5 ways to supercharge your workout!
Ever walked out of the gym thinking “Hell yeah, I just did awesome workout! I feel amazing”? Another time you leave thinking “Ah well, that was pretty rubbish. Promise I’ll do better tomorrow”. Well we’ve all had great workouts and pretty crappy ones. And life’s too short for crappy workouts.
Despite our best intentions, the fact is most of us only have a few hours per week to dedicate to exercise. Even as a Personal Trainer and owner of a fitness studio, I really only have 4-6 hours a week to train. On top of all my other responsibilities like being a new father, my spousal duties, work stresses, running a small business, family, friends, social engagements, errands etc., I still have to motivate myself to train and fit in my own fitness program. I aim to do at least 45min – 1 hour of training 4-5 days per week and I stick to it. But that’s all I get, so I want to make sure that if I’m spending time training, then I’m getting best bang for buck.
I see so many people spend hours at the gym; chatting away to a friend, doing the same exercises everyday, not training effectively and basically just wasting time. If only I had that time to waste! But I don’t. And neither do most people. When I train, I want to get the most out of each workout. And so should you.
Here’s my top 5 tricks to Supercharge your workout:
1) Have a plan:
Don’t turn up to the gym without a plan and think “Ah, what will I do today?”. You’ll end up just drifting from machine to machine not really doing anything meaningful.
Even if you can’t afford a Personal Trainer, one of the best ways you can motivate yourself is to know what kind of workout you are going to do. That way, when you hit the fitness facility, you know exactly what you’re going to do and stick to it.
2) Bring a Friend
There’s only a small percentage of people who train their best when they’re on their own and without anybody else. Training with a friend, a partner, a trainer or in a group class will lift your intensity and focus.
And you’ll never skip a workout if you know there is someone at the gym waiting for you to arrive.
3) Join a Class!
Joining a group class is a fantastic way to guarantee a fantastic workout every time you step into a fitness facility. The class program is already programmed by a professional; You’ll have a qualified trainer watching your technique as well as offering support/motivation; and you’re with like minded people who are all panting and sweating to the same workout that you’re doing.
A great group class will be the one where all the participants are encouraging each other to train harder, better and more effectively. There’s a great feeling know that others are feeling the same fatigue and suffering that you’re going through.
Small group classes have been shown to get better results for people compared to training on your own!
(Personal Training is an even better method, but more expensive than other options)
4) Take a Photo.
There’s nothing more motivating than having a vision on what our ideal body shape is. It’s what we’re all striving for!
If there’s a body or look you’re trying to achieve, like a better butt or flatter stomach, than look out for those in magazines, newspapers or books. Clip them on your fridge and use that as motivation to work out better and eat cleaner foods. That way, you’ll be constantly reminded of why you’re training.
5) Consider Caffeine
If all else fails and you’re still feeling flat, then a good dose of caffeine before your workout may be the trick. Beyond simply stimulating your central nervous system, caffeine can make the exercise seem less hard, reducing your overall feeling of rate of exertion.
There are many forms of caffeine stimulants but the most popular form is coffee and a quick espresso 30-60 minutes before a workout can produce huge benefits.
So use these tips and your workouts will be more effective and you’ll get better results. For more information or if you have any questions please feel free to email me at jerome@balmainhealthclub.com.au
Yours in health
Jerome
