Tired of your old training routine? Want to get better results in less time? Then you might need to tweak your workout. Simple changes, such as swapping cardio for HIIT and adding new exercises to the mix, can go a long way toward your progress.
Exercise and nutrition are equally important. To get better results, it’s not enough to give your workout a makeover. You also need to revamp your diet and eating habits. Follow these steps to maximize your gains and make the most out of your gym time:
Increase Workout Intensity
Workout intensity can make or break your progress. Whether you’re lifting weights or breaking a sweat on the treadmill, high intensity is the key. Move fast and keep your rest periods short. Train your muscles to failure.
HIIT, for instance, is one of the best high-intensity workouts out there. It torches massive calories, revs up your metabolism, and improves exercise performance. Unlike steady state cardio, it doesn’t cause fatigue or muscle breakdown.
Research shows that high-intensity interval training burns up to 30 percent more calories than other workout methods. Plus, it increases your metabolic rate and VO2 max (maximal oxygen uptake), so you’ll burn calories during AND after exercise.
For optimum results, do HIIT after lifting weights or on your off training days. This way, your body will burn stored fat, not glycogen, for fuel. If you’re new to exercise, you might even pack on mass simply by incorporating HIIT into your workouts.
Try Advanced Lifting Techniques
No matter how hard you work out, you’ll hit a plateau sooner or later. Your body gradually adapts to exercise and becomes more efficient at using energy. As a result, you’ll find it harder to build muscle and lose fat.
To prevent plateaus and maximize your workout, experiment with more advanced lifting techniques. Pyramid sets, drop sets, super sets, forced reps, negatives, and partials are all an excellent choice.
Super sets, for example, involve performing one exercise set after another, with no rest in-between. Drop sets involve doing a set to failure with heavier weights and then immediately performing another set with a lighter load. These strategies will keep your body guessing and shock your muscles into growth.
Switch to Free Weights
While there’s nothing wrong with gym machines, free weights yield better results in less time. The pec deck, the Hack squat machine, the calf raise machine, and other pieces of gym equipment make your workout a lot easier compared to free-weight exercises. On top of that, they fail to engage smaller, stabilizing muscles and require less core work.
Don’t get us wrong – gym machines have their role and can reduce injury risk. However, they’re far less effective than free-weight training. Lifting dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells will force your muscles to work harder, leading to increased strength and enhanced overall performance.
Eat for Your Goals
Nutrition accounts for over 80 percent of your results. What you eat has a direct impact on your performance. As a rule of thumb, maintain a high protein intake at all times. This nutrient stimulates hypertrophy and kick starts your metabolism. Plus, it promotes fat loss and increases satiety.
Eat your daily carbs before and after training when your body can use them for energy and muscle repair. Take your fats from whole foods, such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, nuts, seeds, avocado, and unrefined vegetable oils. Sip on protein shakes throughout the day and use quality sports supplements to maximize your workout.
So, what are you waiting for? Take the steps needed to improve your workout and build the body you’re after. Remember, it’s all in the
small details.
