How to Get the Most Out of Your Workout

If you’re going to put in time and effort to workout, you might as well make sure you’re getting the most out of it. These quick tips will help you reach your goals faster and make you feel stronger, healthier, and finally see those results you’ve been working for.

Good Form

You may hear this a ton of times, but if you get into a bad habit of cutting corners and creating a bad form while doing your workouts, you will find yourself taking extra time to reach your goals. Using the correct form while working out cuts your workout time and reps in half, helping you achieve the results you want faster. Ain’t nothing wrong with that!

Protein

Your diet is extremely important when it comes to maximizing results. You need protein to build your muscles whether doing cardio or strength workouts. Luckily, there are numerous ways to get the protein you need, whether it be from lean meats or by throwing a scoop of protein powder into your smoothie.

High Intensity Workouts

High intensity workouts burn more calories faster. Research shows that you can burn more calories in just 15 minutes of interval training than a person jogging on the treadmill for an hour. Who wouldn’t be on board with that?

Change It Up

If you’ve stuck to a routine for a few weeks or months, try changing up your workout. If you tend to go to the gym all the time and just use the machines, try out a new activity such as kickboxing, dancing, or biking. A change in your routine can wake up new muscles that you aren’t used to using, but more importantly, it’ll keep you from getting bored.

Hydrate

Be sure to hydrate throughout the day whether it be water or a sports drink. It takes time for your body to absorb water, so you can’t just drink right before you exercise. Make it a habit to hydrate throughout the day to make sure you don’t dehydrate when doing an intense workout.

Carbs

While a low-carb or even a no carb-diet may be all the craze for losing weight, when training, you should eat slow-digesting carbs before workouts. When athletes eat slow-digesting carbs such as whole grains for breakfast and lunch, they have lower insulin levels and burn more fat during the day. Some great slow-digesting carbs include oatmeal, fruit, and sweet potatoes.

Rest

There is such a thing as overtraining. Rest days are extremely important, no matter what level you’re at, in order to allow the body time to recuperate. Even Olympians training for a Gold Medal have rest days implemented in their weekly workout routines. If you can’t go a day without physical activity, try yoga on your rest day as it stretches out tight and sore muscles and rejuvenates your energy.

Stretch

If you take just 5 to 10 minutes after your workout to stretch, your results will greatly improve. Flexibility is one of the key ingredients to fitness. It reduces soreness, straightens your posture, betters your blood flow, and prevents injuries. Need we say more?

Get a Workout Buddy

Whether it means joining a class or making a schedule with your friend, workouts tend to be more effective when you have friends around to support you. By scheduling workouts with friends, you have to commit and are obligated to show up. No one likes a flake. This will force you to get up and get moving.