By Arnab Dey
If you want the most from your investment in the gym, you might be looking for ways to increase the effectiveness of your workouts.
Successfully boosting your workouts means spending some time on getting things right.
1. Fuel Yourself Properly
Before you start your workout, ensure you’re getting the right nutrition to fuel your body. Many experts recommend that you eat at least some carbs before a workout because they’re the body’s primary fuel source.
Even if you’re working out with the goal of losing weight, it doesn’t do any good to not be properly fuelled for your workout.
Especially if you’re doing high-intensity workout routines, having enough of the right fuel means your workouts can be more effective and you can reach higher peaks.
Adding a shake or supplement to your pre-workout routine is also something you should consider. These include compounds that can provide your body with a needed boost, like ecdysterone, and you can get it in a supplement.
2. Create A Playlist
A few small-scale studies have linked a higher level of workout performance to the music you listen to, and one study even showed a quicker recovery time for those that worked out with music versus those who didn’t.
This is reported because the music you like boosts the body’s production of both serotonin and dopamine – both of which have been linked to workout recovery. It’s not just the physiological reasons you’ll want some good tunes while you work out.
Music also helps you stay motivated and contributes to you maintaining a good rhythm for your reps and sets. A higher BPM will also spur you on to a more intense workout, which is great if you’re doing interval training.
3. Introduce Intervals
Many professional athletes make use of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) because it’s been shown to be more effective than maintaining a steady higher heart rate for a longer time.
Interval training is the practice of performing as hard and as fast at a high intensity for a short time, taking a low-intensity break, and repeating.
This interval training method produces a higher calorie burn than standard exercise and is shown to have a big effect on the cardiovascular improvements of the workout. There are many variations and guides on how to do interval training successfully, so experiment and find something that works for you.
4. Up Your Hydration Game
As you work out and sweat, you lose a lot of water. The most intense workouts from heavy sweaters can see us losing up to about 10% of our body’s fluids. It’s important to replace these fluids while we work out to avoid a reduction in performance and a detrimental effect on recovery post-workout.
Hydration isn’t only important during your workout, but also during the day before or after your gym session. If you find yourself losing more than about 2% of your body weight over the course of a workout, you may need to increase your water intake.
5. Find A Friend
Everything is better with a friend and working out is no different. The benefits of finding a friend or partner for your workouts can’t be overstated. A gym partner can help keep you motivated and on track and prevent you from slacking because nobody’s watching.
This motivation and the ability to push each other harder means you’re going to get more from your time spent in the gym. Your gym partner will also keep you company during long and arduous workouts.
From a gym partner to proper nutrition and hydration, it all starts before you even get to the gym and continues with proper technique during and after your workout.
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