Tactics that will Immediately Elevate Your Workouts

I think one thing we can all agree on is that if you’re putting in the time & effort in the gym, you want to make sure you’re doing everything possible to get the most out of your workout. There are hundreds and hundreds of exercises, programs and different styles of workouts but one thing remains true:

Quality of movement, slowing down & muscle engagement will create the best results!

It can be easy to get caught up in the thought process that we need to go harder, do more and go faster in order to burn fat, build muscle and see results, but in a lot of ways, quite the contrary is true. Even when it comes to exercises where we are intentionally going hard and fast, taking the time first to perfect quality of movement will ultimately get you the most out of your workouts.

Time under tension. Especially when it comes to lifting, taking each movement at a slow, steady, controlled tempo will increase the amount of time your muscles are experiencing force. This process starts a chemical reaction in your muscles that will result in increased muscle growth, endurance and strength! I know, in the moment when you’re feeling that uncomfortable burn it can be very tempting to power through the reps and just get them done, but I promise you, you’re selling yourself short! You’re already there, doing the work, so you might as well slow it down and get the absolute most out of the movement! Sometimes this may even look like doing a lighter weight than you’re used to or less reps and that’s ok! If you’re looking to get stronger, have more muscle tone & overall feel more fit and healthy, making sure your movements are high quality & controlled should be the top priority!

Quality of movement. Let’s face it, we are all busy, we all want to fit in a workout and get it done and we are all guilty of lowering the quality of our movement in order to do so from time to time. Maybe you’re super competitive and in order to win, you’re not getting all the way down in your squat, or not doing 100% full range of motion in your pushup, sit-up, etc. just to get you there a little faster…. but at the end of the day, how is that serving you? The answer is, it’s not!! It’s better to finish later than to decrease the quality of your movement!

Focus on the muscles you’re working. One more bonus in addition to slowing down and prioritizing quality is really focusing on activating and using the muscles you’re focusing on in that movement. For example, if you’re bench pressing, as you’re working through the movement turn all your energy and attention to your chest and shoulder muscles as they work through the eccentric (lowering) part of the movement and then squeezing them and using every fiber of them to push the weight back up. Being fully present and aware of your body as you work through the movement will help to fully engage and fire those muscles, creating better results!

I encourage you to put these 3 tactics into practice in your next workout and notice how it changes your workout and results for the better!