How to get the most out of your workouts?
Nowadays a lot of people are going to the gym religiously, for hours on ends and still not getting the results they want. This is because they aren't doing the basics, you don't run before you can walk. If you are the same, then there are a few tips and tricks for how to vastly change your workouts to get the very best out of your body to ensure maximum results!
Rest after workouts
The number of times I’ve been waiting for a machine and the person before me is taking forever, I’m sure you have witnessed your fair share of this.
Timing the amount of rest you have before each set is key to a good workout, depending on what type of training you are going for depends on how much rest you should have. Remember, don’t be one of those guys who go to the gym in huge groups and all sit on one machine for 30 minutes!
Maintaining a steady rest period will make sure your heart rate Is at consistent peaks and dips, making sure your body burns enough fat at the right time.
If you keep good track of your rests it also means you will probably spend less time in the gym, a high-intensity workout will provide you with everything you need in around 45 minutes, no longer do you need to spend 2 hours moseying about the gym on your phone. You can be in and out in under an hour, no phones, low rest, maximum effort.
Cardio
It is a very common mistake that to lose fat you need to get on a treadmill and run for an hour, but you don’t. Your optimal fat burn rate is around 70% of your maximum heart rate.
A better way to burn fat is to either use the stair master at a slow and steady pace or an incline fast pace walk on the treadmill, an hour of this after your workouts will make a huge difference.
Also using high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a good way for burning fat, no cardio, just short intense periods followed by a timed rest. With HIIT training you are generally working 20 seconds on/ 40 seconds off, working at 100% effort for each of the 20 seconds.
These workouts generally burn a lot of calories, which in turn burns fat and helps with reduced heart rate and blood pressure.
Form
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s seen someone throwing weights around and grunting like there’s no tomorrow, doing this is not only going to provide you with little results, but it’s very dangerous for your body.
The way to remember it is, form > weight. If you can’t get the perfect form, just decrease the weight! Getting perfect form with a lower weight is a lot more beneficial than a poor form with a higher weight.
Ensuring slow and controlled movement with a squeeze at the peak of each rep will maximize microtears in your muscles, which in turn will equate to more results.
Sleep/Recovery after workouts
This simplest way to look at sleep/recovery is that your muscles only grow whilst you’re asleep, so making sure you are getting enough hours a night is essential for building muscle.
During non-REM (also known as deep sleep or slow-wave) your brain is conducting little activity, so there is a lot more blood that is available to your muscles, providing your body with extra oxygen and nutrients that are essential for your muscles to repair and grow overnight.
Nutrition
This one is obvious, but it’s still something a lot of people easily miss. You can gym as much as you want, have great form, rest, and recovery but if you don’t maintain a well-balanced diet that is tailored to your specific goal, you aren’t going to see results. Getting to your dream body is 70% diet, 30% work.
Another miss conception is that fatty foods = body fat, and in some cases, this is true, but it depends on what type of fat. There are 2 types; saturated, and unsaturated fats. Unsaturated are the healthy ones that you want, foods like avocado, nuts, and olives are all full of them!
Most of the time carbs are what leads to body fat, like fats, carbs are split up into 2 categories; complex carbs and simple carbs. Complex carbs are whole-grain foods and are usually very nutritious, foods like brown bread, fruit, vegetables, whilst simple carbs are raw sugar, brown sugar, glucose common foods they are found in are soda, baked treats, cookies, etc.
The difference between complex and simple are how quickly they get digested and absorbed, Complex carbs tend to provide you with longer-lasting energy than simple carbs, but they take longer to digest. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that all simple carbs are unhealthy, they are found in common foods like fruits and milk.
When it comes to your diet, if it isn't balanced, it isn't worth it. Ensuring that you have a balanced amount macros and micros is extremely important, so eating salads every day may seem healthy but it isn't very beneficial!
Portioning your meals is a great option, having 4 - 5 smaller meals every few hours will keep your muscles nutritionally fueled, and cravings at bay, it also stops over portioning which is very common when eating just 3 main meals a day.
Conclusion
In this article, we have detailed 5 important factors to consider when you are trying to get in shape. Rest, cardio, form, Sleep, and Nutrition must all be carefully managed to ensure you get everything you can from your workouts whether this is at home, at the gym, on the field, or wherever, muscle growth is the same in everyone. If you do your body a favor and provide it with all these tips, it will be sure to return the favor in results!