotten used to it. i don't know what the next step is -- to keep going and at least feel some progress. and i definitely can't spend more time at the gym. i feel that i'm there too often already. any advise?

I wasn't familiar with the Les Mills programs so did some research on it. I found this You Tube video that gave me more insight. It looks pretty popular!!!



I have a few questions for you.

Is this simliar to what you are doing at your gym? How long does your class last? When you go to the gym, do you usually just do this class and then leave or is there anything else that you do?

The body gets used to the exercise you do if you don't diversify your workouts. It is designed to adapt to the work you do and will not require as much cardio to complete the same task. I have found that when I hit plateaus like yours, I need change formats and conditions to throw my body off.

If I was working out at the gym doing cardio exercises and feeling like it is becoming to comfortable, I switch things up... instead of running, I would start swimming. Swimming changes the motions of your body and muscles. You still get a great cardio workout and it also provides a little time for you joints to heal, which may be part of the problem leading to the plateau.

If you don't like to swim you could change up the conditions in which you run, i.e. higher altitudes or running on a different surface like sand would make the appropriate change you need for your body to respond and you will again feel the burn.

If you are stuck in the same conditions due to location another option would be to change your style of workout. We all have our favorite and can do this regularly and get in a routine, but sometimes it is the routine that causes the plateau. Try changing up the order that you do. Cardio is a little harder after hitting the weights because I usually do my cardio first. Or change your type of training for a while, try a different interval training if only for a couple weeks to allow your muscle memory to forget about your main routine and then revisit it. Take a class you wouldn't normally take.

I hope these ideas helped... they work for me. Luckily, I am in a place that offers all of these accommodations. I work out at the Y which has a pool and a ton of classes and I live within an hour of mountains and beaches. Good Luck!