One of the most exciting parts of beginning a fitness journey is seeing the first signs of progress. You may be standing a little taller as your core and back strength improves. Your clothes may fit a little better. Maybe you’ve gained some muscle definition and feel more confident in short sleeves. 

Regardless of your specific goals, seeing proof that your hard work has paid off is a fantastic feeling. So when changes begin to slow – or even backslide – it’s easy to feel discouraged or want to quit. After all, why bother putting in the time if you’re not seeing a difference? This is where the support of an in-home or virtual personal trainer is invaluable. We’ll be the first to tell you that set-backs are unavoidable. It’s not possible to maintain a consistent rate of linear progress at all times, and there are a few reasons why.

“NEWBIE GAINS”

First of all, we need to address newbie gains. If you’re completely new to structured exercise or you’ve taken a significant amount of time off, you’re likely going to see some rapid initial changes once you begin a consistent program. This is because the challenge comes as a shock to your system, and your body responds accordingly to accommodate the stress. However, after this initial phase, changes will begin to slow. Your body will have adapted to the routine, which means it’s time to begin another training phase or else move into maintenance. 

PLATEAU

If you’re an experienced trainee who’s stopped seeing any changes altogether, you may be in a plateau. Similar to the end of newbie gains, plateaus can occur when your body has adapted to your programming. This is a good thing because it means you’ve already made progress. However, plateaus can also happen if “you haven’t been providing enough challenge to your muscles, you aren’t performing the exercises with the correct form, or you aren’t properly recovering from your previous workout sessions. Another reason could be that you are not pushing yourself enough. It’s important to know the difference between not working hard enough and needing to recover instead” (Very Well Fit, 2024). 

A plateau is bound to happen during a lifetime of workouts, likely more than once. The knowledge and expertise of an experienced in-home or virtual personal trainer can help you push forward into new territory in a safe manner.

SETBACKS WILL HAPPEN

Aside from training plateaus, there are all kinds of training setbacks that can seemingly derail your progress. An illness, a long vacation, an injury, a pregnancy, or life’s general mayhem are just a few examples of what might knock you back a few steps. It’s impossible to avoid these things because they should be happening – it means you’re living your life! The worst thing you can do is beat yourself up for chasing an ideal of perfection that’s not real. 

The honest symbol of long-term health and fitness is a commitment to supporting yourself in the best way you can, regardless of where you are. If you continue to trust the process and do your best each day,  accepting the setbacks along the way, that’s real progress. 

RESTING IN YOUR “OFF-SEASON”

The last base we need to cover is the fact that maintaining your ideal or highest level of fitness is impossible to maintain at all times. For example: if you train for a marathon once a year, your programming will aim to get you to your (personal) peak form for race day. Once that form is achieved and the event is over, you’ll need several weeks to fully recover from the stress of training and competing, which means you may lose some fitness. This is particularly specific to athletes, but any serious exerciser can relate. If you enjoy high intensity training, incorporating deload weeks where you allow your body to fully recover is imperative. 

“Understand this: you can push your body hard—often harder than you even realize, whether you’re chasing muscle gains or your first marathon PR. But, when smartly implemented between hard training periods, deload weeks let you recuperate physically and mentally, recharging before another hard period of training. Over the longevity of years of training, you want to alternate between periods where you push your physiology to the limit, followed by brief periods where you let yourself pull back and relax (without completely being inert). And those short weeks of deloading can keep you healthy and prime you for your next push” (Men’s Health, 2026). 

FINAL THOUGHTS

It may be cliché, but the rumours are true: fitness is a marathon, not a sprint. Learning to be kind and patient with yourself is just as important as knowing when it’s time to push. If you’re struggling to understand the difference, our in-home personal trainers in Toronto, Collingwood, London, Hamilton, and Ottawa (and virtual personal trainers everywhere) are here to help. Start talking to the Nielsen Fitness team, here!