At VIP Fitness in Fort Lee, NJ, we focus on ways to make client workouts more effective. Some of the ways involve how you do a workout and some are specific to our training. Other ways are for people who work out on their own without a trainer. One example of the second group is simple. Make every minute count. Have a plan of action and a list that includes the exercises, number of reps, and number of sets.
Do a HIIT—high intensity interval training—workout.
HIIT isn’t a special workout but a way of doing workouts. You do an interval of high-intensity exercise, followed by a recovery period, and then go back to high intensity. You alternate between the two throughout the workout. Most people use it for a cardio workout, but you also can use it with strength-building exercises by combining it with a full-body circuit Just go at peak intensity and slowly reduce the rest between exercises.
Do compound and full-body exercises.
Compound and full-body exercises work several muscles, joints, and ligaments at one time. Because you have to use more energy to move more parts of your body, you burn more calories. You’d be amazed at how many workouts there are for each muscle. If you only work on individual muscles, your workout will keep you in the gym forever. Lunges and burpees are examples.
Have a cup of coffee and a pre-workout snack before exercising.
It’s all about the caffeine in the coffee. It stimulates the central nervous system to give an extra boost to your performance. The pre-workout snack should be a combination of protein and carbohydrates that keep you going at peak performance. It can be as simple as apple slices spread with nut butter. A pre-workout snack also jump-starts the recovery process, especially when you follow your workout with a post-workout snack.
- Cut the rest time between sets and repetitions. Five minutes may be best if you’re doing an intense workout, but if the workout is moderate, cut that time in half.
- Add weights to your workout. Bodyweight exercises bring admirable results, but if you’ve been exercising a while, you may need more challenges. Combine bodyweight workouts with weights.
- Get down to business. Turn off your phone, and don’t stop to talk to anyone until after your workout is complete. Too often, people spend hours at the gym but get less than an hour of exercise.
- Track your progress. Winners keep score, and you should too. Log the number of reps and sets for each exercise. Once the exercise feels easy, increase your efforts to match your new fitness level.
For more information, contact us today at VIP Fitness Center