If you’re ready to take your fitness to the next level, this article is for you. Getting into the best shape of your life starts with crafting a workout routine that maximizes the progress you make towards your fitness goals.
When crafting up your workout plan, consider the three main body types (mesomorph, ectomorph, and endomorph, and figure out which category you fall under. Ectomorphs have the fastest metabolism, so they tend to lose weight easily while struggling to build muscle mass.
Endomorphs are the opposite end of the spectrum, they put on muscle mass and fat easily, but they have a difficult time getting rid of fat due to their slow metabolism. Mesomorphs are between the two. They add muscle and lose weight easily. Understanding how your body works will help you to create a fitness plan based on your unique body chemistry.
Simple Hacks To Get You Closer To Your Fitness Goals
Looking for simple tricks that allow you to reach your fitness goals in a shorter amount of time? Here are some hacks you can incorporate into your fitness routine:
1. Sign Up For Martial Arts Classes
Martial arts classes are a great way to burn a lot of calories while having fun. Styles like Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can burn upwards of 1000 calories per hour spent training. That makes it easier to reach a caloric deficit if you’re trying to lose weight or burn fat.
These combat styles also happen to be extremely effective self-defense systems. Both are incorporated into the training programs of law enforcement and military personal all over the globe.
As a bonus, you also get to meet a lot of cool people while training. You get to expand your social circle while working towards your fitness goals.
2. Incorporate High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Into Your Workouts
HIIT workouts can be just as effective as martial arts training when it comes to burning calories. It involves gauntlets of intense exercises with a few rest periods in between. These circuits often incorporate aspects of weight training, martial arts drills, and calisthenics. This helps to tone and improve muscle definition.
3. Explore Working Out With A Partner
Having a partner to work out with can help to keep some people motivated during their workouts. Your training partner serves as a support system that pushes you on days you lack motivation and holds you accountable as far as your fitness goals are concerned. Your training partner might also have some workouts to share with you, and they can spot you during exercises like bench presses.
Working out with a partner isn’t for everyone. Depending on your personality, you might prefer working out alone, and that is fine as well.
4. Target The Right Number Of Reps When Lifting Weights
Make sure each set you perform during your workouts includes the right number of reps if weightlifting is part of your workout routine. People who are more focused on becoming more powerful should aim for 2-4 reps each set, using heavier weights. Those who are looking to increase muscle mass should aim for 4-8 reps each set, while those who are looking to improve muscle definition and strength should aim for 8-20 reps.
5. Prioritize Hydration
Drinking at least 8 cups of water each day helps with weight management and muscle growth. Replacing sweet drinks with water also helps to reduce calories, making it easier to reach a caloric deficit if weight loss is one of your fitness goals.
6. Build A Home Gym
You only need one piece of equipment to start your home gym, and you can build from there. Dumbbells are one of the most affordable pieces of fitness equipment, and you can target many muscles with them like your shoulders, biceps, and triceps.
Having equipment you can work out with at home makes it easier to avoid skipping workouts on days you lack motivation. If you have a busy schedule, building a home gym might be your only option since it allows you to skip the trip to the gym and back home. For many people, the time it takes to travel to and from the gym might be longer than the time they spend performing their workouts. A home gym also saves you lots of money in gym fees.
7. Workout In The Morning
Scheduling your workouts early in the morning makes it easier to stay committed to your fitness goals. Things can come up during the day that might distract you from your workouts.
Early morning workouts also lead to more energy as you perform your daily tasks. It wakes you up in the morning, and it leads to feel-good endorphins being released in your brain, elevating your mood as you start your day.
8. Come Up With A Schedule And Stick To It
Randomly working out when you feel like it rarely works for anyone. To get the most out of your workouts, come up with a fitness plan and stick to it. Avoid missing workouts and make it a point to make up for any workout you end up missing.
9. Get Lots Of Rest And Sleep
Your body performs most of its repairs during sleep so make sure you are getting at least eight hours each night to give your body the rest it needs to recover from your workouts. Your muscles also need to recover after workouts so give each muscle group at least 48 hours to rest after intense workouts.
Overtraining your muscles doesn’t lead to increased results as some people seem to think. If anything, it takes away from the results of your workouts since muscles grow during rest not while they are being worked out.
10. Find Physical Activities You Enjoy
People with hobbies that include physical activities have an easier time staying fit than those who don’t. Activities like martial arts classes, hiking, cycling, basketball, mountain climbing, dancing, or swimming can be loads of fun, and they also burn off lots of calories.
The key is to find something you love, so you don’t even feel like you’re working out when engaged in these activities.
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