Work Out Tips: Maximize Your Time And Energy

Whether you're a fitness newcomer or a seasoned veteran, adhering to a few time-tested strategies and fitness training tips can pay big dividends. Follow these work out tips to get the most out of your training and maximize your time and energy.

• Learn proper form. Educating yourself with correct exercise techniques will lead to greater gains and reduce your chances of injury. Don't try to copy others, as many people have developed their own very bad habits. Start lifting with a weight you can safely handle until you get the movements down pat. When beginning a weight training routine, use a weight that allows you to reach 15-20 reps before fatiguing.
• Weight train before cardio. If you chose to perform weight training and cardio exercises on the same day, be sure to lift weights first. Cardiovascular exercises can use a great deal of your glycogen stores (energy supply), and you need to have a full tank to get the most out of your weight training workout.
• Vary your workouts. Performing the same exercises every time you weight train will leave you at a plateau very quickly. Incorporate different movements on a regular basis to keep your muscles guessing and in a constant state of growth. This is one of the most important gym workout tips.
• Stretch. Perform a light stretching routine for each muscle group before and after your workout to reduce chances of injury and cut down on muscle soreness.
• Warm up. Perform a 5-10 minute cardio warm-up before you lift weights. This serves to elevate the heart rate, warm the muscles, and improve blood circulation.
• Rest. You are actually building muscle during periods of rest, not during the workout itself. Allow your body ample time to recover between workouts for the best results. If you still feel soreness in a particular muscle group, give it another day or two to rebuild.
• Pre-workout meal. Consume a whole food meal consisting of a lean protein source and a complex carbohydrate source 1-2 hours before weight training. This window of time allows the food to be digested and processed into your energy supply. Never train on an empty stomach.
• Post-workout meal. Consume a meal replacement shake or bar, consisting of fast digesting carbs and protein, within 30 minutes of completing your weight training. Consume another whole food meal, including complex carbs and lean proteins, 60-90 minutes after your post workout shake. Every meal is important, but the meal timing surrounding your workout is crucial to maximizing gains.
• Lift heavier weights. (You too, ladies.) When you become confident in your exercise form, use weights that will only allow you to reach the 8-12 rep range. Using heavier weights stimulates more muscle growth, but do not sacrifice form to do it. This is one of the often neglected womens fitness tips.
• Use a full range of motion. Complete muscular development is best achieved by moving the weight the complete distance between the flexed position and the extended position. This is one of the workout training tips that many gym members seem to forget.
• Utilize the negative. Every repetition offers two opportunities to stimulate muscle growth. Many people focus only on the concentric portion of the rep, then they let gravity take over. Use the eccentric portion of the rep to your advantage by controlling the weight back down to the bottom of the range of motion.

Using these work out tips will help you make the most of your gym time.

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