The Best Ways to Improve Your Workouts at the Gym
Every fitness enthusiast knows very well how important it is to have efficient and effective workouts. Yes, coming to the gym is half of the battle and the other half includes hard work, persistency, and a good training regimen. But, when you settle into an exercise routine, you often get carried away and stop making progress. You get used to doing the same stuff over and over again. Workouts become mundane and that’s bad. That’s why you’ll want to take a look at the best ways to improve your workouts at the gym! Let’s jump right in.
Devise a plan
One of the absolute worst things you could do in the gym is spent time irrationally. Eliminate the chance of wandering around aimlessly while trying to decide what to do next and you’ll enhance your workouts. When you come without a plan, you need to devote some time on the spot, which makes your workout less efficient.
Therefore, having a plan of action before you even arrive helps you maintain the desired level of efficiency. You don’t want to let your heart rate drop because you don’t know whether it’s better to go for some squats next or stick to the treadmill. You need to know what exercises you’re going to do, are you going to need the machine or floor space, and in what order you’re going to do them.
Quality gear
Fitness pros will stop at nothing to find new ways to improve their workouts and hence improve their progress. That’s why you don’t see a pro-working out in those old, soccer shorts and varsity t-shirt that is at least eight years old. There’s nothing wrong with working out in such garments, but real pros invest in new and quality gym garments that are specially designed for the occasion.
By investing in proper gym gear, you get to enhance your progress and also minimize the risk of getting injured. For example, people who are into lifting weights need to have a fine pair of bodybuilding shoes. Why? Imagine lifting weights and all of a sudden you feel that your shoe soles are going to burst. The best-case scenario is that you put down the weights and take off the shoes. But the worst-case scenario results in a swollen ankle or messed up knee. So don’t be stingy when it comes to equipment. Either you help yourself become better or you harm yourself. The choice is yours.
Mute your phone
Thanks to the information age, having a phone while working out tends to be a real pain in the neck. You need to resist the urge to check your group texts or Snapchat messages. Many people have their eyes glued to the smartphone screen while they’re at the gym and that way they cripple their progress. Know that your workout is the time when you get to invest in yourself. That’s why you need to turn your phone on airplane mode or even turn it off. If you have an iPod or a similar device, leave your phone in the locker room. You’ll post those workout photos on Instagram later.
Coffee first!
Simply put, wake yourself up with a cup of coffee before your morning workout. The caffeine you take in before a workout helps stimulate your central nervous system. That way you’ll have a little performance boost that will kick start your workout. On top of that, a study claims how a cup of coffee before a workout actually makes exercising feel more enjoyable. In that case, you’re more likely to push even harder. So, remember to drink a cup of coffee half an hour before you start beasting it out at the gym in order to give that caffeine some time to kick in.
Foam roll and then foam roll some more
Foam rolling is an awesome way to enhance your range of motion. With the improved range of motion, you get more out of every single squat, lunge and push-up. By doing foam rolls you relieve tightness by releasing knots in your fascia (a thin sheath of tissue that surrounds your muscles). Due to this tightness, you aren’t able to do exercises with a full range of motion. And that certainly limits the benefits of the workout. Foam roll before a workout and make sure that you go slowly, so as to pay special attention to any spots that feel extra tight (such as hips or calves).
At least considering some of the tips above will surely have beneficial effects on your workouts. Don’t let yourself sink into that lullaby of repeating the same exercises over and over again. Always try to enhance your regimen in some way.
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