This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

Not Seeing Results In The Gym? It's Time To Change Up Your Workout

Jumping straight into a hardcore routine isn't always the answer.
Come at me abs.
Getty Images/Vetta
Come at me abs.

Unless you're an all-year round exercise person, it's likely you've only recently embarked on some kind of fitness program -- it's Spring after all, which means morning burpees can no longer be classed as frozen torture.

You're probably easing into it, optimistic you'll see some results soon. Until... you don't.

Founder of Strength Elite, Kevin Toonen, who specialises in strength and conditioning explains one of the biggest barriers to gaining results is the fact that we ignore our individual base level of fitness -- something he refers to as a person's General Physical Preparedness -- or GPP.

"A person will look at where they want to be and train like that person straight away -- instead of first building a base level of fitness and working towards that goal," Toonen told The Huffington Post Australia.

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Confused? Toonen uses a pyramid to explain, where the base of the pyramid is your GPP and the peak is your peak fitness level.

"If the base of your pyramid is 200 metres long, then your peak is going to be very high, though if your base is only 20 metres long, you'll have a very low peak," Toonen said.

Make sense?

Basically, the higher your base level of fitness is, the more likely you are to see results. Added bonus: you'll decrease your chance of injury and you'll recover faster which means training more frequently gets easier. So, how do you increase your GPP?

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"Think about what you do day-to-day and where your bias is and then go in the opposite direction to that. It's about attacking your weaknesses," Toonen said.

If you're a long distance runner, swap a few runs for some weight sessions and sprint intervals.

If you're always in the weights room, incorporate some high intensity stair climbs into your workout a few times a week.

"You're only going to get stronger and faster if you work on the bits of your game that are weak," Toonen said.

Strength doesn't equate to size. If you're a runner for example, weight training is only going to make you run faster, and perhaps lift your butt a little.

Finally, Toonen dispels any idea that women and men should train differently.

"I've never trained a woman any differently to how I'd train a man," Toonen said.

"Strength doesn't equate to size. If you're a runner for example, weight training is only going to make you run faster, and perhaps lift your butt a little," Toonen said.

And who can argue with that, right?

"If anything, women should be doing more weight training in order to improve bone density."

So there you have it. Now get liftin' peeps.

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