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Contrary to what most self-proclaimed “magical weightloss supplement” ads tell you, staying in shape is quite tough. We have brought you some of our favorites rules to get the best results from your workouts.
Maintaining a healthy, toned body requires a whole lot of hard work. By doing a consistent workout, you have to sweat it out in order to achieve a body that every onlooker will admire.
Most of us hesitate to the thought of working out. Two main reasons fuel this apprehension. The first one is that it will be very exhausting to hit the gym regularly. And even if we get convinced, the second fear of “what if all the hard work doesn’t bring any change?” keeps us away from starting a workout regime.
Undeniably, all the layers of fat ask for a lot of strenuous hard work if we want to get rid of it.
However, if we include working out in our lifestyle and stay consistent, the thought will be a thing of the past soon. Your fitness will become a priority, and you will enjoy being physically active.
As for the second fear, it is a valid one. Workout may be futile, but only if you jump into a fitness routine overlooking the dos and don’ts. Hence, I will today shed some light on the basic rules of workout. The rules that must be followed by everyone who wants 100% results from every drop of their hard-earned sweat.
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Learn Correct Form
A wrong form will cause more trouble rather than solving any. If done correctly, you can target the right muscles with an exercise and use the maximum amount of your energy in doing what you are supposed to do, that is, burn calories.
An improper form puts you at risk of injury and lowers your performance level. For instance, slouching or bending down while you plank will not engage your core muscles and instead put pressure on your neck. Pretty much, that means tall your time and effort go to waste.
It is imperative to learn the proper form of every exercise, in the beginning, to increase your performance, target the right muscle groups, and get the required gains.
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Wear Comfortable, Stretchy Fitness Gear
The correct fitness gear would set your wings free while you work out. Believe me, it makes a significant difference!
The clothes that you wear while doing your workout should support repetitive moves and rigorous stretching. The fabric should be stretchy and sweat-wicking, and the garment should fit you comfortably to avoid that unpleasant feeling while back and forth challenging moves.
The appropriate gym attire for men includes a tank top, men’s pouch underwear, gym shorts/yoga pants, and good quality trainers. At the same time, women should remember to wear a supportive sports bra underneath yoga pants and t-shirt.
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Take Care Of Your Pre and Post Workout Diet
Even if your workout regime is perfect and you follow it religiously, it won’t be enough to stay in shape unless you eat right. Nutrition plays a key role in maintaining our bodily functions, including muscle and weight loss/gain.
You should have a proper diet plan for the whole day to reap the maximum benefits. It’s important to be mindful of your munching routine. Working out on an empty stomach is a bad idea as your body needs fuel to exercise at maximum capacity.
Sports Medicine published a study in 2013, which suggests that eating carbohydrates before your workout may aid in increasing your endurance performance. Do include some form of protein as well.
A piece of toast with a boiled egg, a granola bar with yogurt, or a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter are a few good options to eat before you spread that mat.
As for post-workout meals, a protein-rich meal should refuel you. You can have a protein-rich smoothie, grilled chicken, boiled eggs, steamed fish, or veggies as a meal after exercise.
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Stay Hydrated
Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day. While you workout, a lot of sweat is released, which means that the fluid loss should be replenished accordingly. Staying hydrated will also help you avoid nasty muscle cramps.
After every intense physical activity, try drinking a cup of water, ideally with a gap of 15 to 30 minutes.
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Never Neglect To Warm-up
Some light jogging, jumping jacks, and stretches would get your muscles activated before the workout. Although many of us overlook the warm-up, it immensely helps us to increase flexibility and reduces the chances of injury. Directly doing complex and intense exercises can cause painful muscle cramps, which will hinder your performance the next time.
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Increase Rep Range
If you want the maximum results from your workouts, most trainers suggest setting reps such that the last two or ones should feel the hardest to complete. If an exercise feels very easy to complete many months after you begin, it means it is not pushing your body to that extra limit.
A promising sign to judge the maximum range is to check for your breadth. It would be best if you were out of breath in the last few reps. Remember that there is a difference between feeling hard and feeling badly hurt, so watch out for that.
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Get Yourself Some Competition
Competition is necessary to keep you on track. You must start your fitness journey by setting someone up as your competitor, be it a friend or another gym buddy that started workout around the same weight and body shape as yours.
There is even a study (published by the journal of Preventive Medicine Reports), which proves that competition is a higher motivator than friendly support during a workout.
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Don’t Skip The Intervals
Skipping the breaks that are suggested in between high-intensity workouts will hinder your goal achievement. Rushing through the workout is not the correct way to achieve a great looking body. Instead, it will lower your endurance and threshold, resulting in exhaustion.
Hence, listen to your trainer when he tells you to stop and take deep breaths during the intervals!
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Cool Down After Workout
Your muscles have done tough work, and they need some good stretching to recover afterward. One thing that you shouldn’t ignore is to cool them down by using a foam roller. The foam roller speeds up your recovery post-workout and feels very relaxing. It relieves most of the muscle tension and lessens the pain caused by DOMS (Delayed onset muscle soreness).
Summing Up
It doesn’t look like a sane idea to start doing a workout without having proper knowledge of your diet, forms, and also what exercise would target which muscle group. You should abide by the rules mentioned above and properly educate yourself on fitness if you wish to achieve your goals faster.
Once you start following the rules, you will see remarkable improvements and maximum gains with your workout regime.
If you’ve enjoyed learning about ways to get results from your workouts then be sure to check out more of our Move articles to keep the momentum!