By Kamal Walker
Are you tired of boring workouts that yield no positive results?
Are you struggling to get the most out of every session? Here are four easy tips to ensure that your training sessions are always productive:
Value Your Time: Plan
Time is one of our most precious commodities. You cannot afford to go into a gym lackadaisical, taking your time between sets and dragging your feet from one station to the next.
Resting between sets is important for recovery, but too much time can be counterproductive.
Have a detailed plan before you decide to workout in order to be more efficient with your time.
In addition, try high intensity workouts that push your body to the limit in just a few minutes. You can complete a total body workout in about 10-15 minutes if you plan accordingly.
Switch It Up
Working out can be quite boring and mundane with the same routine. Try mixing things up with different exercises that work the same body part. For example, if you usually do a bench press or incline for chest days, work in some pec flies, decline and push-ups. On leg days try replacing your normal squats with deadlift, cleans or weighted lunges.
Add Some Spice
Introduce a little flavor in your workouts by adding supersets, burnouts and negatives. Supersets combine two or more exercises consecutively without rest, like in the form of a cycle. Make sure to rest properly after each set.
Burnouts are when you complete as many reps as possible during a set. Save these types of sets for the end of your workouts because it will leave your body completely exhausted.
Negatives focus on slowly stabilizing resistance or weights in the down motion (or negative) in a lift. You can stabilize more weight than you can lift, so be sure to use a spotter when completing these sets. Always do your research or consult an experienced professional before attempting any negative weight training.
Focus with Distractions
Being focused and distracted at the same time may sound contradictory, but it actually works wonders while in the gym. Some individuals listen to music or read or even watch television while working out. Part of their attention is on one task while their body is working on another. Listening to your favorite jam can motivate you to push through a challenging set. Watching a funny video may distract you while logging that extra mile on the bike. Reading that suspense novel could help you ignore the pain in your body as you complete your last walk on the treadmill.
Whether you are going to the gym or staying home, working out can be a drag if you don’t plan accordingly. Preparation is vital to having a productive workout. Use your time wisely so that you get the most out of every second that you commit to training. Keep your routines fresh with new exercises that challenge your body in multiple ways. When necessary, keep your mind off of the pain and fatigue with simple distractions. Take control of your workouts by making them more efficient.
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Originally published on CoachUp Nation
Photo—speedoglyn/Flickr
The post 4 Ways to Guarantee an Efficient Workout appeared first on The Good Men Project.
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