Five Tips for September
1. Lift Weights – this is especially targeted for anyone approaching 30 or post-30…
Strength training is a must, and no it doesn’t mean that you have to go heavy. Once we reach the age of 30, we lose around three to eight percent of our muscle mass every year, so lifting weights or working with a focus of resistance training is the only way to combat this. Remember it’s never too late to get strong, you can start with simple bodyweight exercises like press-ups, squats, lunges & progress from there.
2. Focus on bodyweight workouts
If like many you struggle to commit to exercise 3+ times a week due to your schedule. A full-body routine as opposed to a muscle group specific workout will ensure your training all/most muscle groups in one workout. Full-body sessions tend to incorporate compound moves, using multiple muscle groups, which is both effective and efficient. Compound exercises raise your heart rate more than isolated exercises as the body needs to oxygenate more muscles at one time. Therefore, a full-body session will give you more bang for your buck, especially if you’re looking to maximise your three sessions a week.
3. Always listen to your body
You don’t need to go hard every day to see results. In fact, overtraining can lead to physical & mental exhaustion, increased risk of injury & high cortisol levels. Aka your stress hormone, high cortisol levels can actually lead to symptoms such as weight gain & fatigue, ultimately setting you and your goals further back. Pay attention to how your body responds to your workouts, learn to recognise signs of fatigue or burnout. Allow yourself rest days to recover & give your muscles time to repair & grow stronger guilt free. Rest is just as important as exercise when it comes to achieving progress long term & staying consistent.
4. Exercise with intention
When using weights or in fact body weight exercises, you need to isolate the muscle that you are targeting by focusing your attention on it. Known as the mind to muscle connection, slow down your movements, control your breathing. This in turn, will improve the quality of your form, making your workout more efficient & effective.
5. Don’t cut the carbs
Since low-carb diets came on the scene, carbs have become the enemy, responsible for anything & everything bad in this world. However this is NOT the case, we in fact all need them in our diet, every day, especially if you train. No matter what your fitness goal is, whether you’re working out to gain muscle, lose fat or for performance reasons. Carbs provide you with the energy you need to achieve your goals. It’s as simple as that. For a better, more effective workout, eat carbs an hour before your session as well as post workout to refuel & recover.
Head to the LEARN section in the App to find out more on lifting weights, nutrition etc.
