How to get the MAX from Your Training... Friday, November 1

1. You Have to Sweat

This sounds like a pretty silly tip but it’s probably the most important. Cardio exercise is defined as any exercise that raises your heart rate. Common sense would tell you that if you raise your heart rate than you’ll sweat, so if you’re not sweating than what are you doing?! Exactly. Even with weight training, if done correctly and effectively, you can work up quite a sweat. This means that walking for the average person is NOT cardio exercise, it is merely just a means of being active. You have to train outside of your comfort zone and get sweaty yet too many people don’t. Don’t get into training at a level that is comfortable for you to just get through the workout. Just going through the motions and putting in the time won’t get you the results you’re looking for. You have to work hard to earn it,

put in the effort along with the time AND the sweat! No pain, no gain.

How to Sweat More During Weight Training

• Increase the weights you’re using.
• Really put your mind into the muscle, keep your form controlled, muscles flexed.
• Keep your rest time in between sets to a minimum, aim for a max of 30 seconds.
• Do short bursts of cardio in between your sets instead of having a rest.
• Switch up your routines every so often so that you don’t get bored with it and so that your body doesn’t become accustomed to it.

 

How to Sweat More During Cardio Training

• Don’t train to be comfortable, remember to train at a 6-8 level of exertion.
• Add ankle/wrist weights when you do cardio.
• Try splitting your weight training and cardio training into two different sessions so that you have a good level of energy and focus for each.
• Incorporate HIIT into your cardio – running, skipping, cycling – once a week.

2. Exercise at the Right Time for your Body

We each have a favorite time to exercise but too often we get trapped into exercising only when our schedule allows it and/or it starts to feel like a chore. Exercising shouldn't be a chore. I don't exercise because I have to or because I hate my body, I exercise because I love it. I respect it enough to try to make it the healthiest and strongest it can be. Make an effort to find the time of day when you have the most energy and can put in your undivided attention for the best workout. Another spin on this would be to switch up your regular late-night training to early morning training. Play around with what time of day you workout, not only to see where it works for your energy levels but also to switch things up and shock your system.  These days I've been trying to train at the time of day when it's NOT right for my body -- early morning running.  I've been doing this because I've split up my training and wanted to go extremes with shocking my body.  Perhaps this may work for you, training at a time of day that's not comfortable for you, but I suspect for most it's not ideal.  So find a time of day that's best for your schedule and when you have ample energy and focus to really train hard.
 

3. Keep a Workout Log

Keeping a workout log can be annoying, but by looking back on previous lifts and always striving to one up your previous workout in some way can ensure you are always improving. Whether it's keeping the same weight but pushing for one more rep, or keeping the same reps but increasing the weights, by knowing what you've done previously you can use that as motivation to constantly improve.
 

4. Do cardio before breakfast

Doing cardio on an empty stomach may be hard but it’s very effective for burning calories and the best analogy I can use to illustrate this point is to have you picture cooking bacon. I know, I know... what the heck do I a so-called "health-freak" know about bacon, well, in this situation the bacon represents your body fat. You turn the stove burner on and place the frying pan on the burner because you want to cook that bacon. Well, exercising before eating breakfast is like placing that bacon on the bare, hot frying pan. Burns pretty effectively right? Yes. Now eating breakfast before training is like placing a piece of bread on that frying pan and then the bacon. It takes longer to cook that bacon. Ok, so maybe that’s a strange analogy but I’m sure you get my point. If you train first thing in the morning on an empty stomach your body will be forced to use stored body fat for energy. Moreover, it’ll create an “after burn”, a drastic raise in your metabolism (the number of calories your body is burning), so your body will continue burning calories at a much higher rate than after a usual workout. Having said this though, I wouldn't recommend this for any kind of intense long training, like heading out for a 15km run. Be sure to eat a full protein-packed meal too following training. Definitely eat within 30 minutes of finishing your training.
 

5. Split Your Training

Try to do cardio in the morning and then weight training in the evening. Now this doesn’t mean you’ll be a slave to the gym, not at all. Do 30 minutes of cardio in the morning, like a simple morning jog and then do the simple body weight circuit I posted above. Of course don’t do this every day, that’d be over training, but try this three days a week.
 

6. Get a Workout Partner

Being accountable to an exercise partner can help ensure you show up for your workout even when feeling a bit under the weather or under stress. This can be a great motivator to not only keep up with your training but also with pushing yourself harder.
 

7. Keep a Workout Log

Keeping a workout log can be annoying, but by looking back on previous lifts and always striving to one up your previous workout in some way can ensure you are always improving. Whether it's keeping the same weight but pushing for one more rep, or keeping the same reps but increasing the weights, by knowing what you've done previously you can use that as motivation to constantly improve.
 

8. Try a Supplement

It's always great to add a new supplement into your current supplement stack, or no-supplement stack for many. Do your research though from reliable sources and pick using good judgment. Some supplements with a lot of scientific research backing their use is creatine, caffeine, glutamine, and protein powders. Adding something new can give you a 'placebo' affect. Just knowing you spent the money on something you're using can boost your workouts.
 

9. Do One Thing Different Every Workout

You can keep the same general workout program you enjoy, whether that be a 3-day split, a full body workout or 6 round sandbag set, but add a change. The general rule of thumb is to change up your routine every couple of months so that you don't plateau but instead of waiting to get to this point, try to do one thing different every workout.  I try to do at least one thing different with every workout I do. Whether it's a super set, giant set, drop set, or a new exercise at the end of the workout this can help to avoid boredom and constantly put your muscles through something new without making too drastic a change. Perhaps try reducing or increasing your regular rest times. This can increase the intensity or allow for increased maximum lifts respectively. In addition to encouraging my regular boxing-only members to try out our crossfit circuit training class, these days I've been putting a lot of my members through pyramid training. It takes only about 15 minutes but it's intensely hardcore.  The key here is to not get stuck doing what's comfortable, to keep your body guessing, and in doing so not only will you be able to steer away from plateauing but also reaching mental boredom with training.
 

10. Do a Backwards Workout

Use your regular workout routine, but run through it backwards. Start what is normally the last exercise performed and end with what is usually performed first. By doing this your weights will change dramatically, but it is a quick easy way to change up your regular routine and shock your muscles into growing.