Fine Tune Your Workout for Maximal Results
By Kelli Calabrese MS, CSCS, ACE
Thinking about raising the white flag in surrender because you're still carrying around that spare tire? You gave it that old college try, but you're just not getting anywhere?
Before you give up on exercise here are some tips to fine-tune your workouts for maximum results:
The number one mistake people make: sticking to a single routine. If you've been doing the same exercises for more than three months, you'll likely maintain, but not progress. It's easy to stroll on the treadmill, or do the same amount of weight on the chest press.
But for significant results, you've got to challenge yourself. Push to go just a little faster, a little longer, a little more intense and a little more often. For your strength training, increase the resistance, change the exercises, change the speed, range of motion, number of sets and order of exercises. To avoid injury, increase only one aspect of your workout at a time.
Experiment with new exercises. The more proficient your muscles become at a particular activity, the fewer calories you burn. Add a new activity such as swimming, cycling, rowing, kickboxing, or volleyball to your usual routine. You'll burn more calories as you master a new skill -- and you'll have fun!
Cross training is also a great way to prevent injuries and avoid boredom. Ditto for strength training. If you have been doing a chest press with dumbbells, try using the cables and changing the angle of the bench. You will feel the difference the next day -- or two.
Strive to be active all day. Don't think that you can hang out the rest of the day just because you did some push ups and crunches in the morning. The 100 or so calories that you likely burned won't make up for all the calories you're not burning throughout the day thanks to modern conveniences like the TV remote, automatic garage-door opener, e-mail, and other forms of automation.
It's estimated that in the past 25 years, laborsaving devices have decreased the number of calories that we burn daily by no less than 800. So skip the escalator and go for the steps. Clean out your fridge and pantry.
Exercise is key to losing weight and keeping it off, but you can't ignore what you eat. An extra slice of pizza, for example, can put the 240 calories you burned jogging for half an hour right back on. And even if you're choosing low-fat, nutritious foods, eating too much of them can have the same effect.
Be aware of what and how much you're eating so you don't negate the calorie-burning benefits of exercise. The kids don’t need the high-fat snacks either, so do the whole family a favor and clean out the cabinets. If you are relying on exercise to burn off all of the extra calories you are eating, it’s going to be a long slow road to weight loss.
Take a break. Doing too much, particularly vigorous, high-intensity exercise, can actually hinder your progress. Your body needs time to recover from intense workouts in order to get stronger. Take one or two days off between these high-intensity workouts to let your muscles recover, or mix in some lower-intensity workouts if you are not excessively sore. Sometimes taking a week off will be the best thing you can do mentally and physically. You may be pleasantly surprised at how much stronger you are after a week of rest.
Crank up the tunes. Most people are motivated by music and if you are inspired by your favorite hits, you are more likely to perceive exercise as enjoyable and the time will pass quickly. You are more likely to push a little harder if you choose some upbeat music with a good bass. If you're exercising at a gym, use headphones.
Try a circuit. Break up your weight-lifting routine with bouts of aerobic activity. Do a set of bench presses. Next, hop on the stationary bike for a brisk 2 1/2-minute spin. Then it's back to the weights. Repeat this cycle until you're done with your weight workout. You can also do longer intervals by completing one body part and then having a longer cardio segment (10 minutes) and moving on to the next body part.
Get focused. Pay attention to your body. Look in the mirror and watch your muscles contract and relax. And focus on your breathing. Think about isolating the muscle you are working by slowly squeezing and slowly releasing. Your form should also be improved and you should eliminate any momentum if you focus on the muscles doing the work.
Make exercise a priority. Put exercise high on your priority list. Don’t wait for exercise to fit into your life. Chances are there are time wasters in your schedule that can be nipped and tucked to free a bit of time every day.
Maybe you're watching sports with a buddy when you could both be at the gym or playing a sport yourself. People who work out in the mornings are much more likely to stick to their programs than people who leave it until later -- when spur-of-the-moment meetings or family responsibilities can ruin even the best of intentions.
Believe. The key is setting yourself up to be successful at your new program. Success breeds success. Small successes are what give you the belief that you can keep going and that you can complete your workout and improve your fitness level. Whatever you believe, you are right.
Be prepared. Nothing can derail your intentions faster than forgetting your sneakers. Eliminate any obstacles by always having your gear available. Have an extra gym bag packed in the trunk and keep a set of workout clothes at the office. You never know when the opportunity will arise for a pick-up game of basketball, a mid-afternoon jog in the park or a volleyball tournament.
Find a role model. Find someone like yourself, with your kind of obligations and obstacles, who works out like clockwork. He's the one who proves that it can be done. Find someone with the body you want and find out how they got it. Then become relentless about achieving the body you deserve.
The bottom line to maximize your training is to just get out there and do it. Enjoy the process, try new things and make it fun -- this if for life!