Good Idea Or Bad Idea?

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TheNettis
TheNettis Posts: 22 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I gotta question. Does doing the same exercise everyday cause you not to lose anything? I workout 5 days a week. I do a 50 minute work out on the elliptical and jog for 10 minutes on the treadmill. I try to stay within my calorie intake soooo, anyone know how to answer this?

Greatly appreciate it! :smile:

Replies

  • TheNettis
    TheNettis Posts: 22 Member
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    I gotta question. Does doing the same exercise everyday cause you not to lose anything? I workout 5 days a week. I do a 50 minute work out on the elliptical and jog for 10 minutes on the treadmill. I try to stay within my calorie intake soooo, anyone know how to answer this?

    Greatly appreciate it! :smile:
  • curlhair
    curlhair Posts: 68
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    i do the same thing every day too! i heard that "muscle confusion" helps with toning and fast(er) weight loss, but i'm not sure! can't wait to hear the answers to this... :happy:
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
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    Good questions... I'd like to know the answer to that one too.

    I think as long as you are getting your heart rate up you should still burn calories and lose weight. However, are you goals just to lose weight? I think in terms of toning up and improving your cardiovascular system you need variety to keep your body challenged. If you get too good as something, I think it looses it's effect on your body.

    But like I said... I think this is a good question. I can't wait to see what others have to say.
  • sculley
    sculley Posts: 2,012 Member
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    I always thought that if you do the same thing everyday your body does get used to it and it's almost like your at plateau and have to change it up to break the threshold. But I am sure someone who is more knowledgeable will chime in
  • TheNettis
    TheNettis Posts: 22 Member
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    hhhmm maybe I should change it up a little just in case. Because there is no way Im eating to many calories and I've stayed the same for two weeks.
  • nopogal
    nopogal Posts: 162
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    When my best friend wasn't losing weight anymore, our trainer asked her what she was doing for exercise. She had been doing the same routine for awhile and her body got too used to it. He suggested she start doing some intervals. 20 min bike, 20 min elliptical, 20 min jogging or walking on hills. She started to instantly see results.

    Your body adapts to things. This is why if you want to lose weight, you have to constantly challenge yourself. If you look at the people on the Biggest Loser, they are getting new activities that challenge their "new" bodies. So, give yourself a challenge. Take a class, or find a way to shake things up. It'll keep you from getting bored as well!
  • Jackie_W
    Jackie_W Posts: 1,676 Member
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    I'd alter it to be honest, 1, you risk getting bored of the routine, and 2, your body will become used to it.
    We all need a god shake up once every so often :wink:
  • BrenNew
    BrenNew Posts: 3,420 Member
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    I gotta question. Does doing the same exercise everyday cause you not to lose anything? I workout 5 days a week. I do a 50 minute work out on the elliptical and jog for 10 minutes on the treadmill. I try to stay within my calorie intake soooo, anyone know how to answer this?

    Greatly appreciate it! :smile:

    All I can tell you is that in my case, I have walked and danced to fast oldies pretty much every day for the last 6 months, and I've managed to steadily lose. So unless I STOP losing, I'm going to just stay with my same exercise routine.
  • AngelaBeaulieu
    AngelaBeaulieu Posts: 109 Member
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    My mom was going to the gym with me 4 days a week and wondering why after 2 months she was plateauing . . . I made her change up her routine weekly and she started losing weight again. Muscle confusion is the way to go.
  • TheNettis
    TheNettis Posts: 22 Member
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    thank you so much for your responses. :flowerforyou: Im gonna change up and this will also keep me motivated. :p
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    After a while--weeks, months, depends on the person--your body adapts to your activity and you burn fewer calories at the same intensity because you become more efficient. When you add to that the inevitable muscle loss that accompanies fat loss, you begin to burn fewer calories overall. If your caloric intake doesn't change, your fat loss will slow, but won't stop entirely (assuming everything else is done correctly).
  • tamazinglee
    tamazinglee Posts: 186 Member
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    I have been jogging on the treadmill almost everyday for months. I am still losing weight. I have made it harder for myself....longer period of time, faster speed and what not. But I like the treadmill, I like jogging and I am comfortable doing it so I see no reason for me to change. I've tried the elliptical and don't like it. I've tried riding my bike but don't feel satisfied when I am done. I do videos every now and then but I really like the way joggin makes me feel.

    I guess I want to know....how long is too long? How long is it before your body gets used to it and stops responding?
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    I have been jogging on the treadmill almost everyday for months. I am still losing weight. I have made it harder for myself....longer period of time, faster speed and what not. But I like the treadmill, I like jogging and I am comfortable doing it so I see no reason for me to change. I've tried the elliptical and don't like it. I've tried riding my bike but don't feel satisfied when I am done. I do videos every now and then but I really like the way joggin makes me feel.

    I guess I want to know....how long is too long? How long is it before your body gets used to it and stops responding?

    It's not the treadmill itself that your body adapts to...it's the speed, incline, intensity. If you are changing those aspects, that's all the change you need. Your eyes don't tell your brain, "Oh it's the treadmill again, no big deal." If you incorporate speedwork, intervals, increased time, etc., you're still promoting adaptive changes.
  • peej76
    peej76 Posts: 1,250 Member
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    You could stick with the same workout but do it at a higher intensity.
  • TheNettis
    TheNettis Posts: 22 Member
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    The question is how much higher will it take? I feel like Im gradually increasing the intensity on the elliptical machine, but its not working. But it also has only been two weeks so maybe next week's results could be different?
  • 5mule
    5mule Posts: 32 Member
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    Calories burned is calories burned. Your biggest risk in doing the same thing every day is repetitive injury. Cross train with bicycling, walking, circuit training, aerobics, intense yoga, calisthenics, etc. Plus, you should vary your workout just to stay interested (if you have a problem with staying interested). I like to do things that I don't even recognize as "working out", like yard work, taking the dog for a walk, or whatever. Another suggestion is to put some of that awesome energy into doing some resistance training - weights, resistance bands, etc. You'll have better and more permanent weight loss results, guaranteed. Keep up the consistency and great work!
  • Elizabetnelson
    Elizabetnelson Posts: 71
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    OK, I have always learned that if you do the same thing day after day, your body becomes conditioned to that activity! Your body gets used to it and doesn't see those activities as challenges anymore. So if you live in a second story apartment, at first your body is freaking out cause your climbing 2 flights of stair sometimes multipule times per day! But, after a while, your body says I know this routine, I know I can do it! So what do you do to freak out your body? Move to a 3rd story apt!
    Same thing with a workout routine. Your body will get used to it and tell itself "this is the same routine from last week, I could do this in my sleep!"

    So if you walk on the treadmill and you have been doing the same distance at the same incline for a while, up your incline, and walk longer, or add hand/ankle weights. If you do 100 reps on the bicep curl with 5 pounds, switch it up and do 50 reps with 10 pounds. Scare your body! It will submit!
    Good luck.

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