by Steven Stansnech

Created on: October 20, 2008   Last Updated: October 30, 2008

The human body is an amazingly adaptive mechanism. When you let it know that you want something done, it will go the extra mile to help you out. Whether it be adding on additional muscle to the biceps to make those curls easier, or increasing blood supply to the legs to make that last mile less strenuous, the body will listen to your demands.

Although the body can be very cooperative, its adaptability can sometimes prevent you from achieving your goals. As a fitness trainer, I have seen so many clients confused as to why their workout regimen isn't doing what it once had. "I lost 10 pounds so easily the first couple of months," someone might say, "but now it feels like I'm stuck." If you've ever felt this way about your exercise program, you're not the only one.

To understand why a plateau occurs, we need to step inside the shoes of our own body. Think of your body as an intelligent vehicle, whose main goal is to move through the world and perform tasks with the greatest ease, all the while spending the least amount of energy possible. It is only when you start to think like your body, that you can outthink your body.

If you're a runner and your basic workout regimen consists of a 3-mile run, 5 times per week, how do you think your body will respond to that demand over time? First, it's going to tone and reduce the size of your leg muscles in order to optimize oxygen delivery. More importantly, it's eventually going to learn how to spend the least amount of calories to complete each run. Even though you want to burn as many calories as possible, your body sees those same calories as a precious source of energy, and so it tries to conserve them. Even though you might have been burning 300 calories each workout that first month, you're now only burning 200, and the weight just isn't going to come off at that rate.

Fortunately, we can pull a fast one on our bodies. Instead of doing a 3-mile run, 5 times per week, keep your body guessing by changing up each workout. You might start the week out with a 3-mile run, but then on Wednesday you might decide to sprint up and down a hill in your neighborhood. On Thursday it's time for another 3-miler, but instead of doing it all in one steady push, you decide to hit the track and run 3 separate miles at a high pace and with a short rest in between.

The concept of variety isn't only applicable to weight loss. If you're a push-up junkie, and you're having a tough time getting to that magic 100 mark, don't fret. Instead of just trying to do more regular old push-ups, keep those pectorals guessing! Do push-ups on your knuckles for greater range of motion. Put your feet up on a chair to add some incline. If you're a true fanatic, go for some one-arm push-ups and really put your body to the test.

The fact is that there are many different options available when it comes to workout routines. As long as you keep things varied, your body will never be able to fully adapt to any one demand. This will allow you to burn more calories, get better results, and best of all, it'll make working out something you may not have thought it could be: fun!

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