If you want to get stronger, fitter, leaner and develop some nice muscles on the way, learn these 12 ways that can help you triple your workout effectiveness.
Applying these techniques will help you spend less time at gym and get the maximum benefits, making the most out of your workout time.
- Limit your workouts to less than 60 minutes
You might think that spending hours in the gym will help you more, but you would be wrong. If you want to get leaner, stronger and healthier, 35-45 minutes of high intensity workout is perfect. Your workout routine will bring you more benefits at a higher intensity and for a shorter amount of time.
- Understand Your Limits
Getting to know your personal limits will greatly help you when working out because then you can push your thresholds to the limit. All too often, people either give up too soon which means that you have not reached your goals or not soon enough and you injure yourself in the process. So, you will need to know your limits first before pushing yourself outside the comfort zone. This is where having a personal trainer can come in handy. However, listening to your body is a very good indicator of when you are going too far.
- Learn technique
If you want to get the most out of your weightlifting routine, you need to learn some proper lifting techniques. They vary by exercise, but some common elements are keeping your back straight, engaging your abs, and keeping your head straight, chest out and shoulders back.
- Spend your time wisely
Instead of working on just one group of muscles, you can maximize your time by training multiple muscle groups at once and get a full-body workout. Some exercises that can help you with this are deadlifts, squats, pushups, lounges, pullups and military presses, just to name a few.
- Add More Variety to Your Workout Routine
Don’t stick to the same routine for too long, because that way your body gets used to it and you won’t be doing a very effective workout. One of best ways to stay interested in your exercise routine is to mix things up so that you don’t get bored and your muscles do not become stale.
For weight lifters, you’ll want to change up your routines and add in new ones to augment your exercise program. For those who enjoy cardio, mix in brisk walks, cross training and even yoga to keep the muscles guessing and growing while your mind stays interested.
- Train in circuits
Don’t make the mistake of doing the same exercise in multiple sets without rests. I know this way you have more time to train, but you need to allow your muscles to recover. Instead of resting or doing reps for the same exercise, go from one exercise to another – from exercising one muscle group to exercising a different one. Your workouts will be more effective this way, it will save you time, and you’ll have a good cardio and strength training workout.
- Maximize your moves
Learn to lift and lower slowly. This way, your muscles will be contracted longer and this will be more effective for them.
- Drink plenty of water
You need to make a habit of staying hydrated throughout the day. Your body takes about two hours to absorb the water to never drink only when you are already thirsty.
- Eat More Carbohydrates
You need to eat the right amount of carbs and from the best sources. Your body needs carbs for energy otherwise it will start to quickly break down when working out. Make sure you eat enough carbs to power you through the day, but lay off consuming too many.
- Choose your priority and stick to it
Train for what’s important NOW. It’s good to have multiple goals, but chose the one you want most, whether it’s losing weight, getting stronger or building muscles.
- Be consistent and patient
Results take time, dedication and hard work. You should keep that in mind when you want to see quick results.
- Get More Sleep
Nothing is more underrated than the value of sleep. The duration and the quality of your sleep have a remarkable impact on recovery for you as an athlete, because getting more sleep improves the quality of your workouts and the amount of training stress you can induce and adapt to. As a favor to yourself today, go to bed an hour earlier.
Using these 12 steps you can enjoy those extra benefits you will get out of your workout routine, without too much additional effort. Try some of these steps and see which work best for you.