Saturday, February 4, 2012

27 Workout Tips

Working out is not easy at all && we all know that, here I've decided to show you guys a few tips that have helped me in my journey to loosing weight, Hope they help you too (:
  • Keep challenging yourself! If a pose starts to feel easy, go for a deeper stretch, or hold it for longer. You can work your ab muscles more (and get better definition) by letting go of your thighs and extending your arms forward at shoulder height.

  • Use the poses to stretch! If you’re feeling sore the day after a tough exercise session, use your favorite poses to loosen up your muscles and ease the pain. 
  • Cue up a motivational playlist, because any upbeat song that gets you excited and ready to dance is perfect for any workout. I would recommend “California Girls” by Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg—it has a great beat!  
  •  Drink & Snack. To re-hydrate yourself after a good night’s rest, make sure you drink two glasses of water with lemon before your workout. And even though you may be hungry, save breakfast for after your workout. Instead, grab a light but high-energy snack, like an apple or low-fat yogurt, to get you going!   (That's if your working out in the AM)
  • Warm up & Stretch. Always start with your cardio, or at least do a light 5-minute jog to warm up your muscles. After that, stretch your legs and arms (We don’t want any pulled muscles!) You can begin with these simple stretches: For your legs, touch your toes with your head between your knees. For your arms, bring your right elbow up behind your head and push it down with the left hand, then vice versa.
  • Remember that what you put in is what you get out. If you put in positive thoughts, you will get a positive outcome. Don’t be negative! Believe in yourself and your body.
  • Confront your fears.  Fitness isn’t just about the body! It includes the mind, the body, and the spirit. So don’t be afraid of what your body maybe can’t do until you try it. Fear is an inside job, and once you confront your fears, you can overcome your barriers.
  • Patience is key.  Adapting to a healthy lifestyle does not mean pushing yourself to limits you can’t reach. You’re not going to see results after your first workout, but if you keep applying yourself, you’ll be pleasantly surprised—promise!  
  • Make sure you’re warming up! Warming up before a workout is crucial because it helps to prevent injuries. Try to get your legs working by taking a quick walk up a few flights of stairs, or jog around your house – you can even run in place or jump rope for five minutes! 
  • Feel it in your tummy: Control the movement as you lower your legs slowly, using your ab muscles to stop just before your heels actually hit the ground.
  • Have an imaginary opponent. It sounds silly to pretend you’re fighting someone, but not only does it spice up a workout like this—you’ll also be pleasantly surprised by the extra “oomph!” you give each rep! 
  • Want a candy bar? Go for a Luna bar instead. They’re sweet, but they have more protein, which will give you awesome energy that lasts.
  • Want an icy snack?  Freeze some grapes! You can pop them on the go, and they’re so delish—a great substitute for a too-sugary slushy treat.
  • Want pizza? Go for it! Pizza can be a great balanced meal, just top it off with veggies instead of meats, and dab the extra grease with a napkin. (Too much grease = major tummy ache.)
  •  BREATHE!
  •  Fix your eyes on something that doesn’t move. They say that when the gaze is still, the mind is still — trust me, it works!
  •  Be present in the moment. Energy flows where your mind goes, so it’s important that your mind doesn’t wander. When you start thinking about school or boys, you lose attention to your pose —and that’s when your body waivers!
  •  Setting smaller short-term goals (plus having some patience) will get you where you truly want to be!
  • Modify, don’t quit.  Seriously feel like you can’t push it for another rep, but your time’s not up? Modify the move instead of stopping! (For example, maybe you’ve hit your max on the bicycles, but can squeeze out a few crunches — or maybe you just need to take the resistance band off on the sidekicks!)
  • In Between Moves: Tone down your rest period! If you feel like you’ve got the stamina, keep your heart rate up by jogging in place (or doing some light jumping jacks) between moves.
  • Stay motivated! Any time you feel like skipping a workout, crank up your favorite upbeat music dance for a few minutes. Chances are, once you get your body moving, you’ll want to finish the whole workout!
  • Go harder! To really get the most out of this last week, here’s what I want you to do: On your last set, try to perform every exercise until muscle failure instead of  the usual 60 seconds. (That means you will perform the exercise until you absolutely cannot do another rep.)
  • Take it up a notch! If you feel that the workout has become a bit routine, I want you to spice it up by adding some more cardio. After every circuit, add 6 minutes of cardio (run, bike, stairs, step-ups, dance, elliptical—whatever you love!) for a total of 18 extra minutes. (I swear you’ll barely notice!)
  •  Always finish the sets and reps, even if you have to use lighter weights
  • Every single rep should feel like work. That means it’s working!
  • When it comes to getting results, perfect form is so much more important than heavier weights! 
  • Making a real commitment to fitness will make you happy and energized, and it change your perspective to help you accomplish all of your dreams—and accomplish them with that extra “YES I CAN!” attitude.

5 comments:

  1. Great post! I need the motivation to get on the treadmill at the mo!

    I found your blog in one of the groups on Beautylish and am now following via GFC, it would be great if you could check out my blog and follow me too!

    http://whatkimmididnext.blogspot.com/

    Kim

    ReplyDelete
  2. awe thank u (: i will follow u asap.

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  3. Great post! Motivation is definitely key and i'm totally off my workout game these days and looking for some motivation!

    Found your blog on beautylish and followed you love! Not sure if you've checked out my blog but here it is just in case:

    beautymideast.blogspot.com

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nice tips!
    Found you from beautylish! :))


    http://urhappybunnie.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. nice tips doll!! thank you for following! :)

    ReplyDelete