So you're just not seeing the results from your workouts that you used to?

Since you've come back to campus, you've been at the fitness center five days a week without fail.

You're religiously following the workout you got out of a muscle magazine this past summer.

What could possibly be going wrong?

The increases in strength and endurance that once came so easily now seem like a thing of the past.

You may be the victim of a workout plateau.

Plateaus in your training can occur when your workouts have gotten stale and improvements are hard to come by.

Strength and endurance training is a stimulus that you place on your body.

The body then reacts to that stimulus by getting in better shape.

But what happens when the body becomes accustomed to the same stimulus?

The body does not react as much and improvements in fitness slow down.

When this happens, the best thing to do is change the stimulus so that the body is forced to adapt again. Here are some tips to change up your workout and break your training plateau.

Changes in your strength-training workout can be big or small.

It is not always necessary to create an entirely new workout.

You can add some new flavor to make your routine more interesting and worthwhile.

One of the easiest changes is to simply alter the order in which you do your exercises.

For example, if you typically do bench press first in your workout, move it to the end of your workout for a few weeks.

Another easy change is to switch up your choice of exercise modality.

Again using bench press as our example, if barbell is usually your modality of choice, try using dumbbells or a machine bench press.

You say cardiovascular exercise is more up your alley? Well, a modality change is a great way to break through a plateau here as well.

If a typical cardio session involves 30 to 40 minutes on an elliptical trainer, try the Stairmaster, treadmill, stationary bike, or get outside and enjoy the last few days of warm weather with a run around campus.

Back to strength training.

There are often several good choices of exercises to train a certain muscle group.

Bench press does a great job at training the chest muscles, but so do pushups, dips, and flies.

Try chin-ups for your back instead of a row or a pull-down, and lunges or squats for your legs instead of the leg press.

Speak with one of the trainers at the fitness center for some more great suggestions.

Many people split up their workouts and train certain muscles groups on different days.

By changing your combination of muscle groups on a particular day or even trying a total body workout, you can provide a great new stimulus to the body.

Finally, changing the number of days you spend in the weight room can help get you over the hump.

Variation throughout the week won't wear you out as much as consistent workout patterns will.

If you're only lifting one of two days a week right now, try to find a way to get one or even two more lifts in each week.

The added workouts can jump-start your progress.

On the other hand, if you spend more time in the weight room than the trainers do, maybe your body needs a break.

Sometimes a little rest does more good for the body than another workout.

A few other good suggestions include getting a workout partner or attending a fitness class.

Workout partners are great for motivation when you may not feel like going to the fitness center that day.

They are also good for workout ideas and can make working out more fun.

Fitness classes are a good change of pace and provide dedicated time and space for a great workout.

The energetic class instructors and group atmosphere can help you reach those fitness goals.

It may also help to take a look at your nutritional habits.

Good eating habits can go a long way in helping you reach your fitness goals whereas poor nutrition can be a major roadblock to workout success.

Workout plateaus can pop up out of nowhere, but with a little ingenuity, you can get past them every time.