Getting the most out of your workout routine requires no small amount of dedication and hard work. In addition to this, possibly more crucial to your results is how well you balance your workout routine to pay attention to all areas and needs of your body. By approaching your workout routine without much planning and care, you could be wasting a lot of time and energy on routines which are doing very little in terms of reaching your fitness goals. To help you reach them with more effectiveness, read below.
Tips to maintaining a carefully balanced workout schedule
Workout tip #1: Focus on one goal at a time
It is important to have both short-term and long-term goals when it comes to fitness. This means that your focus will be divided up into a few areas. It is important then to prioritise and focus on those fitness goals that suit your current fitness needs. If strength training is on your mind, spend more days a week working on resistance training than on cardiovascular exercises. If, however, you are training for a race or obstacle course, you will want to focus on high-intensity exercises that boost overall fitness.
Remember that the goals you set must be S.M.A.R.T:
- Specific,
- Measurable,
- Achievable,
- Realistic, and
- Time-sensitive
Workout tip #2: Stretching is essential
No matter what type of workouts you are doing this week, you should always make time to stretch and warm up to avoid possible injuries. In addition, warming up will help your body perform at its peak during workout routines. No less than 15 minutes should be spent on warming up before a workout. Added to this you should always take time to stretch after your routine. This will help you recover faster for future workouts as well as limit the chance of contracting any injuries which will delay your fitness goals.
Medical experts at Harvard agree:
“Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.
“For example, sitting in a chair all day results in tight hamstrings in the back of the thigh. That can make it harder to extend your leg or straighten your knee all the way, which inhibits walking. Likewise, when tight muscles are suddenly called on for a strenuous activity that stretches them, such as playing tennis, they may become damaged from suddenly being stretched. Injured muscles may not be strong enough to support the joints, which can lead to joint injury.”
Workout tip #3: Stay committed
One of the most difficult parts of reaching your fitness goals is staying committed to your workout routine. The temptation to take a day off or give it less than you have planned to is always there. This means that you need to beat it. So, stay committed to a stringent workout routine which is excuse-proof, even if you need to offer yourself rewards. Taking a day off here and there will do nothing in terms of helping you to reach your fitness goals.
Workout tip #4: Focus on technique
The temptation to rush through your routine so that you can get out of the gym might be stronger in some than others. However, it is one that should never be given in to. Focus on each of your activities and conduct them with care to ensure that you are paying attention to technique. There is no point in pumping out 1 000 push-ups when you only did the first 10 correctly.
Expert personal trainers have other reasons why you should concentrate on form when you exercise:
“Proper form also ensures correct muscle targeting. Going back to the bicep curls, if we’re swinging our whole body into the intended bicep curl movement, chances are that our bicep is not getting worked, and you’re working more of your shoulder girdles and core. By doing this you can potentially cause injury to the intended muscle that you are trying to work, and strain other areas in the body that aren’t intended to be worked, with the example of bicep curls.”
Call Trifocus for details on training courses
For more information on personal training courses that will help you and others to achieve their goals, contact Trifocus Fitness Academy today to find out more about our gym instructor courses, certification and diplomas.