7 Ways To Maximize Your Workout Results
Keeping fit requires not only exercise, but also commitment, consistency, and endurance. Without these qualities, it would be hard for anyone to keep up with the routines needed to maximize an effective workout.
How to maximize your workout results
In the quest to achieve great workout results, there are 7 excellent practices you can utilize to reap the best results from a workout session. These are the following:
1. Eat With Your Workout In Mind
A proper and balanced meal containing sufficient amounts of protein and carbohydrates is vital for those who exercise regularly. Protein-rich foods are eggs, meat, fish among others while carbohydrate sources include vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
However, you can only eat so much food at once. This makes protein shakes a great way to increase your protein intake. A plus for protein shakes is that their preparation and replenishing abilities come quick and easy.
These are best taken before and after workout sessions. Shakes drank before a workout provide your muscles with the amino acids they need, while shakes drank after a workout replenishes resources used up during the exercise.
This allows your muscles to absorb the available nutrients for quick recovery and growth.
2. Create a Workout Plan
Planning cannot be extricated from any human activity, and that includes working out. Walking into the gym or starting a workout session without a concrete plan of what you intend to do defeats the purpose of exercising at all. Without a plan, your body might not develop the way you want it to.
It is best if you wrote down your daily exercises before going to the gym. When creating a plan, do so for the long term by outlining details for a week or even a month.
The best workout plan is one that balances both high-intensity strength exercises and high-intensity cardio.
3. Always Warm Up Before Workouts
Warming up before you start any form of high-intensity exercise is a great way to get the best out of your routine. It prepares the body for the real workout by gently increasing your heart rate and circulation.
Warmups also help loosen up the muscles and get the joints moving in preparation for the exercise. They are closely related to increased mobility and injury prevention during workouts.
4. Focus On High-Intensity Workout Routines
Most people go to the gym with the intention of spending more time there to get better results. However, this is only an assumption. A shorter workout time characterized by high-intensity exercises produces better results.
After the first hour of your workout, it is expected that the intensity will significantly drop. Therefore, your target should be to maximize that first hour of exercise.
5. Work Out at Intervals and Monitor Your Rest Period
After working on a set of exercises, it is important that you take short breaks to catch your breath. However, you need to be disciplined enough to limit such rest periods to a short duration because you can easily get distracted from resuming your workout.
Such rest periods should not be used for engaging in distracting activities such as checking your phone and resting in excess of 5 to 15 minutes per interval. Rest periods not exceeding 60 seconds are ideal.
Getting a wristwatch with stopwatch capabilities to keep track of your workout time and rest intervals would greatly help in achieving maximum results from your workout.
6. Compound Exercising
Compound exercises should be given priority in a workout for maximum results. Compound exercises are those that work for multiple muscle groups all at once. They can either be a singular exercise or a combination of exercises.
Compound exercises are proven to give better results within a short time. Examples of compound exercises include:
- Squats: This is a compound exercise that works the quadriceps, glutes, hips, and calves. A full and deep squat is best for maximum results.
- Dumbbell Exercises: You can combine a dumbbell with other exercises such as one-arm push-ups or a rowing machine to make a compound exercise.
- Push-ups: Push-ups themselves are a compound exercise in that they work the arms, shoulders, and core all at once.
7. Hydrate Properly
Hydrating as necessary cannot be overemphasized when you are working out. Hydrating the right way needs to be given top priority. This includes eliminating fizzy or alcoholic drinks and sticking to water.
Also, when hydrating, you should avoid drinking too much at a time. Instead, consume small amounts of water at intervals. That way, your body will have time to absorb water effectively.
Wrap-Up
High-yielding workout sessions are hinged upon employing the best practices before and during workout sessions. To give a recap, make sure to eat right for a workout session. Have a workout plan and work with routines.
High-intensity exercises within a short span of time are best for maximum results. Also, never be frugal on your water intake during a workout, but do it right.
With the guidance of your fitness coach and these tips, you are sure to get maximum yield from your workouts going forward.
