This article is for advanced athletic enthusiasts and is not intended for beginners or people just starting a new workout program. 

If your workouts have started getting easier on you, that means you're getting into better shape but this comes with a price: adaptation. 

Your body is smart.  It adapts.  It conserves.

You see, as your cardiovascular endurance improves, so will your ability to endure longer workouts. If your goal is weight loss or loss of body fat, then this comfortable zone is NOT where you want to be. You're going to need to throw your body a curve ball from time to time. You absolutely HAVE to mix it up. You're going to have to keep tripping up your body into thinking that it needs to burn its fat stores and this isn't easy.

We all get into a routine during our workouts.  There are similarities with being too comfortable in your workout and getting into a adaptable routine.   We all like to hop onto the same equipment and do the same exercises, the same way, until our time is up for that session and then we go home.  Sure, you're going to sweat but if you want to take your workout to the next level, then you need to trick your body into thinking that something different is happening...something UNEXPECTED.  

 Here are some tips to trick your body into losing more weight and losing body fat.

Increase Intensity

 You should be DOG TIRED after your workout session.  Now, I'm not talking just mildly tired, but totally spent.  Give yourself a few minutes to warmup but after that, the gloves need to come off.  Since we don't want to over-exert ourselves, we need to use a heart rate monitor to make sure that we stay perfectly in our target heart rate zone, plus, you won't have to grab the handles on the cardio machines anymore to get your heart rate.  This frees up your hands to play your MP3 player's best songs, turn the pages in a magazine, or mimic a more natural feeling range-of-motion with your arms.  If you're a treadmill runner, a heart rate monitor is a must since grabbing the heart rate handles is nearly impossible while running.

Increase Duration

 Most of us average about 30 minutes on cardio equipment.  This isn't enough.  Kick it up to 60 minutes, then 90, then do a double session on weekends.  Play for keeps.  Of course, don't try and jackup to 90 minutes on your first double day, step it up moderately.

Increase Frequency

Football players do daily doubles to get into awesome shape.  Not all of us have the schedule during the weekdays to do a double session but you should be able to make time on the weekend.  Space your workouts 12 hours apart and put in a double session for those 2 days.  If your rest day falls on a weekend, change your rest day to a weekday. 

Finally, it's important to realize that these tips are guidelines, not blueprints.  Your times will vary, your intensity will vary, and your endurance capabilities will vary.  Never push yourself to a point to where you don't feel well.   It's okay to suspend your ultra-intense sessions if you think you're going at it too hard.