We all enjoy working out and some have made working out an obsession. But are your workouts really intense enough to give you the results that you desire? The short answer to that is No.
While you may argue that you give it your all during your workouts and spend a good hour or two in the gym, It may come as a surprise to you, but you aren’t working out hard enough.
So what is it that you are doing wrong? Or what is it that is it that is stopping you from hitting your weight loss goals? Well, maybe it’s high time you took a step back and reconsidered your workout regimes and by that, I do not mean the variations or the choice of workouts, but rather, the intensity that you workout with.
Working out smart:
You should focus on an intense workout that lasts for 45 minutes to an hour max. Anything more than that means you aren’t pushing to your absolute limit. A 45 - 60 minute workout will ensure that you pack in the most in the shortest amount time, thus making your workout session extremely efficient. Be it Muscle hypertrophy or fat loss, keeping the intensity high during your workouts will require a lot of focus, which means that you don’t spend an entire evening inside the gym.
Steady state cardio:
One of the places where many fall short of carrying over the required intensity, is while doing cardio. While cardio is beneficial for conditional training, we have all been guilty walking or jogging on the treadmill at a steady pace for 10 to 20 minutes, or cycling meaninglessly for extended periods, which is an extremely inefficient way to burn calories. In stead of endless, meaningless cardio that lasts for more than 30 minutes, it would make more sense to sprint at maximum speeds for a shorter duration, or maybe you could try adding HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) into your workout regime, which would crank up the intensity.
Long Breaks:
Another factor that contributes to extended and lengthy workouts is extended breaks between sets. We have all been guilty of taking extremely long breaks between sets, by chatting with friends by the water cooler, or by chatting or updating your social media in stead of preparing for your next set. Not only do we end up making our workouts inefficient, but it also cools down your body between sets, thus defeating the purpose of the workout. Planning your next set during your break will help you prepare in a better manner and will help you stay focused during the duration of the workout.
For a natural athlete, working out smart and keeping the intensity level high throughout your workouts, will ensure that you hit your fitness goals with relative ease and make your every workout session a productive one.
Questions?