7. Workout Monogamy

Mating for life, as swans, wolves, turtledoves, and Catholics are wont to do, has some biological advantages. Mating to your workout for life, however, has none. Too bad so many women ignore this fact. Whether it’s from a lack of imagination or a misguided belief that “exercise is exercise” or that “there’s only one way to lift a weight,” some women keep doing the same routine year-in and year-out. They may have torn it out of a Shape or Cosmothat was lying in the doctor’s office and since they’ve been healthy and haven’t gone back to the doc’s office and read some new magazines, they’re still doing the same routine a year or two later.

That’s unfortunate because the body adapts to workouts whether they be weight workouts or aerobic workouts. That’s why there are so many fat aerobics instructors. They’ve done the same routine for years and their neurological system is so accustomed to it that it costs them little in calories or effort to complete the workout. You need to cycle your workouts every four to six weeks. Emphasize legs in one cycle, shoulders or arms the next.