These 4 Tiny Workout Tweaks Can Help You Override Your Weight-Gain Genes

1. Fill holes in your routine.

Honest Qs: Are your workouts truly total-body? Hitting large muscle groups? Incorporating cardio and strength training? If you answered no to any of those, add what you’re missing at least twice a week, and see if things change in another two weeks. If they don’t, keep reading.

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2. Pick up the heavy weights.

People who have difficulty building muscle—you’re one of them if you’ve been lanky or overweight despite regular activity most of your life—need to increase their resistance to see growth. Anytime you hit the weight room, opt for a load that’s challenging for six to 12 reps; do three sets, and rest no longer than 90 seconds between sets, says exercise physiologist Michelle Alencar, Ph.D. (Check out these workouts on Women’s Health’s Look Better Naked DVD that can help you burn more fat)

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3. Turn up the intensity.

Everybody responds to high-intensity training. If you ramp up your effort by two notches each time you work out (that’s like going from barelyable-to-talk to breathless—which you should do at least twice a week), you’ll definitely see results in a couple of weeks, says Borden.

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4. Control inflammation.

Your fitness regimen could be working and you wouldn’t know it if you have inflammation throughout your body (it can make you look puffy, just like body fat, and exercise can make it worse). Foam-roll all over, add turmeric to your juice or smoothies, and eat dark-colored fruits and veggies.

This article was originally published in the November 2016 issue of Women’s Health, on newsstands now.