Tired of putting all your work into the gym and not getting the expected results? Many people show determination and consistent effort, but they don’t reach their goals. If this sounds familiar, the next logical step is usually to find an experienced personal trainer.
15 Tips and Strategies to Lead a Fitness Life
But, if you’re not ready to take that step yet, or if you just prefer to go it alone, here are 15 tips and strategies that will help you build strength, gain muscle mass, lose fat, increase your stamina, and maintain healthy eating habits. So now, get back your running shoes that you bought online and go back to the gym!
1. Healthy eating: Nutritional basics
If you ask almost any dietitian-nutritionist, they will tell you that regardless of your training goals, diet is a determining factor in your progress. Food is the fuel that helps you achieve your goals and without proper nutrition through quality food, it is very likely that you will stagnate. Forget about shakes and supplements until you have your daily diet well planned. Your diet should be based on fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates, legumes, proteins (don’t forget vegetables) and fats (in addition to olive oil, you have avocados, nuts, salmon).
2. Schedule meals.
Regardless of what you are doing, prepare your food ahead of time for a better chance of achieving your goals. It is best if you prepare today’s food the day before. With this we will make sure that we do not eat anything or skip meals.
3. Eat more.
Eating less can impair your performance in the gym and lower your metabolism (reducing energy consumption at rest). There is no clear criterion if it is better to eat 3 or 6 times a day, here each one “sells his book”, but look for the frequency that is most comfortable for you and consume foods of high nutritional quality and that are good on top of it. Do you still think that a protest shake is the best dinner?
5. Eat mindfully.
Forget eating in front of the TV or sending whatsapps. If you eat accompanied, in a quiet environment and talking, you will enjoy the food much more. Disconnect from the daily frenzy, take your time and enjoy the moment!
6. Fundamentals in building muscles.
If you talk to any personal trainer, they will tell you that there are certain basics to muscle building. First, you may need to increase your intake of complete proteins, although with the Western diet we tend to be well served. In the gym, you train with weights two to four times a week, it depends on your previous preparation and your available time. Never underestimate the importance of rest. Remember, muscle tissue grows outside of the gym, when you are giving your body time to relax and let it recover.
7. Dont cheat.
Don’t take shortcuts to want immediate results. In each training session push yourself beyond where you usually go. And forget about the products that “the hunkiest guy in the gym” offers you.
8. Up and down.
Wondering how to get the most out of weight lifting? Start with a standard weight in your first session. Between the second and third series the weight increases by 30 or 40% more. If you can’t do it after 20 seconds, you have put too much weight on it.
9. Cardio.
Do you like cardio exercises? If yes, you should know that when you are building muscle, you do not have to do large amounts of cardiovascular exercises. Jogging a few days a week for 20 minutes is sufficient.
10. Supplements.
Some people believe that supplements play a key role in muscle gain. Some have proven effectiveness like creatine or caffeine, but before you get there, focus on your daily diet.
11. Endurance training. Prepare yourself.
When it comes to resistance training, you will have to be well hydrated and be sure that you are eating properly because this form of training is very demanding on the body. And to increase aerobic capacity, there is nothing better than intense interval work. You will most likely end up sweating profusely and burning a ton of calories.
12. Go little by little.
Yes, you want to get super hunk in 2 months. But this does not work like that. Your body needs time for adaptations of all kinds to take place (muscular, circulatory…). If you start too strong, you are at risk of injury or “burn out” before you start to see results. We recommend that you take it as a long-distance race and make it a lifestyle change.
13. Effort for endurance.
To advance your resistance training, you need to put in a total effort. You must reach muscle exhaustion. Push-ups, pull-ups, squatting exercises… If all these movements are mastered in high intensity and repetitions, the muscles will be conditioned and the resistance will be significantly increased.
14. Fight against fatigue.
To reduce fatigue it is important that after training you take something to recover quickly and to promote muscle synthesis. Technically, you will have to eat a meal with a 3: 1 or 4: 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein. But a ham sandwich and a juice or rice pudding and fruit can be good options, easy to carry and eat anywhere.
15. Strength training. Strengthening fundamentals.
According to personal trainers, if you want to build strength, you have to set goals and be patient. In the early stages it is important to be aware of this and follow the established plan. When you are in the gym, don’t get distracted. When leaving the gym, make sure you get adequate rest and keep track of your progress.
