Are you wondering about what it takes to be a professional gymer? Read this article to know more about professional gyming. It is a strict discipline that is more than just dropping in your gym every few days and then following a basic routine. There are many elements to it that one must follow to achieve a specific body goal.
How Often Should You Workout?
The frequency of your workout routines varies based on your goals. You should go to the gym four to five times per week for general fitness. Weight loss goals can be achieved by going five to six times per week, while muscle building requires you to go three to four times per week. You can also simultaneously accomplish some of these goals by mixing certain routines for maximum results.
Active Rest
As you may have noticed in the previous section, no gym frequency reaches up to seven times per week. The reason is that it is essential to have active rest days. It is recommended to get a rest day after every three to five days of working out. You can spend those days just relaxing your body or opting for a lighter workout instead of the usual intensive one. A relaxed routine allows you to boost the blood flow to your sore muscles and help them heal and recover. This is the time for your body to focus on recuperating the muscle tissues. It is also when muscle tissues are built.
Do not skip your active rest days because the health repercussions of overworking your body are severe. It can include muscle pain, soreness, degradation, and even physical injuries. Make sure to get at least seven hours of sleep each night to allow your body to recover properly.
Muscle Gain And Strength Building
There are many ways for you to gain muscle and build your strength in the gym. The first step is to consult a pro or a trainer. Outline your fitness goals so that you will have a direction. The common goals include muscle gain and strength building. You can expect your training sessions to become more challenging as you go along. The trick to building muscle and strength is to challenge your body by introducing new thresholds continually. You should do more reps, switch to heavier weights, and amp up the intensity. Just make sure to consult your trainer about these changes. A sudden change can injure you.
Muscle gain must be accompanied with the proper diet. Otherwise, excessive workout routines can just make you lose muscle mass. Load your diet with healthy foods like oatmeal, brown rice, chicken, beef, eggs, and protein-based meals.
Workout Gear
Did you know that the clothes you wear can heavily impact your efficiency at the gym? Loose clothing such as oversized shirts and sweats can pose certain harms when working out. The flexible fabric can get in the way of you lifting dumbbells and then lead to physical injuries. Aside from your general gym outfit, here are some of the most basic workout gear that you should wear on top of it:
- Elbow brace - Elbow braces or compression elbow sleeves have been around for about sixty years. Their primary function is to apply some sort of pressure on your elbows to improve blood circulation. That can reduce any inflammation or swelling that can occur from excessive workouts.
- Elbow sleeve - An elbow sleeve is very similar to an elbow brace. It aims to provide some pressure on your elbow so that your joint will become stronger. You’ll notice that you can comfortably lift heavy weights or do push-ups without any issues for as long as you are wearing elbow sleeves. These sleeves significantly reduce the risk of dislocating your elbow joint. It also reduces inflammation and swelling that comes from your tendons, enduring too much pressure.
- Knee brace - A knee brace is used to protect an injured knee from getting hurt even further. You can also use it to avoid any injury in your knee areas preemptively. You need a knee brace for deadlifts, running, and any other physical activity that puts a lot of pressure on your knees. Physicians and trainers usually recommend knee braces.
- Knee compression sleeve - A knee compression sleeve adds pressure to your knee area. All sorts of athletes use this to boost the blood circulation in the knee area. That is essential for the oxygenation of your muscle tissues. Compression sleeves are also great for keeping your knees warm during your entire workout.
That’s all for the basic rundown of what to expect if you want to go to the gym professionally. It is not as simple as lifting a couple of weights and then hoping for the best. It requires discipline, the proper diet, and the correct workout gear.