How To Maximize Your Workout

Method 1 of 2: Working Out With a Healthy Routine

1

Recognize that your body needs to rest. Many people are confused about how quickly the body recovers and how often it needs to rest. Remember, when you do any sort of exercise, your muscles tear apart at the molecular level. When they heal, they grow back stronger. However, if you never rest your muscles, they can never heal. Always rest each group of muscles at least two days a week. On the other hand, you do not need to wait several days between working out two different muscle groups.

• Studies have shown that working out a single muscle group every 48 hours is healthy and effective, as long as the muscles are not overly stressed

2

Warm up. When you're ready to roll, it can be hard walking and stretching for ten minutes before you start your run. While you may think your muscles are trained or healthy enough to skip warming up, this is a very important part of exercising. Attempt to spend at least five minutes warming up for light workouts, or ten minutes for intense exercise.

3

Cool down. The easiest thing to do after a workout is to plop down and rest. However the healthiest thing to do is to massage stressed muscles with ice, take a hot-and-cold shower (with bursts of each - as hot and cold as you can stand for about 6 repetitions), and stretch.

4

Change your routine. Most casual exercisers know that the body is very adaptive and will quickly build up a 'tolerance' to a workout routine. Therefore, changing up your regimen every four weeks is an important part in staying fit. Easy ways to change your routine are to look up new activities that accomplish the goals you want. For example, if you jog for twenty minutes and do thirty crunches, you could instead do short sprints and jumping jacks for twenty minutes followed by five minutes of planks.

5

Remember that diet is key. People might think that exercise 'cancels out' the unhealthy food they eat, but this is untrue. In fact, after a workout, your body responds even more to what you put in it. While being a health nut isn't necessary, opting for healthier foods in general will put a big boost in your health

6

Don't train until you drop. Training to failure is unnecessary. Training to failure is when you keep pushing your muscles until they fail, like running until you collapse. Many casual exercisers think that this is a good idea, because it pushes their muscles to the 'max'. However, there is no conclusive proof that training to failure boosts muscle growth. In fact, because it damages muscles so heavily, it may hurt your progress.

7

Keep track of your work. The first time you realize you can run a mile without stopping is a big milestone, but keeping track of your daily progress (and not just big milestones) is important. Keeping track of your improvement helps keep you motivated and knowledgeable about your body and will remind you to keep pushing yourself. Try keeping a notebook (or even a piece of paper) with your workout equipment (or clothes) keeping track of how long you can jog, how many repetitions you can do, etc., along with the date.

8 Eat. Your body needs energy to function. Some people, especially those trying to lose weight, think that keeping their meals to a minimum + exercise = improved weight loss. Just remember that your body doesn't want to lose weight, and as soon as it isn't getting enough food, it will kick into survival mode and hold onto every ounce of fat it can. Because of this, a drastic approach can actually give diminishing returns.

9

Build muscles or lose weight, not both. Your body only has the resources to do so much. You can easily create a balanced 50/50 routine that builds muscles and sheds fat, but, for intense regimes, both won't work at once. If your goal is to build pure muscle, avoid cardio as much as possible (doing cardio once or twice a week), while you should do the reverse if you want to lose weight and build cardiovascular health.

10

Never jump in to a routine you are not physically prepared for. While the point of exercise is to grow stronger, it is dangerous to expect your body to perform at a level far beyond your current capabilities right away. Most people who start an exercise regime are very motivated and want to work out every single day. However, for the untrained body, three days a week is plenty, while most people should never exceed five.

• Also avoid doing intense workouts without a few weeks of preparation. It may seem like a long time, but spending two weeks jogging before doing an intense run can save you from serious physical injury.

Method 2 of 2: Having a Positive, Productive Attitude

1

Strive for consistency. No matter what you're told on late-night infomercials, healthy bodies can't be built in days or weeks. Understand that you must be consistent with your routine over the long term to see results. As a generally rule, give a workout routine at least a month before you decide it's not working.

• Some fitness instructors swear by the adage, "First comes form, then comes strength, then comes results." In other words, if you follow your routine, demonstrating proper form, you'll eventually get stronger, and only after this will you begin to see visible changes. Don't be discouraged if you don't look like an Adonis right away - stick with your routine.

2

Care for your body beyond exercise. Never forget that exercise is only one of the needs your body has. For a truly healthy life, you'll need to work to balance these many needs. Besides exercise, you'll need to eat a proper, healthy diet, drink plenty of water, and get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Don't try to over-simplify things - the work you do to maintain your health and fitness doesn't begin and end in the gym.

3

Set realistic goals. While it's healthy to have ambitious goals in mind for the long term, it's important to set achievable goals for the short-term. For instance, don't start working out with the assumption that, if you push hard enough, you can be a competitive bodybuilder by the end of the year. It's important to understand the reality that certain goals take years to achieve. Don't over-reach at the start of your fitness journey. Overtraining is a sure-fire way to injure yourself or worse.

4

Listen to your body. Although it's a great idea to periodically push oneself to the physical limit, understand that pushing too hard or too often can lead to serious consequences. Always listen to your body - be observant of how it responds to any diets and workouts you introduce into your life. Avoid the temptation that some athletes fall prey to - don't "push through" an exercise or diet that is clearly, demonstratively hurting you. Any gains you make are likely to be offset by lasting injury or ill health.

• Remember that there is no universally perfect workout or diet - what works for a friend may not work for you. Everyone is different and has different genetics and body types. Some people are able to build massive shoulder muscles, while others are natural runners. Still others will get amazing results from dieting. Find your "thing" and enjoy doing what makes you unique.

5

Don't fall into miracle-cure traps. Unfortunately, there are are many products and services in the world being peddled for the precise purpose of swindling people who just want to be healthy. Thoroughly research any fitness product before you buy it to ensure that its claims are supported by concrete evidence. Above all, be guarded and skeptical until you have reason to be otherwise. This attitude may seem cynical, but it can save your valuable time and money.

• "Supplements" are, at best, just that - things that supplement your "already-great diet and workout routine". They will not boost your testosterone, make you look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, make you the fastest runner ever, or make you lose 10lbs in a week. The only nutrients you really need to build a healthy body are vitamins, minerals, healthy carbs and fats, and, of course, lean protein - anything else should be seen as an "extra" rather than an "essential".

6

Give yourself reasons to stay motivated. Working out or dieting can be tough, especially if it's new to your routine. It's easier to keep a positive attitude about a new fitness routine if you focus on your goal, rather than the daunting process of getting there. As you work out, visualize what it will be like when you've reached the level of fitness you want - you may be surprised how easy this makes it to give "just one more". If this doesn't work, sweeten the deal - plan rewards for yourself as you make progress toward your goal.

• Don't worry, you don't need to be a peppy girl or a bro to be serious about working out. Just keep your eye on the prize and take pride in each success along the way - this genuine positive attitude will do more to motivate you than any phony persona any day.

• CUTT Fitness Atlanta
  Tonyia Short, LMT, NCTM, C.W.C., CPT
  770.609.9355
  www.cuttfitnessatlanta.com
  
  
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