16 Tips to Triple Your Workout Effectiveness

You don’t want to spend long hours at the gym, but you want to get stronger, fitter, leaner, and just plain look good. It’s possible that you’re not getting the most out of your workout time.

It’s possible to get a super-effective workout in 30 minutes, and only do a few workouts a week, if you maximize your workouts.

Disclaimer: First, I’m not a certified trainer. These are tips I’ve read elsewhere that work well for me. Second, you should always get a doctor’s approval of any new workout plan. This plan is especially intense, so if you have a heart condition or other condition that might be affected by heavy exercise, you should definitely refrain from trying it until you’ve gotten checked out by a doctor.

And even if you have gotten checked out, or even if you don’t bother doing so, it’s still important to start out an exercise program slowly, until your body has the chance to adjust, or you will face burnout or injury.

Don’t dive right into this program — it’s designed for people who have already been working out but want to see better results, quicker, and spend less time doing it. Here’s how to do it.

  1. Limit your workouts to 30-40 minutes. Though the tendency of some people who really want to get a lot out of their workouts is to spend a lot of time at the gym, the truth is that after 30 or 40 minutes, the benefit isn’t as great. To go that long, you’d have to lower the intensity of the workout, and that means that you’re spending too much time working out. It’s better to work out at a higher intensity for a shorter amount of time.
  2. High-intensity workouts. If you’re just starting out with exercise, it’s best to take it slow. If you’re running or cycling, for example, build up your endurance for at least a month before you get into anything more intense. That means going at a rate where you can easily talk without being out of breath. However, once you have that base of endurance, step up the intensity to step up the effectiveness of the workout.
  3. Protein. Many people don’t pay enough attention to getting the protein their muscles need to rebuild. If you don’t, you are going to get very little out of your workout, as both cardio and strength workouts require protein for building muscles. I recommend either whey or soy protein shakes.
  4. Water. Be sure to hydrate throughout the day. It takes a couple of hours for your body to absorb the water, so you can’t just drink right before exercise. Make it a habit to drink water regularly throughout the day.
  5. Carbs. Although the low-carb craze might say otherwise, carbs are our body’s main source of fuel. If you do intense workouts, you will need carbs, or you won’t have enough energy. If you do a shake, be sure to include carbs — or a banana is a great source of low fiber/high glycemic carbohydrates that you need for exercise.
  6. Shake before and after workout. It’s best to take a protein/carb shake just before your workout and then just after. Taking it before your workout increases the flow of amino acids to your muscles during training, giving them the building blocks they need. After the workout, the shake stimulates muscle growth. Also take a small protein/carb meal 60-90 minutes after a workout — a meal replacement bar would work fine.
  7. Slow lifting. Many people contract their muscles slowly and then release more quickly. But if you lift slowly in both directions, you are maximizing each move. Lift and lower to a 5-second count in each direction.
  8. Heavier weight. When you’re starting out, it’s best to start with lower weights so you can focus on good form. But once you’ve gotten your form down, it’s best to lift the heaviest weights you can lift while still keeping good form. Don’t sacrifice form for heavy weights — that is ineffective. But heavy weights, with good form, can give you better results in a shorter amount of time. Heavy weights are not just for those who want to bulk up — that’s a common misconception.
  9. One set, to failure. Instead of doing 2-3 sets, as many people do, maximize your effectiveness by doing just one, with heavy weights, until you can no longer keep the proper form. Lifting to “failure” doesn’t mean that you should lift the last few times with a wobbly or inefficient form.
  10. Compound exercises. Instead of isolating your muscles with exercises such as the bicep curl, you can maximize the time you spend in a workout by doing exercises that work out multiple muscle groups at once. With just a few exercises, you could get a full-body workout. Another benefit is that your muscles are working together as they do in the real world, rather than alone. Some great compound exercises include squats, deadlifts, good mornings, lunges, pushups, bench presses, military presses, rows, pullups, dips, and more.
  11. Balance lifting. Instead of having exercises where you’re sitting down or holding on to something or otherwise stabilized, it’s more effective to do them standing up, or on one leg, or on a Swiss exercise ball. These types of exercises force you to balance yourself while lifting, which brings your core muscles into play. This gives you a stronger overall body and allows you to lift more over time.
  12. Pick a cardio exercise you enjoy. It’s no fun to exercise if you hate it. And you won’t keep it up for very long. Pick something that’s fun — running, walking, swimming, biking, hiking, rowing, stairmaster, etc. After the initial phase when you’re getting used to exercise, you’ll start to have a blast and look forward to it.
  13. Mix it up. Don’t stick to the same workout routine for too long, or your body will adjust to the stress level and you won’t be getting an effective workout. For strength training, change your routine every few weeks. For cardio, it’s best to cross train rather than, say, to run every time.
  14. Good form. For strength training especially, and swimming, form is very important, but it’s also important for other types of exercise. If you’re strength training, start with lighter weights so you can work on your form. It’s good to have an experienced spotter or trainer who knows good form to help you for the first month or so. Never sacrifice form for heavier weight. For swimming, you’ll need to get a coach to teach you form.
  15. Hills. If you run or bike or walk for cardio, you’ll want to incorporate hills (after the first month or two of doing it at an easy pace on flat ground). These will make you stronger and make your limited workout time even more effective. Take them easy at first, but once you’re used to hills, you can get a good pace going. Either use a hilly route or do repeats on one hill.
  16. Circuits. One mistake that people make is to do multiple sets of the same exercise without rest between the sets. This doesn’t allow your muscles to recover and it’s a waste of your workout. But instead of doing a set, resting, and then doing your second set, it’s more effective to move on to multiple exercises in a circuit, so that you don’t rest between exercises but do rest each muscle group. This will give you a good cardio workout while you do your strength training.

The ideal workout plan
If you take all of these tips into account, the ideal plan would be to alternate 2-3 days of high-intensity strength training with 2-3 days of high-intensity cardio. You could get by with 4 days of exercise if you do them at high intensity.

The high-intensity strength training would be 30-40 minutes of circuit training, with no rest or little rest between exercises within a circuit, and a short rest between circuits if you do more than one. The circuit should work out your entire body, using compound exercises such as the squat, deadlift, pullups, good mornings, etc., and either standing or using a Swiss ball so that you are working out your core. You should use heavier weights, one set for each exercise, doing them slowly (5 second up, 5 seconds down), and to exhaustion, making sure to have good form on each exercise.

You would have a protein/carb shake before and after the workout, and a small meal of protein/carbs within 60-90 minutes of the workout. Water is also important for both types of workouts.

The high-intensity cardio would be something you enjoy doing. You would do interval training, at a rate where you couldn’t talk, with short rests in between intervals. On some workouts, you would incorporate hills.

Remember, these high-intensity workouts are not for people just starting out. You should build up an endurance base before doing the high-intensity cardio, and start the weights with lighter weights, stressing good form.

Also see:

Why Push Ups Are Great

Here is a great article talking about push ups. Push ups are one of the best exercise’s in the world. They can be dome any where!

In my opinion, pushups are the single most effective exercise for improving total body fitness. They offer the benefits of weight lifting, stretching and cardio vascular training all in one exercise. For a beginner, pushups can be very difficult because of how many muscles are involved. Many of which are under trained in the body of a beginner. In fact, even many seasoned bench press veterans have trouble doing high-rep pushup workouts because their secondary and stabilizer muscles are untrained.

Holding the proper form is a great exercise alone, without even performing any repetitions. The pushup form benefits the abdominal muscles in the same way that Arnold Presses benefit the biceps, by simultaneously flexing and stretching.

When the lower back muscles contract to stabilize your form, your abdominal muscles are inadvertently stretched. The quadriceps is also relied on heavily to maintain proper form, giving your legs a decent secondary workout.

The actual motion of a pushup trains the chest, triceps and the anterior deltoids, while stretching the biceps and back. Pushups are considered by many people to be the best all-around chest workout.

I have found that they are great at increasing muscle size and tone. I have also found that they are easier on the joints than the bench press. Additionally, large pushup workouts are great for circulation and overall cardiovascular health.

When performed in high-repetition workouts, pushups can increase human growth hormone, boosting overall muscle growth. This is the hidden benefit of pushups that many people never discover because they only perform pushups as a supplemental exercise, rather than as a primary chest workout.

My article entitled, “Do Pushups to Build Muscle Mass and Boost Metabolism,” details how to build up your strength and endurance to completing a 1000-pushup routine. If you plan to use pushups as a primary chest exercise, then I encourage you to perform a lot of sets and reps, and set a goal of completing between 500 and 1000 pushups. Pushups are much more challenging and painful than a standard bench press, but if you commit yourself to them, you can have amazing results.

This article was written R. West. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Mr. West does an excellent job writing articles.

The Significance of Stretching in One’s Life

The Importance Of Stretching

Engaging in an exercise requires muscles that are mentally and physically conditioned. There are so many people who have the notion that stretching is not at all a part of their exercise routine failing to realize the importance of stretching in their overall physical activity routine.

It is undeniably a part of the beginning and end in one’s exercise routine. Muscles that have been sedentary for a while has to be heated up before the exercise and must be cooled down after.

However, the importance of stretching is not exclusively on exercises alone but also during one’s downtime like when one is just lounging around watching television, after one has woke up, or before one goes to bed and so on. Allotting a few minutes for stretching is beneficial to one’s health and body.

The importance of stretching is that it promotes one’s muscle flexibility. Flexibility is the scope of the movement that a joint or joints can support to do. This increases overtime when stretching is included in one’s daily routine. As one stretches, the muscles are elongated resulting to a gradual maximization of flexibility, as muscles that are often relaxed tend to tighten.

The importance of stretching is that is also helps in developing a good posture because one’s stability around the joints gets better. Stretching secretes beneficial fluids that provide lubrication around the joints preventing bones that are joined together by the joint from scraping each other.

Stretching secretes fluid that lubricates the muscle. Lubricated moving muscles have more elasticity, which reduces risks of injuries. Stretched muscles are able to allocate force better which helps one in doing a variety of bodily actions with additional stability without having to exert too much effort, especially on instances where one has to do lifts or bends.

It also lessens the risk of injury on doing strenuous activity and results to a boost in the blood circulation to the muscles thus, muscle pains after activities are reduced. The boost in the blood circulation results to a higher energy intensity.

However, with the importance of stretching come some restrictions. It is not recommended to stretch parts of the body that is in pain, either from a recent injury or just because, as stretching them can worsen the case. The stretching should be at the limit where there is no pain felt otherwise pushing it much further to the point where it is already painful can result to injury.

It will only take five (5) to fifteen (15) minutes to do a proper stretching. People who are so into living healthily should not take it lightly as the effects will greatly benefit them. What is the use of exercising when after it is just pain?

The importance of stretching may not be felt during the first few times one has done it, but in the long run, it will greatly help especially when engaging in activities one does not normally do. There are a lot of kinds of stretching that is meant to a specific activity however, knowing the basics of it just for the everyday normal activities is with utmost importance.

Resistance Training-What In The World is This?

Here is wonderful article explaining resistance training. This article will give you a much better understanding. Enjoy the article!

Wikipedia defines Resistance Training as ‘Resistance training is a form of strength training in which each effort is performed against a specific opposing force generated by resistance (i.e. resistance to being pushed, squeezed, stretched or bent).’

It’s about exercising your muscles with an opposing force, making the muscles move against a form of resistance. It could be weight training with free weights such as dumb bells, using a medicine ball etc. Resistance Training will tone and increase muscle strength and size, but what’s the point other than looking good?

There are many benefits of resistance training and we’ll cover the most beneficial. If you are in a weight loss program, the process of muscle growth will burn calories and fat. It will boost your metabolism. Doing resistance training alongside an aerobic exercise, such as running or swimming, will greatly benefit your levels of fitness, endurance and strength.

The other interesting benefit is to counteract the decline in our bone mass. As with our metabolism which slows down as we get older and need to eat less just to maintain our existing weight, our bone mass also starts to decline, roughly from our 30′s to 40′s. Wikipedia defines Osteoblasts as ‘mononucleate cells that are responsible for bone formation’. The theory is that regular weight training persuades osteoblasts to generate bone which in turn improves bone density.

So how does resistance training work? During the exercise muscle stretches. It’s the recovery process that then builds the muscle and burns the calories. You should never weight train every day. At most every other day, so your body has a day to recover. Two to three times a week is considered good. Once recommendation would be to do your aerobic exercise one day and weight train the next, giving your body a day off completely once a week.

With resistance training stick to free weights, rather than the machines as they fail to obtain the same benefits. Your resistance weight training program must be at the right level of intensity, for both men and women. Sorry ladies, but I often see you using too light a weight which will have little to no benefit at all. You also don’t want to overdo it, by lifting too heavy a weight.

Try and reach a level of tiredness within each set. Again, another big mistake is doing the exercise incorrectly. If you have access to a trainer, ask him or her to show you how to do each exercise and have them watch you back. It is also important to ensure you do warm up exercises first.

A 30 minutes session should be plenty. Combine that with your aerobic exercise and fat burning foods, and you will become a very fit person with a nice toned body. One last thing to mention is the Body Mass Index (BMI). A BMI calculator will tell you your ideal body weight based on your height.

Now depending on the profile of your body, the amount of fat you have, and the stage you are at in potentially losing weight, doing resistance training etc, use the BMI as a guide only. Put simply, muscle weighs. So in the early days you may find you put on weight, whilst it adjusts to your new activities as you reduce the levels of fat in your body, but at the same time increase muscle.

So, as with all new exercise, it is recommended you discuss with your doctor first. Best of luck and enjoy being fit and healthy.

This article was written by Lana Soko. She is a great writter. She has written many articles that have have thoroughly enjoyed!

Rebounding Has A Lot of Benefits

Here is a great article about the benefits of rebounding. You will be amazed how good jumping on a rebounder can be!

Sometimes rebounding has nothing to do with basketball. While the concept of rebounding (jumping on a mini-trampoline) is basic, it’s definitely one of the most effective ways to get into shape. Although many of us enjoyed jumping on trampolines as children, we didn’t realize at the time that we were also getting in some quality exercising. Here are some of the biggest benefits of rebounding:

1. It’s compatible with TV viewing.

Unfortunately, not all types of exercises allow you to multi-task like that. But when rebounding, you can get in a fantastic workout while catching a TV show or movie at the same time! Who said that exercising couldn’t be entertaining?

2. It’s fun.

Yes, exercising can be fun if you’re doing the right ones. Remember how fun it was to jump on a bed, when you were a child? Well, there’s an explanation! The feeling of weightlessness that you have when at the peak of your jump is similar to the experience of astronauts as they float in outer space. Well, that feeling is fun in space, fun on a bed, and fun on mini-trampoline! And when an exercise is fun, then you’ll keep doing it.

3. It’s low-impact.

There’s a reason why you should avoid jogging on cement or asphalt. The greater impact involved in exercising, the more stress you put on your joints and bones. But the low-impact nature of rebounding gives your muscles a workout without putting too much stress on them.

4. It detoxifies.

Through the movements of rebounding, you can cleanse your body of unwanted toxins in your body, such as:

dead cells
fat
heavy metals
infectious viruses

The movement involved in rebounding helps to drain your body from such unwanted wastes. That will help you to lose weight, burn fat, and feel terrific!

5. It has its ups and downs.

The gravitation pulls vary significantly when jumping on the mini-trampoline. They’re zero at the peak of your bounce, and 2-3 times higher than gravity’s force at the bottom of the jump. This range of motion provides you with a better workout than walking or jogging!

6. It’s a cardio workout.

Rebounding is a fantastic type of cardio exercise. It increases your heart rate, improves your blood circulation, and feeds nutrients to your body and mind. One of the main benefits over walking and jogging is that you can always do your workout at home.

7. It’s portable.

With many of us spending less and less time at home, it’s crucial that our exercise equipment be portable. A mini-trampoline is small enough that you can easily take it outdoors, or with you when you go on a vacation or business trip. This allows you to use the equipment even when you’re not at home. Unfortunately, other types of exercise equipment are simply too heavy and bulky to move.

If you’re looking for a fun and effective way to get in shape, then consider rebounding! It allows you to relive your childhood trampoline experiences-but this time fun AND fitness are your goals.

I hope you liked this article as much as I did.. It was written by Graeme Renwal. He does a fantastic job in writing articles.

Flex Mini

flex miniFlex Mini

The Flex Mini is a product designed to tone users’ buttocks and thighs without needing to do laborious exercises for these parts of the body.

***CLICK HERE To Try The Flex Mini***

Because this is an area that a lot of women struggle with and feel most self confident about, some people describe it as a miracle machine which uses Electric Muscle Stimulation (EMS) technology. Combined with a healthy diet and exercise, this can really help people achieve the thighs and butt they have always wanted.

How Does the Flex Mini Work?

The most important thing when it comes to how it works is that it will provide fast results when worn daily for 30 minutes during the first four to eight weeks, until desired results. After this, in order to maintain these results it should be worn for two to three sessions per week. This is how the technology works:

  • First it needs to be put on, it straps around the hips and butt, and around the thighs.
  • It then needs to be set from level 1-99 with the remote that comes with it, you should increase the intensity accordingly.
  • There are gel pads that have electronic muscle simulators that send a message to the nerves, which in turn contracts the muscles then relaxes them. The gel pads are the same medical devices that are used in physical therapy to continue working a person’s muscles when they cannot do it themselves
  • Because the message is sent to the nerves, there are more than just the muscles that are under the gel pads that get worked; all the muscles in this general area will be contracted
  • The pulses will make the thighs and rear end tighter, firmer and it will also lift them

Who should use the Flex Mini?

It is mostly used by women and designed for them because they have more problems with this area of the body. The product can work on any body type. The important thing to remember is that it is only designed for the buttocks and thighs and will not tone other parts of the body.

That being said, you can also buy the Flex Belt for the stomach area and the Flex Arms. In order to lose weight, this must also be combined with a healthy diet and some cardiovascular exercises; especially for those who are more overweight.

The Flex Mini is FDA Approved and Consumer Approved

It has been clinically tested and worked showed results on everyone who tried it. Not only that, but it has also been approved by the FDA, meaning that it is the first, and remains the only equipment for lifting, toning and firming the rear end and thighs that has been approved by them.

Not only is it approved by the FDA, but customers really like it as well. When looking through user comments or reviews, there is nobody is has anything negative to say.

Great Video About The Flex Mini


 

Advantages of the Flex Mini

  • Everyone who has used it, that is 100% of users,  have seen some sort of difference when  using the Flex Mini
  • It is very convenient as it can be worn under or over regular clothes and worn at any time without attracting any attention
  • One of the biggest advantages is the previously mentioned FDA approval; this is not something that a lot of these types of exercise machines will get and it says a lot about the quality
  • Can be used at any time, whether it be while watching TV, while taking a walk, at work, or when cleaning; there are no limits to where and when you can where it because of its discreetness
  • Little to no effort needs to be put in; neither for the assembly, making it work or wearing it
  • No more need for annoying butt and thigh exercises

    • Disadvantages of the Flex Mini

    Finding disadvantages for this product proved to be a little more difficult as virtually everyone who has used it likes it. After searching through reviews, the following were found:

    • Mostly designed and marketed for women
    • Does not provide the social aspect of the gym…But in all honestly, do you go to the gym to socialize?
    • The gel pads will need to be replaced regularly

    Cost and Warranties of the Flex Mini

    The price for the Flex mini is quite reasonable compared to other similar products; at $199.99 you will get the results you have been chasing for years. In addition, if you buy more than one you will save $50 on each additional one. Although there is one set of gel pads with the product, you should consider buying extra sets as the first set will last for approximately 30 sessions; these can be bought for less than $19 per set.

    When you order the product, it not only comes with a not only a 60-day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied, but also a warranty for two years. This warranty will cover any manufacturer defect in the product; this does not include normal wear and tear.

    At the end of the day, this product has been praised many times, and there are virtually no reasons why someone would not want to buy it if they are looking for a similar product. It is by far the best of its kind and will definitely prove to give you great results within four to eight weeks when used daily.

    The best thing about this product is that it will replace hours of doing manual exercises in order to get these same results. Plus the Flex Mini can be worn while doing almost anything.

    ***CLICK HERE To Try The Flex Mini***

    Flex Mini