7 Ways to Increase Productivity in Your Gym Workouts

When you are going to the gym on a regular basis, it can be hard to be able to motivate yourself when it comes to doing certain exercises to the intensity that is needed to really feel the strain in your muscles.

Here is a list of 7 ways that you can use to motive yourself to be able to get the best out of your time in the gym:

1.    Alter your standard workout routines

When you first start a new workout programme, you will find that you have no problems with motivation, as the exercises are relatively new to you but as you cycle through the same exercises on a regular basis, you will find that your effort reduces due to complacency.

Even a subtle alteration to the way in which you complete your training routine will help to increase your motivational levels as you brain is having to break out of the regular cycle and concentrate on the exercise on hand.

Obviously to get the greatest change in your motivational levels you need to be looking to create an exercise programme routine that is a minimum of 90% unique from your previous plan.

2.    Get your camera out

Finding the motivation to push yourself to the limit each and every time that you step into the gym can be an incredible task because let’s face it, there are days where you will feel like you just don’t want to workout at all, let alone push your body to the limit.

It is a well known fact that often words mean very little when it comes to being able to find your motivation and so with this tip, you are stimulating your body and mind through visual presentation.

Taking pictures on a regular basis will not only help you to see the progress that you are making but will also help you to distinguish which areas of your body you need to work to be able to reach your goals.

3.    Pump up the volume

A case study conducted on gym users has shown that a higher percentage of those tested were able to push their bodies further than those who were not listening to some sort of music while they worked out.

This means that simply adding an iPod or other MP3 player into the sessions where you are working out alone will not only help you to push your body further but will also prevent you from being distracted easily by other gym users.

Finding songs that are upbeat and contain a high tempo beat have been proven to stimulate the brain and body for extensive exercise rather than slower songs that proved to have the adverse effect on the listener.

4.    Train with a partner

There will be times where you feel that you simply can’t push your body any further than you are already doing but from personal experience and that of others that I have spoken to, training with a partner can offer you that additional boost that you need.

Training alone can sometimes leave you feeling limited in relation to the weights that you are able to work with due to the fear of getting into a situation where you can’t complete the rep set midway through your count.

Training with another person means that they are able to not only give you confidence boosting words of support but can also help you out in those times that you feel you can’t squeeze anymore out of the set that you are struggling with.

Team up and you offer the same to your chosen partner and I guarantee that you will be pushing more weight that any time that you do while working out alone.

5.    Keep your enemies close and challenge them

The human male instinct of competition is a great way to be able to push yourself through the barriers of lack of motivation and pain and coupled with the opportunity to be able to put one over on someone that you can’t stand will ensure that you are working as hard as you physically can.

Although many of those reading this will not like the thought of placing a wager against someone when it comes to working out, the fear that you could be soon to lose money to someone that you can’t stand will definitely spur you on to hit the gym as often as you can and will push your limits that little bit further.

The key to using this tip is to always make sure that your challenge is something measurable otherwise you will hit a stalemate when it comes to who wins the competition, something like lowering your BMI would be a great example of what you could look to use as a target.

6.    Avoid the journey home before the gym

Getting into the workout mood can be hard as the day progresses and so when you are thinking about going to the gym after a hard day’s work you should look to avoid heading home beforehand.

This is simply avoided by packing your gym bag the night before and heading straight to the gym from there, going home will only make things harder when it comes to getting motivated as many gym users admit that once they get through their front door, they often reconsider going to workout.

7.    Hire a personal trainer once a month

Sometimes it can be hard to be able to follow a regular pattern when it comes to working out at the gym as your body slowly becomes used to the warm ups and exercises that you may use when you go to the gym.

Hiring a personal trainer will give you a different style of workout, giving you a new routine that your brain and body will have to quickly adapt to, shocking it into a concentrated state of action.

Personal trainers can range in experience and ability so be sure to check out their credentials before hiring anyone and make sure that they are really going to put you through your paces.

Posted in: Health and Fitness, Self Improvement