Have you reached a fitness plateau where you are dissatisfied with your workout and fitness routine? If the desire to remain fit has waned, you need a few tips to get yourself mentally boosted and back on track. If you can't get motivated and inspired, this will lead to giving up on your exercise plan, so be sure to read the following tips and find your way back into a fitness groove.


If you want to build muscle mass, you must do resistance training. It's as simple as that. Cardio exercise will not build muscle bulk, though it is healthy. If you wish to build visible muscles, you will need to do resistance exercises, preferably with free weights, not exercise machines.


It is best not to work out when your are ill, unless you only have a slight cold. Reserving your body's energy when you are ill, will help the healing process, and get you back to full strength quicker.


The best fitness tip for endurance is to start your runs out at a slow pace, progress to your normal pace, and then go all out at the end of your run. Because of this gradual build-up, you will eventually find that you push your maximum distance further with each training session.


Set goals. Having something you're working toward makes the exercise worthwhile. Whether you want to fit into a dress, run a marathon or look great at a reunion, setting goals helps you to see a light at the end of the exercise tunnel and helps you to focus on that goal.


Swimming is a great way to stay in shape. Swimming burns calories, builds lean muscle and cardiovascular stamina but isn't hard on your joints like impact sports (such as running or cycling). If you don't have your own pool, some gyms offer indoor and outdoor pools or you can join a community pool.


Eggs are a great way to start your morning and they provide you with the essential protein that is necessary to extend your workout. Also, eggs are a great type of food to consume if you want to feel full during the course of the day, which can prevent you from resorting to junk food.


Proper exercise will require that you build up your stamina if you're overweight and relatively inactive. You can start to increase your stamina by working on your breathing techniques. When working out, you literally get "winded." Learn to take in more oxygen during your workout and you can increase your duration.


If you are beginning an exercise routine, do not push yourself too hard. If you feel pain, take a break or sit out the remainder of the exercise. When beginning, your body needs to slowly get used to the exercises. You can seriously hurt yourself if you try to push yourself too hard. Just remember that your tolerence will increase with time.


When trying to increase the muscles in your legs, a good way to do this is to try some lunges. Put barbells in each hand of any weight, and take a knee then extend your other leg out and take a knee with the other leg. This builds leg muscles.


A great way to stay fit is to ride the bicycle. The one at the gym works too, and while riding it, you should stay between 80 and 110 revolutions per minute. You will actually ride for a longer distance and you will go faster without becoming tired.


Try doing your ab workouts at the beginning of your workout. This is because most of the workouts that you will be doing will involve some of the ab regions. If you workout this region in the beginning, ten throughout your workout you will be stressing them even more.


If you want your fitness program to succeed, surround yourself with other people who also make working out a priority. You will be motivated by their successes, and you can learn from their failures. Enthusiasm is often contagious; if your friends and family members are excited about the results they are seeing, you will feel the same way.


Tape your fingers up! If you play sports where you are prone to finger injuries, tape two of your fingers together to prevent them from happening. A single finger is much easier to bend at awkward angles. When you add a second into the mix, it is more difficult to move them into the injury zone.


When working out, a great tip that will prevent you from injuring your back is to squeeze your butt muscles when lifting weights over your head. The reason for this is that this puts your body in a position where your spine will be stabilized, which minimizes the chance of injuring your back.


Make sure to log your progress. You should be counting how many sets you are doing and how many repetitions you are performing for each set. This ensures that you show how much you have progressed. You should be going up in repetitions and sets while you look at the log.


You should avoid sit-ups and crunches in positions which anchor your feet. There is a vast array of variations on these basic ab exercises, and not all of them are created equal. When you anchor your feet to exercise your abs you are placing undue stress on your lower back. This reduces the effectiveness of the exercise and puts you at risk of injury.


Fitness is a vital and essential element in having a healthy lifestyle. Being continuously active and varying your workouts will allow you to push past any plateaus you find yourself coming across. Additionally, having variety in your program will keep you from getting bored and off track, which takes away from your overall goals and objectives.


While everyone has experienced a time where keeping fit is put on the back burner. By following the simple tips of this article, you should be back on the road to working out and feeling great again. Before you know it, you will be back in charge of your fitness program and looking forward to your next workout.