WORKOUT TIPS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR WORKOUT EVERY TIME.
Hello hello! We are all always looking for the latest health and fitness tips, so today I thought I would share my personal top ten tips to enusre I stay on track and always feel motivated to workout. Your body and mind are so important so it is essential that you make time to sweat to make your body feel energized and of course feel more important about yourself! So here we go!
1. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS - just starting a workout journey or already started one? Doesn't matter! Take progress pictures! Pictures are the best way to track your progress, as well as taking measurements. There is no harm in weighing yourself but do NOT obsess over the scale, trust me it happens, but you just need to look in the mirror.. if you are looking smaller, leaner then that is awesome, so many factors can effect your weight, so who cares what the scale says!
2. COMBINE WEIGHTS AND CARDIO - this one is aimed directly at you ladies.. LIFT YOUR WEIGHTS! No you will definitely NOT get 'bulky', you will however build a lean and sculpted physique, and what lady doesn't want that right? The more muscle you have the more fat you are going to burn.. BONUS! When I say lift weights I don't mean no sissy 5lb dumbells.. ditch those right now, you want challenge yourself (if it doesn't challenge you it doesn;t change you). Cardio is still important but we don't want no cardio bunnies here! So try incorporating 2 sessions of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) into your workout twice a week.
3. REFUEL AFTER YOUR WORKOUT - this is crucial! All that hard work you just put in at the gym is nothing if you don't refuel properly afterwards. I suggested having some carbs and protein post workout. So a protein shake that also contains carbs is a great option, I like to blend mine with water and ice.
4. ZONE IN/ ZONE OUT - you don't want to be that person that has nothing else to talk about other than the gym. Yes it's great to enjoy the gym and improving yourself but don't let it consume you! Zone In when you get to the gym, headphones in and the world out. After your workout is done and you leave the gym you Zone Out, simple. Still be sure to keep up those healthy habits outside of the gym but don't become consumed.
5. FOCUS ON YOUR FORM - this is an important one. If you do not have the correct form you could a) not see any results and more importanly b) injure yourself. You could spend hours in the gym but if you do not have the correct form whilst lifting weights then you most likely are not working the muscle properly, so be sure to do some research into different excerises.
6. REST! - i'm not the only one who loves to rest and sleep! Rest days are very beneficial as they give your body that small break to re energize and restart. If you never take a rest day I suggested that you do otherwise your body will become so exhausted your results will start to slow. SLEEP! SLEEP! Sleep is so beneficial when you workout becuase your muscles grow most in your sleep.
7. HAVE SOME MOTIVATION IN MIND - everyone always has something different that motivates them, it may be a photo of a victoria secret model, it could be looking better than that first progress picture you took, a competition, or just simply wanting to live a healthier lifestyle for themselves. Whatver motivates you go with it, as long as you get the job done!
8. KEEP THOSE REST PERIODS SHORT - want a more intense workout? Keep your rest periods inbetween sets between 45 second and 60 seconds for higher intensity. Higher intensity = more calories burned.
9. GET YOUR NUTRITION ON POINT - working out is nothing without the correct diet. You've probably heard this a million times but it is so so true! You cannot out train a bad diet. I eat clean around 80% of the time, I do enjoy to indulge more on the weekends when I have worked hard in the week, who doesn't?! I follow a IIFYM (if it fits your macros) style diet ( I will write a seprate post about IIFYM to explain in deeper detail) but basically this diet allows me to have some wriggle room to play about with my foods more and not feel guilty about having a small treat a few times a week. Make sure you are eating a good balance of lean proteins e.g. Chicken breasts, tilapia, salmon, complex carbs e.g Brown rice, quiona, sweet potato, and healthy fats e.g Eggs, avocados, coconut oil.
10. PUSH YOUR LIMITS - your body will give up quicker than you mind ever will. You have to train you mind to keep on pushing because 9 times out of 10 you are so much stronger than you think! Having a positive mind set in the gym will you help you out tremendously, think you can't run for 1 more minute, try it, i bet you will be able to run for 2 more minutes, it's all about telling yourself you CAN!
So there you go my top workout tips, I know this post was kind of long but sometimes you just have to much you want to get out at once! Maybe next time it should just be my top 5 tips...
Have you tried any of these tips? Do you have any of your own tips? Let me know!
Anastasia
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