Whether you want to lose weight, improve cardio fitness, boost your endurance, build muscles, or do regular day-to-day workouts, these nine tips for effective workout sessions will help you reach your goals faster. The aim behind spending hours in the gym is not to waste time but to stay fit and active. There will be days when you feel like you are not getting the results you want, and there is a need to level up the workout session. I’m not talking about doing more squats or running more miles, but doing things smartly with practical workout tips.
Drink a Cup of Coffee Before the Workout Session:
Caffeine is a natural energy booster. A cup of coffee 30 minutes before the workout will stimulate your nervous system and mental alertness. Caffeine is also helpful in reducing muscle soreness during HIIT workouts and endurance training.
Moreover, Caffeine contains dopamine hormone that works the same way as serotonin and makes you feel good and light. This way, you will hit harder.
Play Pump-up Music:
Motivational self-talk is not enough to boost yourself. Play pump-up music to push harder. Music is a therapy that uplifts mood and motivates you to perform out of your comfort zone.
You can make a playlist of your favorite jams and play them on repeat. Research has proved that people who listen to music in their workout sessions perform better than those who don’t listen to music.
Have a Plan:
Don’t enter the gym with an empty mind- have an evident attitude and use it as a secret weapon. When you enter the gym aimlessly without a plan, you wander around, deciding what to do and what not. Knowing what you must do means you have conquered half of the battle.
Start doing your workout the moment you enter the gym. Get yourself familiar with the equipment and in your extra time.
Eliminate Distractions:
Taking selfies, posting on social media, replying to tweets, and chatting with friends in the gym sound satisfying. Yet, they are doing nothing but wasting your time and distracting you from your goal.
Put your phone on airplane mode when you enter the gym. Moreover, avoid initiating conversations with your gym partners. If they are calling you selfish and arrogant, let them. After all, you are here to focus on yourself and be self-absorbed.
Take Pre-Workouts:
Sometimes a cup of coffee is not enough to jumpstart your metabolism and end your laziness; try pre-workouts. Pre-workouts work as fuel to your body; they supply additional energy, levelling your blood circulation and sugar level.
The choice is yours whether to take pre-workouts as pills, shakes, or meals. However, the commonly used form is smoothies or shakes, taken 30 minutes before the workout session.
Stay Hydrated:
During a workout, you are continuously losing electrolytes and water due to sweating. Fitness experts recommend drinking water every 10-20 minutes during a workout session. Excessive water loss can cause muscles to cramp and drain your energy faster.
Besides water, you can also drink energy drinks such as Orange juice, Lemonade, Honey water, and Coconut water. Energy drinks will improve your mood, boost your metabolism, and provide an instant energy boost. For more information on staying hydrated during your workout, check out our article on Hydration and exercise. How much water should I drink?
Make Sure You Are Not Starving:
Arriving at the gym with an empty tummy is not a good idea. Ravenous will negatively affect your body. Your brain will constantly signal your stomach to end this workout session and let’s go and eat.
An empty stomach means low blood circulation, low sugar levels, and a lazy body. Moreover, it can hinder long-term weight loss. So ensure you have eaten enough before entering the gym.
Minimize Rest Between Exercises:
Taking minimum rest means you are already pumping your body to it harder. When you exercise, your heartbeat is fast, while when you take rest, the heartbeat goes back to normal. This frequent change in a heartbeat is harmful to cardio health. Take minimum rest to keep the heartbeat intense & the body boosted to push harder.
Choose the Right Weight:
The most common mistake beginners make in the gym is choosing the wrong weight. Remember, you can’t make the iconic Sylvester Stallone body overnight.
Extra light weights will keep your muscles relaxed but won’t enhance fitness or stability. Heavyweights, on the other hand, challenge muscles to improve strength. The ideal strategy for an effective workout is to choose the weight with which you can complete all reps without struggling. Consult with the gym trainer about which weight you should choose.
Conclusion:
With that set, we hope these practical tips for an effective workout will help you hit harder and reach your goals faster. These tips will work for everyone, whether a newbie or an expert. Consult your gym trainer to ensure you implement the right strategies to make the iconic Sylvester Stallone body.
