Have you ever been frustrated with the results you’re seeing, or not seeing from your workouts?
It’s kinda like when you were in school and you would spend hours and hours studying for a test. You felt like you paid attention in class. You were sure that you knew the material and were doing things the “right way”.
Do you feel like you’re doing all the right things, but still not seeing the results you’re looking for?
Then test day came. You were nervous, but you felt like you really put the time in to get the “A” you needed. You took the test and felt like you gave it your all, and then you got your results. Really? A “C”?!
This is how some of us feel when we go to the gym. You may be feeling this way too. You feel like you’re giving everything you’ve got. You feel like you’re doing the right things, but when it’s time to check your results you’re left feeling confused and disappointed.
Trust me, you’re not alone.
The good news is, there are things you can start doing today to change this!
Begin implementing these 5 tips today. Ignoring them and continuing to do things in the gym the way you have been will leave you feeling frustrated and confused. Implementing these 5 tips will push you towards lasting results which will make your workouts more satisfying.
5 Tips to Ensure You’re Getting The Most From Your Workout
1. Are you feeling the burn? To ensure that you are really working the muscle and burning the muscle sugar available, you should be feeling a burn in the muscle by the end of each set. Even if you don’t feel much of a burn after the first set, you should definitely be feeling it during subsequent sets.
TIP: If you aren’t feeling a burn, slow down your pace and take 3 seconds during the contraction of the exercise and another 3 seconds for the deceleration of the exercise.
2. Can you do 2 more? This is a simple way of gauging whether you are doing enough repetitions. If you aren’t doing enough repetitions, you aren’t putting enough stress on the muscle to burn the stored energy.
Tip: When you complete a set, ask yourself if you can do two more good repetitions. If so, perform those two. If you could do another two repetitions after that, do two more. You want to be at a point where you cannot complete two proper reps.
3. Do you feel it the next day? If you aren’t able to move the next day, and only able to workout once or twice a week because you’re so sore, you’re doing too much. However, if you aren’t sore at all, ever, then you aren’t really working the muscle enough to make changes and build lean muscles.
Tip: Pay attention to your post workout soreness. Ask yourself:
Are you too sore?
– Are you feeling it in the muscles you worked and not others?
– Are you feeling sore in the muscle or the joint?
– How long are you sore?
4. Are you burning more calories? It’s important to watch the number of calories you’re burning in a workout. Are you only able to burn an extra 100 calories each 30 minutes you workout, or is that where you started but slowly that has increased and now you average 250 calories every 30 minutes? Paying attention to your calorie burn will allow you to gauge and acknowledge progress and your body becoming more efficient.
Tip: Test your calorie output on a regular basis by performing 30 minutes of steady state cardio on a bike or treadmill to see if you are burning more calories as you workout in a stable, and constant environment.
***For help doing this or more information, you can contact us
5. How much energy do you have after you workout? Are you paying attention to how much energy you have or don’t have post-workout? If you complete a workout and feel the same energy levels as when you arrived, you probably didn’t work hard enough. If you are drained and have no energy left, you probably worked too hard and will overtrain your body which can lead to injury.
Tip: Refuel your body with a fiber filled meal post-workout to help restore your energy levels post-workout.
You can start getting more out of your workouts today by using these tips regularly. At M3, we help our clients reconnect with their muscles so they can reach their fullest potential. Are you ready to find yours? Contact us today to learn more about how we can guide you on your journey to success so you can obtain your best results!