Ask Stew: My Progress Has Stalled. Do I Need a New Training Plan?

Consistency in a new training program will typically give you the results you want, but pay attention to the other 23 hours of the day when you're not working out. How you are eating, drinking, working, playing and sleeping all play a role in your journey toward achieving fitness goals.

If you are consistent with your training, congratulations. Not many people are, though, and you should consider looking into the other areas of your life that can be cleaned up to help you get the results you want.

Before you go looking for a new program, first be patient with your current process. Here is a question from a gentleman losing patience with his approach.

Hey Stew, I have been doing a new workout program that includes lifting followed by short, fast cardio. My goal is to put on some muscle, but also lose body fat. My workouts feel good, but I am not seeing results like I want in inches gained and weight lost. I think my diet is clean and I should see at least 1-2 lbs. a week of weight loss. Do I need to adjust or do something new? Thanks, Rob

Rob, congratulations on finding a workout you like to do. That's the biggest hurdle for most people and you have accomplished that goal, so do not let that go unnoticed. In my opinion, the best workout you can do for yourself is the one you do each day with consistency.

The second thing you must master is patience. With this type of workout, you can both build muscle and burn fat calories. Instead of checking the inches around your chest and biceps for growth, check the inches around your waist for loss.

In the first few weeks of a program, you may find that you're building muscle at the same time you're losing body fat, resulting in a net loss of zero on the scale. Men typically will see their first results with inches lost around the waist.

Difficult Goal

Losing fat and building muscle is a challenge. While you need to have adequate protein intake with your meals, you also must not eat too much protein while still limiting your fats and carbs to obtain a caloric deficit at the end of each day. You may have to do this in cycles.

Consider not being too focused on losing weight, but instead think about building muscle. Then maintain that new muscle mass with consistent lifting while adding cardio and reducing overall calories. It's important to remember that maintaining muscle will require more protein during a time when you're aiming for an overall caloric deficit.

Is Your Diet Really Clean?

You may eat all the right foods, but portion control still matters. How much are you eating? You need an accurate measure of the calories in your food and drinks if you want to know your diet is working, versus just thinking it's working.

If you do not assess, you can only guess. If you are not seeing the results and have been consistent with your calories burned, chances are, your problem is caused by your intake of calories.

Assess Yourself Consistently

Weigh and measure yourself at the same time on a regular basis, whether it's daily or weekly. I prefer to do this first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything, as this is typically your lightest weight of the day.

Be consistent with your assessments, keeping them at the same time of the day when you do measure. We all have the capability to be five or more pounds heavier or lighter throughout the day, depending on food and water intake and how much we sweat throughout the day.

Patience Is Key

Finally, this is a process. Instead of thinking in terms of weeks, think months, a quarter of a year or even years. Remarkable changes can occur throughout your journey. You can often change the way you feel in a matter of weeks, you can change the way you look in a matter of months, and you can change your life in a year.

Look back at last year. It may seem like a blink of the eye, but see how far you have come since then. Now think about a year from now and that, too, will feel like a blink. It's much easier to see your true progress from that vantage point.

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness eBook store if you're looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to stew@stewsmith.com.

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