- By Nisha Rana
May 29, 2024
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Category
Health & Wellness
Have you been going to gym for months and months but tired of not seeing any transformation in your strength or growth muscles then this article is for you. We assure you if you add these mind blowing 5 pro tips in your workout routine, you are going to see results that you have been waiting for so long.
So read further if you want to take your fitness routine to the next level and Look no further! These 7 unbeatable fitness hacks that will transform your workout routine because they are tried and tested. It is guaranteed that you’ll see growth in your fitness journey and will achieve your fitness goals faster in 3 months.
1. The Pre-Workout:
One of the absolute most important things you should consider is pre-workout nutrition in order to perform at your best. The food or liquid you consume before hitting the gym has a direct impact on your energy level so be mindful of what you’re eating or drinking before your workout session.
Pre-workout nutrition's primary goals are to provide your body with energy during workout, prevent muscle damage, and boost growth of muscles.
Our body first uses carbohydrates, protein and then healthy fats for energy hence, a healthy and ideal pre-workout would be a meal that's high in complex carbohydrates, balanced protein and low in fats.
Take your meal one hour before your workout everyday.
Here’s the list of items you can have as a pre-workout snack:
i. Banana
Bananas are usually loaded with 19-35 grams of carbs and 72–135 calories which is enough to give you enough energy to use during workout. To add some protein in it, use any kind of nut butter such as almond or peanut butter.
You can make a toast using these two ingredients which is quick to have as breakfast for the morning before workout. Just apply peanut or almond butter on a whole-wheat bread that will give you around 3-4 grams of protein and then slice one banana and place them on the top of the bread.
ii. Oats
Oats is an ideal pre-workout meal, if you add one banana and yogurt in it, you’ll end up with a pack of high carbs, moderate protein with low fats. A perfect pre-workout meal.
iii. Eggs
One egg contains protein approx 5-6 grams and the yolk can provide you vitamins you need for daily functioning. You can either have 2 boiled eggs as a quick meal or scrambled eggs with toast.
iv. Coffee
If you enjoy coffee, you should take coffee before your workout that is only black coffee. Coffee contains caffeine, known to boost your body naturally by alerting your mind.
Be mindful of the amount of coffee you’re taking everyday to avoid side effects like insomnia, irregular heartbeat. If coffee disturbs your sleep at night, you should stop taking it, maybe it’s not good for you.
If you can’t have coffee, you should take ginger tea. Ginger is known to boost alertness, and energy in our body, also it can reduce exercise-induced inflammation.
v. Smoothies or protein shake
Before 1 hour of your workout, you can have smoothies made of yogurt, and some vegetables or fruits like apples, bananas, etc. Or you can simply prepare a protein shake in water.
2. Prioritize Compound Exercises
Compound exercises are movements that engage multiple muscle groups in order to perform one exercise. So instead of focusing on training only one muscle, you can do exercise that would activate multiple muscles in one movement.
By incorporating compound exercises into your routine, you can expect visible hypertrophy gains and strength as well because it allows you to activate multiple muscles simultaneously. Compound exercises require more energy and focus
Here are some compound exercises you can incorporate in your routine:
1. Incline Dumbbell Press:
This exercise will engage your chest, front delt primarily and triceps secondary.
2. Pull ups:
Pull ups are an old school workout that gives you proven best outcomes in muscle build up on your upper body. By doing pull ups you can primarily engage lats and the secondary muscles would be rear delts, forearms, biceps, rotator cuffs.
3. Bar Dips:
Dips on the bar will help you target chest, triceps and shoulder muscles at the same time.
To help target the triceps more, keep your body upright, your elbows close to your body and tucked to your sides during the movement.
There are many compound movements that you can do to achieve your goals in less time. You can approach your trainer to guide you through the movements and exercises if you let them know what your goals are.
3. Use High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT is a workout technique that involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief rest periods. This technique is incredible for burning calories, boosts your metabolism and improves cardiovascular health. The same can be achieved by steady-state cardio, however, HIIT helps you reach your goals in less time and you’ll burn more calories than in SS(steady state) cardio.
If your primary goal is shedding off fat and getting into shape in less time, in that case with strength training you should also try to incorporate HIIT for at least for 20 mins, 2 or 3 times a week. If you’re not able to handle it both together, you can perform HIIT 3 times a week and rest of the day you can do strength training. And don’t forget to give your body enough rest to recover from muscle wear and tear.
4. Track Your Progress
Staying motivated every day can be difficult unless you follow good habits. Keeping track of your progress is one good habit every gym-goer should become used to. It will help you track your improvements and results. Tracking your workout goals and what you're eating to meet your goals will keep you going.
If you're going to put in effort, you deserve to see outcomes in your favor, so don't hesitate to put yourself on a pedestal and expect positive results.
5. Fuel Your Body Properly
Just like pre-workout nutrition is important, what you're consuming after your workout session is also crucial. So you must not starve after your workout session. You can have a protein shake to help your muscles repair.
Your body will recover from exercise more quickly if you eat the correct foods shortly after. It's crucial to consume protein and carbohydrates right after working out.
For a balanced meal, you should consume healthy fats and carbs for prolonged energy and protein for muscle repair.
Remember to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day as well as during your workout session.
6. Get Adequate Rest and Recovery
Along with proper nutrition, rest and recovery are as crucial as working out hard to reach fitness goals, especially if they're focused on gaining muscle mass. Taking 8 hours of sleep every day and letting your muscles heal from wear and tear will help you gain muscles in adequate time.
Make sure you're not over-training your muscles, and post-training, allow your muscles to heal, which takes 48–72 hours for recovery.
Skipping the gym for 1 or 2 days for full recovery is also okay. Also you can incorporate activities like yoga or stretching to improve flexibility and prevent injury.
Don’t forget, consistency is key, so stick with it and watch as your hard work pays off!
7. Don’t be afraid of loading more weights
As a beginner, you may not be able to lift heavier, but if you're not feeling tired with the weight you're lifting, then it is a sign you need to increase the load.
Another sign you should increase the weight is when you see no progress, even if you're working out hard. You must challenge yourself by increasing weight if there is no improvement in muscle gain.
If your workout session is not giving you the burn you used to feel after each set in the beginning, then this is another sign to load more weights.
Remember, never be afraid of weights, challenge yourself, and stay focused on your goals to see transformation.
