How to Get The Most Out of Your Workout

If you’re tired of hitting the gym and only experiencing poor results, it’s time to look again at your workout regime. There are ways to get more out of your exercise but getting the strategies right is key to your success. With this in mind, here are some expert tips to help improve your fitness routines.

Lift Weights Too

Don’t just do cardio workouts, you need to lift weights too. If you only do cardio exercises, your metabolism will drop and this makes it harder to shift the pounds. Meanwhile, resistance training builds your muscle and boosts your metabolism.

Relax To Music

We all know that listening to favorite songs while you’re working out can give you a boost, however you’re probably unaware that one study has revealed that if you listen to slow music after your workout you’ll enjoy a speedier recovery. This is because music makes your body release dopamine and serotonin, both hormones which are known to boost recovery.

Choose A Dynamic Warm Up

Forget the classic bend and hold stretch and opt for squats and light leg extensions instead. Choose dynamic moves that mimic the exercise you’re about to do to increase your body’s blood flow and increase your range of movement.

Eat Carbs Before Working Out

If you eat carbs before you workout, this ensures you have sufficient fuel in your body to maximize your effort. This gives you better value from your muscle growth and caloric expenditure.

Do Interval Training

High intensity interval training offers more fat loss and cardio benefits than any other type of workout. Try a 20-minute interval workout which includes pushups, squats, lunges and burpees and you should see the difference. Do as many reps as you can then rest for ten seconds before repeating for 4 minutes in total. Rest for a minute then repeat for 4 more rounds.

Stay Hydrated

If you lose just 2% of your bodyweight in sweat your workout will feel harder and your performance will be reduced. Not only that, but you’ll struggle to recover afterwards. You can avoid this by drinking more water both before and during your exercise as well as afterwards.

Try Free Weights

Weight machines are very useful when you’re new to the gym so you can learn how to use the correct form, however when you’re more experienced move onto using free weights. Kettlebells, barbells and dumbbells help to give you a greater hormonal response when compared with similar exercises on an exercise machine. Free weights use more muscles and this gives you the boost you need.

Follow these top tips and add these ideas into your workout regime and you should soon start noticing the difference. Before you know it, you’ll be hitting your targets in the gym and reaching your fitness goals.