Tips and Tricks To Maximize Your Workout Routine

Go big, or go home — that seems to be the mantra of most people when it comes to working out. After all, working out is a pretty hefty investment of time, sweat, and money. So if you’re not going all out, might as well retreat back to the comfort of a weighted blanket. However, some people just like to take it to the extreme. While it’s admirable to up your workout game a notch, sometimes it can be a little unreasonable. You don’t have to use every single gym equipment at the gym for you to get the best results. Or push yourself to the edge of collapse just so you get the most out of your 1-hour exercise session. No, you definitely don’t have to do that. What you need to do is learn the right tricks so that you can get the ultimate bang for your buck. Fortunately for all the gym rats and workout enthusiasts, Scientists have come up with some of the best strategies you can adopt before, during, and after working out. Curious to know what they are? Keep reading.

FIRE UP YOUR FAVE TUNES

Listening to some of your favorite tunes might not actually be an exercise, but it sure does help with it. In fact, a study conducted by the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology found that calm and mellow-tuned music helped 30 individuals recover from post-workout exhaustion. Listening to calmer tunes right after you finish your workout triggers serotonin and dopamine production in the brain allowing your heart rate and blood pressure to go down quickly. This effect is important because it allows your body to calm down and recharge faster, which prevents possible burn out. You definitely don’t want to get burnt out at any point in your fitness journey, so music is definitely a good investment. Take note of this advice the next time you hit the gym for a good workout session.

CARBO LOAD

To a rookie gym-goer, carbo-loading may seem like a big workout no-no. But in reality, it’s one of the most important things you could do to ensure that your body is in good shape for working out. Think of carbohydrates as fuel for your body, you need it before you go for a drive, or else you won’t have the energy to reach your destination. So think twice before going in for a high-intensity workout on a low-carb diet. Expert researchers from Sports Medicine also added that when your body is loaded with carbs, your performance increases by a significant degree, giving way to a much productive exercise session. This is also very important for people who like to work out in the am. Make sure you grab a sandwich or oatmeal before going for that morning run.

WARMUP OVER STRETCHING

If you’re used to stretching before exercising, then maybe it’s time to swap out your usual bend and hold routine with something more dynamic like leg extensions. If you’re wondering why, well as it turns out, people who choose lighter and more dynamic warmups tend to perform better and achieve greater results than those who engage in stretching warmups. Studies also show that individuals who do dynamic warmups have 22.7% more stable lower bodies compared to others. Doing these warmups also help ease you into the actual routine by steadily increasing your heart rate and blood flow. Stretching is still useful and good to a certain degree, just take into consideration that stretching your muscles and tendons right before you go into your exercise regimen might allow your muscles to stretch and strain.

LIFT, BRO!

According to Dr. Jacon Wilson of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning, lifting weights is something most people get wrong. He stated that cardio training with the absence of lifting is counterproductive to those whose goal is to lose weight. While cardio training is helpful in getting your heart rate and blood flow going, it’s also going to lower your metabolism. This, in return, makes weight loss nearly impossible. A great way to curb this would be to incorporate resistance training into your routine. A Harvard study also backed this up by revealing that people who spend a significant degree of time in weight training gained less abdominal fat in the long run. Overall, both cardio and weight training are important, it’s just a matter of balance and moderation.

USE FREE WEIGHTS

Exercise machines are great investments. However, if you’ve moved past your rookie-level and have now mastered all the right forms and postures, then maybe it’s time to make use of more movable weights like dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells. According to the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, using free weights activate more muscles in the body that normal gym equipment might not be able to. Women’s Strength Nation’s Holly Perkins also stated that when using free weights, your body does not have anything guiding it. As a result, your body’s synergistic muscles will fire up to accommodate the pressure from the free weights.

Based on materials from Time Magazine