workout Archives - mapsgirl.ca

Reps or form?

To get the best from your workout, the form you use will have the most significant impact. However, many new gym goers look at their reps rather than their form. Proper form will mean you get the best out of the workout and avoid injuries.

Ask a gym instructor or a gym buddy to help you get your form right – then, after that, move on to nailing the reps you have set as your goal.

Goals

While it is good to set a goal, your main goal could just be to feel fitter – and that is fine. Many people choose to set a weight goal, a reps goal, a distance goal, or others. Goals can help you stay on track for what you want to achieve. There are a couple of ways to track your goals. One of them is to take photos as you go.

Photos can be incredibly motivating because you can see the changes in your body. They say that most of the time, the people around you will notice the changes after a couple of months – but you might notice them much sooner if you track them carefully.

Workout journals are also instrumental because you can see the figures attached to your work. You’ll see the uptick of the weight you can lift, and depending on if you are bulking or losing, you will be able to track that too.

Nutrition

You need to feel your body has the right foods so that it has the right amount of energy to go into a workout and recover well. The foods you choose should be considered like fuel. Some foods will give you more benefits than others.

You don’t need to change everything you eat immediately; you can do it over time as you start to work out more.

Change up

Doing the same workouts every time you go to the gym will mean that, over time, you get bored – and that you might start to plateau because you don’t push yourself anymore. Every few weeks, change what you are doing. Work out a new muscle group, change the cardio that you do – anything that keeps you engaged in the workout process.

Time off

Even if you want to hit the gym daily to reach your goals, by doing this, you are likely to find yourself burning out pretty quickly. Your body won’t have time to recover between workouts, and you will be pushing tired muscles to perform their best. You’ll notice the difference, which can cause many people to feel like they aren’t making the progress they want.

Rest and recovery are two of the most important things for a good workout.

Never underestimate how vital cardio is when it comes to your workout, it has a long list of benefits: The Benefits of a Cardio Workout.

Photo by Annushka Ahuja from Pexels

You have planned your cardio workouts and invested in the clothing or equipment, but you are still struggling with your fitness regime. Sound familiar? If you’re finding it hard to stick to it, you are not alone. The fact is there can be many reasons why we don’t stick to our fitness journey. We can fall off the wagon because it’s too difficult or we hit a bad run in our lives, but there are many things you can do to keep yourself focused, including the following:

Consistency With Your Diet

We all have a focus on getting fit, which means that we think we’ve got to exercise and everything else doesn’t matter. The reality is that nutrition is more important. Have you heard the expression “abs are made in the kitchen?” If you hit a bad patch in your life, ensuring that you stay consistent with your diet, your hydration, and your supplements can help you to feel energized, while also reminding you that you are on this journey which doesn’t happen overnight. When it comes to supplements, there are plenty out there, since 2007, Steel Supplements have been providing supplements for plenty of people looking to achieve their fitness goals, and there are also plenty of supplement websites that provide invaluable exercise support. Even if you’re not able to exercise for whatever reason, keeping your nutrition dialled in means you should still see the benefit!

Work Out With Someone Else

Motivation can be a major factor, so if you go and exercise with someone, you’re more likely to stick to it, so it can become a habit. The benefits of having a buddy can go beyond motivation. For example, you can spot each other so you are both working out with the proper form. And when it gets to the point where it becomes a habit, you can start to mix it up and incorporate that friendly competition! This is another key motivator so many athletes have at the forefront of their minds. Even if your workout buddy can only do 21 push-ups, you aiming for 22 can be a little thing that really ignites your mindset.

Mix Up Your Training

If you hit a plateau, which everybody does at some point, mixing it up can really achieve better results. You don’t have to stick to the same things but you can try any of the following:

Boxing workouts.
Medicine balls.
Using your body weight.
Resistance bands.

And the list goes on! Because when we get into the same old routine, we’re not shocking the body, which means that we’re not stimulating growth or adaptation.

Setting Yourself Clear Goals

Many people decide that a goal is “to get healthy” or “lose X pounds,” but these are very muddy goals. When you set out clear goals, this gives you a better idea of how you need to meet these goals. For example, for anybody that is looking to train to get into the fire service, the criteria are laid out; they have to lift a certain amount of weight over their shoulders, which means that anybody that is looking to go down this career path will focus more on their shoulders, as well as their cardio training. When you start to set yourself clear goals, this will dictate the program, but it also keeps you building towards it.

Remember Your Mindset

There are going to be times when you won’t want to exercise because you’re too tired or you’ve had a long day, but the fact is you just need to shut up and train! Feeling confident about your progress is usually motivation enough on those difficult evenings when you don’t want to hit the gym, but it’s also important to note if you’re feeling demotivated because you are plateauing, because there is such a thing as overtraining! If you are doing too much, think about having a rest for 48 hours and see how you feel after that.

Get a Personal Trainer

If you are keeping an eye on your finances right now, this is not necessarily a worthwhile option, but there’s a lot to be said for having a personal trainer in your life as they will help you stay focused, but they have the qualifications and experience to ensure that you are hitting your goals.

Keeping the focus on your fitness journey is not always easy. One of the biggest things you need to do is to start slow. Exercise is not about doing everything all at once, but giving it time, so while you might be chomping at the bit to lose weight or lift your body weight, the reality is that the route to complete fitness is a gradual one.

Starting Your Gym Journey? Tips For You!