Only the lucky ones get paid to train. The rest of us are forced to find the time, motivation, and energy to workout consistently so we can remain in good health and not send our significant other heading for the hills when we strip down to our birthday suit.

But it’s not only the consistency that matters; it’s also about finding ways to introduce new stresses and demands to prevent plateauing. In turn, you’’ll keep the size of your gut in check while advancing your fitness goals.

Looking for ways to inject life into your training regimen? Try these …

#1. HIIT IT

Using high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can lead to the burning of more body fat in less time than traditional steady-state cardio work. How? By increasing your resting metabolism. HIIT alternates periods of high intensity with low intensity at regular intervals. For example, using a 2:1 ratio, you’d sprint for two minutes and walk for one minute.

HIIT has also been shown to aid endurance. A recent study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology showed that subjects who used interval training three times per week were shown to have an 11-percent increase in stamina.

Almost any activity can work with HIIT — cycling, jumping rope, running, and using the elliptical. Beginners should start slow, with a .30/1 ratio and progress as their fitness level improves. Work up to 20 minutes.

#2. CIRCUIT TRAIN

Moving from exercise to exercise with minimal rest in between stations enables you to plow through a ton of reps and exercises in a short amount of time. Other benefits of circuit training include improved muscle strength and endurance.

#3. RECRUIT A PARTNER

Research out of Kansas State University found that training with someone who is more advanced than you translated into longer and more intense workouts. The catch? The partner shouldn’t be a cheerleader. Training partners who were overly vocal were found to motivate less. Also, a reliable training partner can keep you honest wit reps and even goad you into showing up for a workout you’d otherwise skip.

#4. SUPP UP

The right supplements can catapult your training into new territory. Pre Game Formula, Energy Formula, and Push Recovery Formula are all engineered to provide energy boosts. Strategically used, all three can hook you up with the type of energy necessary to blast through your game, workout, or workday. Even better, all three products are NSF Certified For Sport, which means they do not contain banned substances.

• Pre Game Formula: With creatine, arginine, and CarnoSyn Beta-Alanine™, Pre Game Formula is a go-to for serious lifters. But it contains the most caffeine of the trio, so pay attention to when you’re taking it or you risk staying up all night repping out push-ups and watching Pumping Iron.
• Energy Formula: KarboLyn™, taurine, and caffeine ensure it’ll deliver the mule’s kick to the bollocks you need to get up and moving. Energy Formula is a great compliment to Pre Game Formula because it doesn’t contain creatine or as much caffein. Try alternating use of the two to prevent your body creating a tolerance.
• Push Recovery: No caffeine and no sugar. Instead, the formula relies on potent ingredients like KarboLyn™, GlutaZorb™, AminoZorb™ and an intense vitamin mix to push you across the finish line while simultaneously jumpstarting the recovery process.

#5. Use Advanced Techniques

Bored with the standard 12, 10, 8, 6 rep scheme? Sub in one of these advanced training techniques instead:

• Drop sets: Perform a set of an exercise, then immediately decrease the weight and do the same lift until failure.
• Supersets: Perform two exercises back-to-back with without resting between sets.
• Trisets: Perform three exercises back-to-back-to-back with without resting between sets.
• Giant sets: Same as a triset, except you’re doing four or more exercises instead of three.