PHOENIX -- You can make your workout much more effective by fixing some common faux pas.
FITNESS FAUX PAS #1
Waiting too long between sets.
Find yourself talking on the cell phone or in conversation between sets? Unless you are training for a powerlifting competition, you are probably wasting your workout! Rest periods are the most overlooked and underappreciated aspect of the workout. Depending on what you are training for, your rest between sets should probably be no longer than about 30-90 seconds!
The two best things you can do are:
1 – wear a stopwatch and use it!
2 – watch the clock
You will find that when training the right way, time FLIES between sets!!
FITNESS FAUX PAS #2:
Not training specifically for your fitness goals.
Our time and energy is precious. When we allocate an hour to our fitness, we want to make sure that we are working toward our goals, not just moving weight around!
Wanna know how you should be training in the gym?
If your goal is:
Muscle Strength
You should aim for
1-5 repetitions
90%-100% intensity (weight)
3-5 minutes rest between sets
2 to 5 sets
If your goals is:
Muscle Size (bodybuilding/hypertophy)
You should aim for
6-15 repetitions
60%-75% intensity (weight)
60 sec between sets (upper body) / 90 seconds between sets (lower body)
3 to 6 sets per muscle group
If your goals is:
Muscle Endurance
You should aim for
15-30 repetitions
40%-60% intensity (weight)
10-30 sec between sets
2-4 sets per muscle group
If your goals is:
Stamina
You should aim for
5-15 repetitions
50-80% intensity (weight)
NO REST BETWEEN SETS
Select 3-6 exercises and circuit between them
Perform 3-6 circuits
If your goals is:
Fat Loss
Alternating between Muscle Endurance and Stamina workouts can be an extremely effective way to drop the ‘LB’s’ fast!!!
FITNESS FAUX PAS #3
Keep in mind, we use the gym to stimulate our body for our goals. The other 23 hours is when we make or break it!
The meal before and after the workout are some of the most important meals of the day (next to breakfast), so let’s do it the right way!
BEFORE THE WORKOUT:
If you can eat 1.5 hours before the workout:
Try to eat grains or slow starches like oatmeal or sweet potatoes
If you eat 45 minutes before the workout:
Fruit is probably the best way to get the sugar into your bloodstream for a good workout
If you eat 15 minutes before a workout:
A cup of juice is probably the best and fastest way to get some sugar into your bloodstream for a good workout
POST WORKOUT:
Protein & Carbs are a MUST.
Powdered Proteins are the fastest way to get the proteins into the body post-workout.
Women should aim for 15-20 grams of protein post workout
Men should aim for 30-40 grams of protein post workout
For your carbs, Fruit is one of the best ways to drive the protein into the muscle!
Enjoy your workouts!
