There are many reasons people decide to work out. For many, working out may be a way of losing weight. Others work out to bulk up or to stay fit. Regardless of your reason for working out, there is no doubt that it is a big commitment that requires consistency and lots of effort to maintain.
However, it is unfortunate that many go about their workout the wrong way, which means they put in much effort for little result. Such an outcome can be very discouraging.
Thus, in this article, we will go through some of the best practices you can adopt to get the most out of your workout routine.
Drink enough water
We cannot overemphasize the importance of hydration during workouts. For starters, it is essential to hydrate before and after working out. In addition to this, you should consider taking water regularly, even during your workout.
Generally, it may be best to take around eight ounces of water every 15 minutes. It is worth noting that you might have to drink more if you tend to sweat more.
Not being hydrated enough can have a significant impact on your workout performance. Even a body water deficit of just 2% might be sufficient to affect the results you gain from your exercise. One excellent way to know if you are dehydrated during a workout is to check your urine. If the color of your urine is dark, you are likely dehydrated.
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Engage in weightlifting
If you have been doing cardio most of your gym time, you might want to consider switching things up by lifting weights. There are several benefits you can gain from this.
For instance, one study by the Harvard School of Public Health, which examined 10,500 adults, found that people who spent 20 minutes a day training with weights gained less abdominal fat over 12 years than those who spent the same amount of time simply performing cardio.
Thus, if you are working out to accelerate weight loss, you might be doing yourself a disservice by limiting yourself to cardio. Jacob Wilson, an associate editor of the Strength and Conditioning Research Journal, further confirmed this view.
According to him, doing only cardio will likely decrease your metabolism, which makes weight loss even more difficult.
Have a proper pre-workout routine
Many people focus mainly on getting their workout routine right while ignoring the pre-workout aspect. However, pre-workout routines can significantly impact your performance during a workout.
It is, therefore, necessary to pay sufficient attention to them. So, don’t just do simple stretches to warm up your workout. Instead, engaging in a more dynamic warmup might be better.
A study by Austin State University confirms the benefit of doing this. This study found that people who did light leg extensions and squats before a workout could squat with about 8% more weight than simply performing regular stretches.
Hence, it might help to develop dynamic pre-workout moves that mimic the workout you want to do. You can also find consuming pre-workout supplements helpful in improving performance. You can check some of the top rated preworkout supplements to find one that suits your needs.
Get quality sleep
While sleep and workout might seem unrelated, they are pretty connected. The quality of your sleep can have a real impact on your performance during a workout.
Conversely, insufficient sleep may hinder your exercise performance while negatively affecting your body’s ability to recover after every workout session.
By getting enough sleep, you are giving your body tissue enough time to recover properly from workouts. Similarly, having a great night’s rest would ensure you have sufficient energy to exercise effectively.
On the other hand, being sleep deprived during a workout can make you less alert and physically active during the day. This might result in less strength for workouts and possibly even less safety.
Get the right nutrition
It is crucial that you pay attention to your nutrition as you work out. This is how you can give your body the fuel it needs to recover and improve your performance in future workouts.
After working out, getting enough carbohydrates and protein is vital as these are necessary to replenish glycogen stores. Proper nutrition is also essential to build muscles.
Thus, planning your meals well before your workout sessions is crucial. This is to ensure that you can replenish your body after working out. You can pack yourself post-workout snacks and protein shakes.
Rest adequately between sets
While it might be tempting to do certain workout routines at a stretch, you might find it much more effective when you take adequate rests between sets.
Taking several sets at a stretch may not give your muscles enough time to recover, which probably reduces your overall performance. With weight lifting, for instance, sufficient rest can enable you to do more reps overall.
You can also rest by doing your exercises in circuits. For example, you could do a set and then move on to other exercises that train separate muscles. This way, you are not staying idle between sets and giving each muscle group enough rest.
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Final Thoughts
Simply working out may not mean you will get the desired results, as many factors come into play. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt workout best practices to get the most value from your workout sessions.