Get More From Your Gym; Stop These Things

You would go to the gym more if you weren’t so bored with your workout. You’ve tried adapting new workouts, but they all get boring too. If you go, it will be just to sit on you favorite piece of equipment to pump out as many reps as you can force yourself to do.

(Source: 1teamfitness.com)

Going to the same gym, chasing the same goals can get old fast. Maybe it’s not about new fancy exercises, as much as it is about doing the exercises you’ve been doing with a different a new set of rules.

To shake things up, adopt these three rules about your workouts to enjoy better results starting right now.

(Source: sweat.com)

Stop Using Machines

Unless you are bodybuilding or working through rehabilitation, skip the machines. They don’t train you for the real world.

In the real world you encounter variables, like sand in parking lots or ice, curbs that seem to grow as you climb them, and strangely packed shipments from Amazon. To say the least, the real world is unpredictable.

Machines are very stable environments, where you can push or pull a ton of weight, but it doesn’t translate to the real world 100%. Not mention, machines are mostly sitting or lying down.

In the real world, sitting is for driving, computing or couch surfing, not load bearing. You already do plenty of that.

(Source: goodpixcool.com)

Stop Sitting

Speaking of which, please stand up. You may have heard sitting is the new smoking. The jury’s out on that metaphor, but it’s probably not good for you.

For sure there’s the part of the exercise where you want to train in the way that you use your body. Uh, that does not mean if you like to watch TV you should train for sitting on the couch. That’s not really an activity.

Instead, consider what you like to do when you are active, say, for example, shopping. It may require carrying loads of bags, lifting them into car trunks and back out (one of the most popular ways to throw out one’s back).

You should be doing farmer carries and rotational movements, lifting and setting down weights.

(Source: menshealth.co.uk)

Just.. Stop Stopping

If you are training for strength, then take the time you need to recover between sets by all means. You have to.

That said, most of us are taking five minutes camping sessions between sets, lifting at endurance weight intensities. It’s cool, but you’d be better off stacking two or three exercises together.

For one, you’ll be more time efficient, but you’ll also really stoke your body’s thermogenic fires. You’re gonna sweat, sweetheart.

Stacking your exercises is great for conditioning your body to handle real work, beat fatigue, and build a foundation for strength. All good things.

(Source: guyvorce.com)

Try dropping these three rules into your current workout. Make adaptations as needed, but see how things go.

Don’t be surprised if you finish up early. You can always add another round of the same if you have time. Whatever you do, don’t tolerate boredom.

Stop blaming your exercise selection. Blame your rules.