Friday's Top 5 Take-away: Rules of Engagement for Effective Workouts

Today I wanted to do a quick post about my top 5 rules of engagement if you want to get the most out of your workouts.

I often hear people say – "Oh, a workout is a workout right. As long as you move or do something – it's better than nothing…"

OK – so to be clear – something IS better than nothing. So you r priority should be to get yourself moving on regular basis.

But IMHO – if you're gonna expand the energy and the time to do "something", then you should make a commitment to get the most out of that effort – right?

So with that in mind – promise me you'll never again suggest that all exercise is equal :o)

And let's get on with my top 5 things to keep in mind in order to get the most out of your workouts.

1. Think QUALITY not quantity.

This point refers to doing quality type workouts as opposed to focusing on the length of the workout. You should know by now, but just in case you've missed it – shorter, higher intensity workouts burn up more calories in total than normal rate cardio, like jogging, or walking and so on.

Do a high intensity workout that involves compound movements and build some muscle mass. This will help you burn calories during and after your workout – sweet…

See this workout for an example of what I mean.

2. Think intensity and form… not quantity.

And by this I mean really – make sure each rep and movement you do is in great form and you put in all you have into that movement.

Don't just move around limply through your workout – it makes a HUGE difference to your results.

If you can't keep good form for the entire set, then lower the weight or do a more basic version of the movement and gradually work your way up to the full intensity required.

3. Don't over-deliver, i.e. know your limits and respect them.

Don't push your body beyond its limits because you will injure yourself. Listen to your body and it will listen to you.

But don't look for an excuse to slack off either. It's a balance you have to find for your own body. Push enough to progress and get result. Don't push to breaking point.

4. Fuel up appropriately.

This isn't going to be a point about post workout meals and so on. It is general point about eating the right kind of foods to assist you in getting the weight loss results you're aiming for.

So make sure you're eating the right amount of calories for your weight and goals.

And make sure you eat fresh, wholesome foods. Eat a good amount of protein in balance with all the other macro nutrients to support your muscle growth.

5. Get proper rest.

I know – you weren't expecting for this one to be here. How can resting have an impact on your workout results right?

Well – rest is the time when your body gets to re-group and repair itself from the process of working out.

Make sure you get enough rest. Workout maximum 5 times a week, and if you have to work out on the other 2 days do something less intense like a walk, or a hike or something. Your body needs to recuperate or you will just keep stressing it out until one day it backfires.

If you do a lot more strength training type exercises, your body will need 2-3 days to recover at least. So space up some interval training inbetween to allow you to rest.

Also – if you're doing interval training – it's very important to rest properly at the right level between intervals.

Well those are my 5 rules. Stick to them each workout and you'll start seeing different results from what you may have been getting from your workouts until now. If it seems like a lot to do all at once – implement them one at a time. If you do one a week in 5 weeks time your body will have transformed :o)

Go on – get working out.

Seriously – just try sticking to those rules even for one workout and see the difference in how you feel. Please come back and let me know if you liked ;o)