Do These Things Every Workout To Build A Killer Gym Routine
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Too many people don’t have a proper gym routine. Part of the problem is they often rush from work, so are partly distracted.
If you can get yourself a solid pre-workout routine in place, then it can really help to make the time in the gym more productive:
- Less time messing around when you arrive
- You’ll hit the ground running
- You’ll power through more of your routine
- You’ll be more motivated
- Good preparation leads to better form for longer
- Your body is able to react positively
So let’s take a quick look at some of the core things you can put in place really easily so that your gym routine pre-workout becomes effortless, and allows you to power through your routine and achieve more.
1. Work On Hydration
Hydration can be tricky because you don’t want to drink so much that you have to head off to the toilet several times during your session. That’s off-putting and almost always leads to a bad session.
On average, research shows that a healthy adult male should drink around 20 ounces of water before they start to do sustained exercise.
The problem is if you start drinking that volume of water just before you start, then you could get bloated, and for some people, it can lead to problems with burping and other unpleasantness.
Also, proper hydration means you’ll be less likely to feel dizzy and fade early. Start drinking well in advance of your session. Don’t just down the water when you get there, drink it on the journey, or even before you leave.
2. Make Sure Your Body Is Fueled
Hydration is important, and so are getting the right nutrients. A pre-workout meal, or even just a snack, can work wonders.
The problem is that some people struggle if they eat too close to working out, it really can affect the digestive system, and make them feel very sluggish and uncomfortable.
Make sure you’re focusing on carbs and proteins is the main advice. Keep the food light, and eat about one hour before you work out. You could go for a protein shake, or a bar, or something more natural like fruit, or peanut butter on toast.
3. Look At The Key Supplements That Can Help You
Using high-quality supplements can also be crucial to bursting through glass ceilings in your workouts. It could be something as simple as using creatine monohydrate alongside a protein drink.
Or you could move things up another level to anabolic mimicking supplements like those from CrazyBulk, that can improve strength, endurance, and performance.
SARMs are another great supplement you can use. Especially the non-anabolic Cardarine, described as “energy in a bottle”, which in small doses can still send your workouts up to a completely different level.
Also look at caffeine, because that helps to increase blood flow and dilation in veins and arteries. Don’t go crazy, but 200 mg 30 minutes before you start really can make a big difference to the second half of your workout when you need the extra push.
4. Plan The Session In Advance
Some people really benefit from planning their sessions well in advance. So they are setting themselves a target to reach by planning ahead of time.
It can be really specific as well, in terms of weights, reps, sets, even scheduled rest. For some people that’s overkill, but for others, it can really help them to mentally prepare and follow through.
You’re also crucially going to keep yourself accountable. If you know that what you have said you going to do is realistic, and then you don’t achieve it, then you have to take a look at your motivation and how realistic you are being.
5. Consider Using A Foam Roller
Some people find foam rolling effectively. It’s been proven to be effective at releasing muscle tension and easing muscle pain.
Crucially, it can also help to increase muscle range of motion. Which is obviously going to be great when you hit the gym, especially when you get started and have only just warmed up
Give it a go at home if you want to see how it works first. If it feels good, and you can feel the benefits, then move into your pre-workout routine.
6. Make Sure You Thoroughly Warm-up
You’ll actually be amazed how many people don’t bother with basic warming up. The amount of people I’ve spoken to over the years who do a few stretches and then start lifting main session weights is incredible.
That’s at the gym, and I suspect it is worse for people working out at home. Wherever you workout, it’s important that you do a thorough warm-up session. Just 10 minutes will be enough to work the muscle groups you’re going to use.
But don’t just focus on those muscle groups, make sure you stretch all the main muscle groups in the body. That way you’ll minimize problems if you do have a poor form through tiredness as well.
7. Dynamically Warm The Muscle Groups You Will Work With
Once you’ve done a general workup, spend an additional few minutes working on dynamically warming up the muscles you’ll be working with.
Dynamic means that you will be using compound bodyweight exercises using natural range and motion, to get your muscles really ready for the weight.
Focus on the areas that are often problems, knees, shoulders, wrists. All those joints are crucial, and under pressure from the start of a workout, and by working with them closely you can minimize injuries and increase your ability to complete the work out better.
8. Work On Your Motivation In The Gym
The final part of turning up at the gym properly is to be motivated when you get started. everything we have talked about here will help you to feel energized, warmed up, and ready to go.
Taking supplements can increase your core strength, motivation, and endurance. Things like SARMs really can benefit.
But it’s also about being mentally focused. Have a soundtrack you listen to, that’s always a great way to get motivated. Even give yourself a little pep talk in the mirror before you start, get some adrenaline running, anything you can to really want to move through the work out smoothly and with power.
If you are not motivated, you’ll find you give up early, you’ll get tired more quickly, and you won’t do the exercises with the range of motion you need.