14 Mar Ways to improve your workout: Part II

Continuing with our series on “Ways to improve your workout,” here are five more suggestions to help you rise above the average men and women in the crowd.
1. Strive for quality over quantity – Try to make each workout session the very best you can, rather than going to the gym day after day and only putting in a lackluster effort.
Hard, intense workouts will produce great results because the body needs time to rest between exercising. Three to four workouts a week can be better than five if you exercise hard and with focus. Days off can also allow for proper rest time for the muscles.
When doing cardio on the treadmill machine or elliptical, for example, perform interval training to maximize your workout rather than going along at the same easy pace.
2. Change your grips – Vary your grips on exercises every now and then to change the way the muscles are used.
3. Consult a personal trainer – A great way to take it to the next level is to work with a personal trainer. Hire a trainer to work out with, or if you can’t afford regular workouts with a trainer then pay one to help you design a workout program.
A trainer can keep even experienced gym goers from getting stuck in a rut by introducing new exercises and concepts.
4. Find the right time to exercise – Try to stick with the same time to exercise so your body can get used to it.
5. Breathe right – It may seem simple, but many people do not breathe correctly when exercising. When strength training, breathe out when exerting and breathe in on the release.
Take full, complete breaths to help maximize your workouts.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com