Workout is as crucial for a healthy body as a balanced diet. And how you eat during the day makes or breaks your strength during the workout.

Your workout doesn’t start when you hit the gym, but it begins when you wake up in the morning. That’s right – from how many hours you slept to eating the right nutritious foods at scheduled times throughout the day. All this increases the body’s productivity at the gym.

Whether you train early mornings or in the evening after office hours, there are certain things you can do to gear up for a fruitful workout session. The tips below are all designed to help you maximize the intensity and strength of your training.

 

How To Maximize Your Workouts

 

1. Have a fiber and carbohydrate-rich pre-workout meal

 

Fueling your body with the proper nutrients before exercise will give you the energy and strength needed to perform better. Your muscles use the glucose from carbohydrates for fuel. The carbohydrate when consumed from highly processed sources, gets digested fast and causes a sudden spike in the blood sugar levels leading to increased conversion to fats in the body.

On the contrary, a fiber-rich meal, such as whole grains, gets digested slowly in the gut, leading to lower conversion to fats. This increases the body’s endurance and helps burn more fat during exercise than those who eat fast-digesting carbs such as white bread or rice.

Tip: If you are looking to burn more calories in your workout sessions, consume a scoop of the Thermogenic Pre-Workout to Boost Fat Loss half an hour before your training.

 

2. Take a pre-workout supplement

 

Consuming a creatine supplement before the workout and a protein supplement after the workout has been shown to help increase muscle mass and decrease body fat.

Research shows that taking caffeine-based pre-workout supplements increases the body’s fat-burning ability and overall endurance. It also helps in blunting muscle pain during training, resulting in more reps.

However, there are some people who are allergic to caffeine and creatine. They can consider taking the caffeine-free pre-workouts or the pre-workouts without creatine to get similar results.

Tip: understanding your starting point and finding out if you have any hormonal imbalances or other health issues to address is also part of an effective workout plan. It is highly recommended to get all the routine tests and female hormone testing to maximize your physical health care.

 

3. Focus on the muscle that you are training

 

Focusing on the muscle being trained instead of how much weight you can lift is known as the attentional focus in the context of sports and exercise performance. And attentional focus can help take your workout to the next level.

There are two main types of attentional focus:

1. Internal focus: this involves actively thinking about the target muscle during training.

E.g. During squats, “squeeze your glutes on the way up”.

2. External focus: this involves directing your attention outside the body.

E.g. During squats, “drive the floor away from your body”.

In conclusion, focusing on the muscle being trained will result in more muscle growth in the long run.

 

4. Workout in groups / with a partner to boost motivation

 

You can maximize your workout in a group or with a workout buddy.

The healthy actions of others generally rub off on us, thus motivating us to be firm with our own workout routine. In addition, group workouts are often filled with encouragement.

So, when you work out, you’re likely to feel more motivated. Also, this is a great way to spend more time with your partner or friends.

 

5. Vary the speed of your reps

 

Performing a workout with a certain tempo helps increase growth hormone (GH) levels, thus resulting in more muscle growth.

The main benefit of lifting weights with a slower tempo is achieving a more significant time under tension. This means your muscle is under strain for extended periods throughout the set. In contrast, the benefit of lifting reps at a faster pace could be that you can use a heavier weight than you can during a slow pace.

Forced reps also have a similar effect. After reaching failure, go for 2-3 extra forced reps with the help of a trainer/partner, but utilize these sparingly to prevent overtraining and injuries.

 

6. Do cardio after your weight training

 

If your primary goal is to improve strength, be able to pick heavy things, and build more muscle, then you should lift weights first. Engaging in cardio before the workout will tire you out. But, if you want to practice both weight training and cardio, try doing them on separate days, so your body gets time to recover.

Secondly, strength training before cardio will also be helpful for fat loss. A study in 2021 has shown that combining aerobic and resistance exercises along with a balanced, individualized low caloric diet is more effective in promoting fat loss than following a low-calorie diet along with any simple exercise.

 

7. Listen to music

 

Listening to music while exercising helps relieve boredom and improve the quality of your workout. With faster-paced music, your stamina increases as you get into a better mood when performing low-to-moderate-level exercises. A strong, steady-beat song makes you sync your reps with it. For example, when cycling, you tend to pedal along the rhythm and speed, which can motivate you to exercise for a long or work hard during your exercise routine.

 

8. Take your post-workout proteins

 

You should refuel your body with proteins within 45 minutes post the workout. Workout results in micro-tears and the breaking of muscle. To maximize the rebuilding of these you need to refuel the body with proteins. Thus, it is ideal to consume your protein shake within 45 minutes after your workout.

Related: 12 Options To “Mix Up” Your Post-Workout Protein Intake

 

9. Take a relaxing bath post your workout

 

Taking an ice bath after your workout can reduce muscle inflammation, flush out the lactic acid formed during a workout, and help the muscles recover and heal faster.

 

When starting something new, paying attention to the signals your body is giving you is essential. It would help if you pushed yourself so that your fitness level improves. Incorporate as many of the following tips as possible to maximize your gym time’s benefits. Ensure to focus on the proper diet and exercise as well.

This article was proofread by Grammarly