Getting in the gym but don’t have much to show for it? Are you feeling the pressure of bikini and shorts weather, but don’t have a clue as to how to prepare your body for it? Even if you’re already at the gym, this is the perfect opportunity to kick start your health/fitness routine to a whole new level!
Start by Making It a Mental Thing
What do thin, toned and fit (from head to toe) folks practice? Besides eating well, staying hydrated, and getting both resistance and cardio training in, healthy people know the value of a mind workout before they even get out of bed in the morning.
A mantra, which is a positive statement of intention, is what can take you from zero to one hundred. It can allow you to move past your doubts and fears. It’s can be responsible for losing inches around your waistline, and boost your confidence. The next time you want to boost your workout performance, try repeating all of the following mantras (or make up your own):
- Imagine yourself six months from now. Don’t stop. It’ll be worth it.
- Be strong. You never know who you are inspiring.
- Life is too short to wait.
- I am my own motivation.
- Every workout is progress.
- Fall in love with taking care of yourself: mind, body and spirit.
- I make muscles, not excuses.
Crank Up the Tempo
If you haven’t’ changed up your playlist lately, it may be the reason why your workouts aren’t doing your body as good as it should. By cranking up the tempo with some hip hop, salsa or good old fashioned rock and roll, you just might get the motivation you need to run faster, lunge with more gusto and bench more weight than ever before!
Skip the Machines
Machines cover the majority of your gym floor, and they are a great tool to help you flatten abs, strengthen your back, and tone your shoulders, biceps and triceps. However, if you aren’t doing them correctly (or even if you don’t realize what you’re doing wrong) they can cause more harm than good. That’s because machines allow you to shift your weight (so you’re working out more on one side than the other) and limit your range of motion. If you want to boost your workout, skip the machines and focus on resistant training, instead: jumping jacks, push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, lunges and squats. You’ll get a killer body in no time at all!
Up the Intensity
Are you practicing high intensity interval training, CrossFit or another form of a fast and furious workout plan? If not, you may be missing out on calories that could have been burned, and fat that could have been blasted. Up the speed in which you lift weights and reduce your resting time. And, don’t forget about upping the intensity of your cardio! If you jog, try a few minutes of sprinting, or climb stairs instead. Need a way to boost workout performance? This approach will definitely do it!
