Fitness Tips

You have probably heard thousands of different tips on how to lose weight fast, heal from illnesses, and get fit. Dozens of trainers promote the latest techniques and technologies of healthy living, and some of them directly contradict each other. How not to get confused in this sea of information?

Replace calm cardio exercises with interval training

The road to a slim and strong body bears little resemblance to a long, monotonous walk. High-intensity bursts interspersed with slow, calm workouts for recovery have the best effect. You can burn the same number of calories in 15 to 20 minutes of interval training as you would in an hour of regular exercise. And, unlike regular exercise, interval training works even after you’ve finished.

Pay attention to the inner muscles in every class

Many people focus only on selected muscle groups, neglecting everything else. However, the human body is not just made up of cubes on the abdomen, no matter how beautiful they look. A huge number of internal muscles are hidden from our view, but they are necessary to protect internal organs and spine from injuries, to keep the body upright and so on. So pay attention not only to specialized exercises that work on isolated muscle groups, but also to complex exercises that work on the whole body. Isometric exercises are especially good for this purpose.

Replace machines with free weights

Exercise machines are designed so that you have to move a given weight along a certain trajectory. However, if you are too short or too tall, your arms or legs are not the length of the average person, these exercises will not organically fit your physiology, Which may impede progress or result in potential injuries

Replacing machines with dumbbell or barbell exercises may be more appropriate for your body and will help to load even those muscle groups that are inactive on machines. And sometimes even a simple towel can help.

Don’t slouch!

Unfold and lower your shoulder blades as if you were stuffing your hands into the back pockets of your jeans. This will not only help you improve your results, but also protect you from injury. This position allows you to perform pull-ups more correctly, fully engage the pectoral muscles when doing push-ups, and maintains the correct body position when doing squats. Do not forget about the special exercises for the spine.

Increase the range of motion

Adding more exertion to each repetition and increasing the effectiveness of the workout as a whole will help lengthen the trajectory of the movements performed during each repetition of the exercise. Squat a little deeper, when doing push-ups stop literally an inch from the floor, pull up to your chest instead of to your chin. Get more out of each movement and your body will thank you.

 

Do each exercise as quickly as possible

Slow exercise is best used only as a supplemental load. In the main part of the class, you should strive to do each exercise as quickly as possible, whether it’s pull-ups, push-ups, jumps, or weight training. Even if you don’t manage to do it really fast at first, the effort you put in will still teach your muscle fibers to contract faster, making your body more athletic.

Use more comprehensive exercises

There is a large number of special exercises aimed at the development of individual muscles. However, if you are not a bodybuilder capable of spending long hours in the gym, it is more preferable to use exercises that load several muscle groups simultaneously.

For example, squats will help to work out not only legs but also back, bent-over barbell pulling will load biceps and back, and bench press will develop triceps and chest.

Change the grip

In a lot of exercises, you just have to change your grip a little bit to make it open from a completely different angle. For example, in pull-ups, push-ups, and many barbell exercises, you can place your arms wider or narrower. Such a small change allows you to work the muscle fibers that were not used before, and also to diversify your workout.

Try loading only one side

Since our body is always seeking balance, using asymmetric loads will make the body muscles work that cannot be reached in the usual way. Try doing exercises with only one dumbbell or exercising on machines using only one side of the body. It’s a little unusual advice, but sometimes it works.

Do push-ups

Push-ups are one of the greatest exercises. Doing them correctly can be described in just one phrase: Maintain a rigid, straight line from head to toe in every phase of the exercise. Keeping this in mind, you should not round your back, bend at the waist, or push your pelvis back. This exercise holds significant benefit as it engages muscles throughout nearly the entire body.

Different variations of push-ups will help you load and work a variety of muscle groups well.

 

Lift heavier weights

Using heavier weights won’t make you a clumsy heavyweight, but it will help you get stronger and protect you from osteoporosis by increasing bone density. For the best effect, it is best to use a weight equal to 60-70% of your maximum. In other words, choose a weight with which you can perform 8-12 repetitions, and the last one should be given with maximum effort.

Use proper technique

In exercises such as squats, trunk bends, or deadlifts, many instructors specify that you should push your pelvis back as far as possible.

To do it right, imagine that you need to open the door with your buttocks. This will help you activate your lower body muscles without rounding your back.

Drink milk chocolate after your workout

A post-workout mix of carbs, fats and proteins will help your body build muscle mass, reduce pain and recover faster. If you have limited time or can’t eat properly after a workout, a tall glass of milk chocolate has that perfect combination of nutrients you need.

Work out, then run

If you do strength training before jogging or other cardio, you will burn more fat. Studies by Japanese scientists showed that people who exercised using this method lost weight twice as fast as those who did not exercise at all.

 

Run through the hills

Climbing hills uses 9% more muscles than running on flat terrain. And the more muscles working, the faster progress will come. It can also save your knees: an increase in surface incline of just 3% can reduce impact loads on your legs by 24%.

Don’t Stretch, Warm Up!

Static stretching done before a workout can reduce your strength and increase your risk of developing some injuries. Instead, it is better to do an active warm-up that prepares your body for the main set with exercises that increase your heart rate and warm up your muscles. The best way to do this is to use different variations of exercises with your body weight – jumps, push-ups, squats, and so on.

Use explosive loads

Explosive loads are associated with flight – this can be the flight of your body in various jumps or the tossing of weights. Such exercises greatly increase your strength and muscle strength.

Write it down

When you do strength training or running, you’re surrounded by dozens of statistics showing your progress. These can be dumbbell weights, number of reps, mileage and pace, and more. Record your progress with a workout log or special fitness apps, which we’ve talked about many times in these pages. Experience shows that those people who keep a workout journal are much more persistent and therefore achieve results faster. This is a great motivating factor.

Recuperate with light exertion

If you have worked out really well, your body has received a heavy load and you feel pain in your muscles. The best way to recover and rest quickly is not to lie in bed, but to exercise lightly. They increase the metabolism in the muscle tissues, speeding up recovery by 40%. Play basketball the day after an active workout, go rollerblading, or do some relaxation exercises.

Take breaks

You can actually get significant gains in strength and muscle mass if you occasionally take planned reductions in training intensity. For example, reduce your workload in the last week of every month to achieve better results.