Hit Refresh

Stuck in a fitness rut? This troupe of trainers will help you re-energise your routine and push past your workout plateau.

- Sara McLean

Starting a new type of workout is much like any fresh relationship. It’s exciting, you can’t stop talking about it, you invest time and buy gifts (a top-ofthe-line yoga mat, boxing gloves that would make Ronda Rousey nervous). Then the honeymoon period ends. Maybe you’re bored, not feeling challenged or your butt just isn’t getting any higher. Whatever the reason, you soon ditch it for a different workout before you ever reap its full benefits. Standard. But with the help of this team of experts, you can break through your plateau and stay on track.

COMPLACENCY IS THE KILLER

Don’t blame the game, blame the player. “Plateaus happen when you stop challenging yourself; you don’t get the endorphin kick you used to and, most importantly, you don’t get the results you once saw,” explains Connor McManus, head trainer at the gym F45 Training Sydney CBD, Australia. “The moment you stop chasing that point of ‘Oh my God, this hurts’, that’s when it all goes out the window. The same actions lead to the same results.” Melbourne-based Janet Yockers of One Hot Yoga & Pilates in Victoria, Australia, blames Western culture for the fact that we don’t continue to raise the bar for ourselves on the mat. “It’s all very safe, very ‘do what feels good’, but traditional yoga is meant to be challenging. Try getting into the depth of a posture straight away, and believe you have greater potential—it keeps it interesting.”

BE A TEACHER’S PET