3 Ways to Maximize your Workout Results

Feeling stagnant and unenthusiastic about your workout routine can be very common. Hitting a bump in the road because you may not be reaping the rewards from your effort can make anyone eventually lose motivation.

But never fear! There are many ways you can maximize and re-ignite your workout gains without having to put more hours in the gym or find new exercises every time you go. Below is a short list of SIMPLE and EFFECTIVE tips on how to get the most out of your pre-existing workout routine:

1. Use Rep Tempos:

How often have you gazed around a gym and noticed people getting through their reps as quickly as possible with zero control over the weight or their body? This is very common, and it’s these people in particular who could seriously benefit from rep tempos. However, very few gym-goers practice this method or know anything about it despite the fact that it is the MOST IMPORTANT tip of any of the others listed in today’s post.

What you must realize is that there are 3 phases to a movement: Contraction, Isometric, and Eccentric. The general population believes you get the most muscle growth and activation from the contraction phase of the movement, but this is false. You get the most muscle growth and activation from the eccentric and isometric phases—the lowering and holding part of your movement, respectively.

Let’s take a bicep curl as an example: After the contraction phase, try taking 3 – 4 seconds to slowly lower the dumbbell or barbell before holding it for 1-2 seconds at the middle or squeeze at the top. The added difficulty that comes with using this method might even mean lowering your weight since this could very well be the first time you’re doing a rep properly. Do not just go through the motion; CONTROL the lowering phase and practice HOLDING the weight in one place before you start the rep again.

Rep tempos can be used for any exercise, including: squats, flye’s, leg extensions, calf raises, lateral raises, front raises, shoulder presses, etc. Using squats as another example, try taking 2-3 controlled seconds to lower into your squat position. Hold the squat at the bottom for 2-3 seconds and then slowly raise up for another 2-3 seconds without going into full extension. It is way harder and more effective.

Now that you know this, pay attention to how people go through their reps at the gym. You’ll notice they are not maximizing every phase of a movement and typically only care about the contraction phase.

2. Increase your weight and use pause-reps:

Do not just stick to one weight every workout, week by week. You need to challenge yourself by continually increasing muscular demand. Exercise hurts; do not think you are the only one that feels muscle pain. If you want more pronounced results, aim to increase your weight every set. The last thing you want to do is plateau, so please think about whether or not you are just going through the motion or actually making the exercise challenging. If you feel as though the weight is slightly too heavy—or that you will not be able to complete the set—utilize the “Pause-Rep” method. This involves putting down the weight for 3-4 seconds before getting right back into the exercise. If you have to do this 1-2 times to reach the higher rep count, do so. It is not necessarily cheating; what would be cheating is not challenging yourself with the higher demand, lowering the weight, or quitting altogether. Stopping for 3-4 seconds gives your just body enough time to replenish and top up the depleted ATP energy to give you just enough to continue the exercise. Don’t lower the weights; always seek to increase them.

3. Switch up the rep count:

Do not stick to an 8-10 rep range day in, day out. A better idea is to stick to a lower rep range like 6-8 reps with very heavy weight one week before increasing that rep range to 12 – 20 with a moderate weight demand the next week. Or, try stringing exercises together with very high rep ranges and perform them back to back as a circuit or superset. For example, try doing 40 leg presses, 10 leg extensions, and 30 jump squats back to back to create what’s called a “triple drop set.”

Adjusting the rep tempo and using the pause rep method (as we discussed in points one and two) will help you get through super sets, drop sets, and circuits. Always remember: There are so many different ways to exercise and perform a workout, so do your research on the many ways of how a set can be utilized.

There is no need to be stagnant when it comes to your workout routine. Quick research, trying out new things, and experimenting with weights are all amazing ways to get excited about your workout regime again. Utilize rep tempo, pause-rep, and switch up your rep count the next time you hit the gym, and I guarantee you will walk away feeling that much more accomplished and closer to your goals.

Every week I talk about different methods, terms, and exercise ideas on my Instagram page!

Don’t forget to stay in touch! Comment below and let me know what you are thinking. Have these exercise tips helped you enhance your workout? #DollTalk