Are you going to the gym faithfully, but not seeing the results you were expecting? Well, here are 7 tips that will help you get the most out of your workouts.
#1) Do an active warm-up and save the static stretching for after.
The goal of the warm-up is to raise the core temp of the muscles, so keep it moving during your warm-up. Plus, stretching after a workout ensures that your muscles are warm and pliable for the best stretching results.
#2) Increase workout intensity.
Workout intensity plays a key role in your workout effectiveness. Try increasing intensities for bursts of 45-60 seconds followed by breaks of 60-90 seconds. Pay attention to your effort score after your workout and look to increase this score by a couple of points each time you do the same workout. Doing the same workout in less time will naturally increase your effort score.
#3) Increase your repetition speed.
The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn not only while working out, but even at rest. Build your muscles by recruiting your fast-twitch muscle fibers. To activate your fast twitch muscle fibers during your weight lifting session, increase the pace of your reps focusing on quick, powerful movements with heavy weight.
In addition, stimulating fast-twitch muscle fibers while exercising, your body will continue to burn calories and fat for up to eight hours after the session. This is in contrast to doing exercises that activate slow-twitch fibers, which only burn calories and fat for about an hour post-workout.
#4) Mix up your efforts.
While training to failure is something you should not do every day or on every set, try mixing up your efforts. With the help of a spotter, challenge yourself to go to failure on your last set of each exercise… and then do 2-3 more reps just to push yourself.
#5) Do your cardio right after weight training.
By doing this you’ll burn the majority of your glycogen stores (a form of glucose) first, leaving your cardio to be all about burning fat.
#6) Workout in a group.
Accountability, camaraderie, and motivation are just a few of the benefits of working out in a group. Use PK Fitness to connect with old friends, find some new friends and build an accountability and support group around your fitness. Listen to their encouragement, let it push you to new levels!
#7) Listen to music.
In 2012, Costas Karageorghis of Brunel University in London, an expert on the psychology of exercise music wrote that one could think of music as “a type of legal performance-enhancing drug.”
As always, let us know your feedback. Have a great workout!