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Workout burnout can happen to anyone (and will likely happen to you at some point during your fitness journey). This post will hopefully help you prevent workout burnout and find ways to overcome burnout if it happens to you.
Recognizing workout burnout is pretty easy. You have finally established a rhythm, you are doing well and then you suddenly just dread going to the gym or putting on those running shoes again. It could be from a loss of motivation or it could just mean you are tired of the monotony of your current workout and are burnt out. You could just find yourself skipping specific days that aren’t your favorite (i.e. leg day). Your results have possibly even plateaued secondary to the monotony. These are all signs of burnout, especially if you are having all of them at once.
OK, so how do I mix it up?
Easier said than done unfortunately. Everyone mixes things up in their own way. Some people, such as myself, mix it up regularly in multiple ways to fix and/or avoid burnout. It could be something as simple as putting some new/different music on whatever device you use to workout. This can sometimes give you the boost you need to break up the monotony. Sometimes you can simply have a friend come with you to the gym or on your run for some company. If these simple fixes don’t work, you will likely have to dig a bit deeper.
Changing up your workout
I see A LOT of people suffer from fear of changing up their workouts. I see the same guys and girls doing the same thing on the same days ALL THE TIME at the gym. People get stuck in a rut usually because they had previously found success doing exactly what they are doing and are afraid to switch it up even when that success stalls out on them. I try to tell people who are just starting out to “PLAN to change it up” so they don’t get stuck in this mentality.
Our bodies are amazing and very adaptable. If we do the same thing everyday, our bodies will adapt and change no more than it needs to in order to accomplish the task. Our bodies will eventually need a new (or more intense) stimulus in order to see progress. This is why I PLAN to change my workout up regularly so it’s not such a shock to me, but will be a shock to my body.
How do I do it?
The way I have my readers/friends/family PLAN to change things up sounds simple, but it takes regular work. Plan to swap out ONE exercise per body part about every month or two. Watch other people in the gym, do your research (to make sure said exercise is safe or that you are doing it correctly) and adopt a new move every now and then. I wait until I am no longer feeling somewhat sore within a few days after a workout, or until my workouts start to feel stale. I am also seasoned enough that I am able to recognize the start of a plateau or the beginning of burnout early.
By changing one exercise per body part every month or two you are also hitting the muscle slightly differently and giving said muscle another “shock to the system” to stimulate growth again. It also gives you some new motivation because studies show when people change up their workouts or even research certain fitness topics it can reignite their passion/motivation for fitness.
You can also change things up by simply adding workout intensity modifiers to various body parts throughout the week. I plan to have a dedicated post on this exact subject in the near future, so keep an eye out.
In summation, if you feel your workouts are getting stale or you no longer have the motivation to get off your couch and workout, change SOMETHING up! Your music, your workouts, grab a friend, just change something! Don’t let yourself get to the point where you start skipping days because your workouts are monotonous and boring, because that is how people fall off the wagon entirely and fall back into old habits. For those of you just starting out, learn to recognize this burnout and I recommend planning to vary things from time to time in order to prevent burnout/boredom.