Here’s what you can do if you want to get stronger but feel stuck.

Have you ever felt like you were trying your best to train consistently, but felt like you weren’t seeing any progress?

That’s exactly how Roseanne felt when we sat down for a live coaching session recently. This is what she told me:

I keep a training diary and look back over the last three to four years and I just feel like I don’t see progress very often. So that’s another demotivator for me. (I wonder) Am I not doing the right thing when I see myself getting stronger or having different goals?

Roseanne is like many other people we work with: life is already full! She has kids, runs her own business, and tries to make time for training in the midst of it all.

While she tries to stay consistent with three 30- to 45-minute workouts per week, the reality is often very different. In a good week, it’s more likely that she’ll train once and then have a few other small windows of time to try to squeeze something in.

I have good news! Not only is this completely normal, you can definitely make progress and become stronger in this situation. Here’s how:

Make smart adjustments when you’re short on time

interruptions are Normal. So knowing how to adapt your training is the key to making progress and getting out of trouble.

Here’s a clip of our conversation discussing exactly that.

VIDEO: How to change up your workout when you’re short on time

HIGHLIGHTS

• Choose moves that will make you a lot of money (squats, rows, presses, lunges, etc.) over more isolated exercises (planks, bicep curls, tricep extensions, etc.). They are much more efficient for your time.
• Bring your exercises to near failure with match sets. Choose a weight that you are comfortable with and do as many reps as possible with that weight (up to 30 total). Take a short break (30-1 minute) and then repeat the same number of reps, although you may need to take short mini-breaks (5-15 seconds) in between.

Add reps before weight

Next, consider how you progress in your training from week to week.

This is the method I use most often in my coaching.

VIDEO: How to Get Stronger When You’re Stuck

HIGHLIGHTS

• Try adding one rep each week (before adding weight). Even if you don’t complete another rep, you’ll know you’ve reached your current limit!
• There comes a point where you get stuck at the same number of reps for a few weeks in a row. At this point, try increasing the weight and reducing the number of reps back to a level you can comfortably perform, although there are still a few reps left. Then build from there.
• If you find yourself stuck on a movement that you can only do 1-3 reps of, try a lighter weight or variation to start with. This will help you do more reps/volume and progress more easily!

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If you feel stuck in your training, try one of these strategies for a few weeks and see how it works. I bet you will be pleasantly surprised by the results!

-Frosted

P.S Do you feel like you’re stuck on your fitness goals? Reply to this email and tell me what’s going on. I read every answer.