3 important exercise phases that will impact your training

If you are working out, but not seeing results, you might have hit a plateau.

If that's the case, Cassie Gallagher, co-owner of Avenu Fitness in West University and River Oaks, says consider changing your workouts to the phases of exercise.

There are three phases of exercise: power, strength and endurance.

Gallagher recommends sticking with each phase for four to six weeks.

Power is explosive movements in the four to six reps range.

Strength is heavyweight and about eight to 10 repetitions.

Endurance is lighter weight with 15 to 20 reps range and shorter breaks. When Gallagher says shorter breaks, she recommends 15 to 20 seconds and for beginners, go when you feel ready.

Here are examples of similar movements that will work your back in power, strength and endurance:

• Power: Take a medicine ball, lift over the head, and throw it down at the ground in front of you.

• Strength: Go for a heavyweight, lean over into a lunge position, resting one arm on the front leg. With the other arm, lift the arm back into a row.

• Endurance: Do the same movement with a lighter weight and higher repetitions.
  

Here is an example of an exercise that works the lower body, biceps and shoulders in each phase:

• Power: Squat down, pick up, and toss a medicine ball up in the air and then hop out of way.

• Strength: With heavyweights in each hand, squat, do a bicep curl, and as you stand, lift arms into a shoulder press.

• Endurance: Do the same movement with lighter weight and much faster.