Have you hit a plateau lately? Getting bored with your regular workout routine? Here are 5 simple ways to amp up your current workout:
1) Add cardio drills between resistance training sets
Keep your heart-rate up between sets and cut down on your cardio time. For each drill, start with 30 seconds and build up to a minute between sets. Jumping jacks, mountain climbers, high-knee running in place, burpies, jumping rope – pick your favorites and keep moving!
2) Add cardio or weights to your routine
If you only do cardio, add some sets of resistance training to your program. Pick a few multi-joint exercises and alternate them a few times (e.g. chest press then row, shoulder press then pulldowns). Be serious about it, too. Put effort into your sets and don’t take too much rest time in between.
If you only do resistance training, try adding a short HIIT cardio session after your lift: Warm up for five minutes and then alternate 60 seconds of very high intensity cardio followed by 90 seconds of light cardio to recover. The 60-second intensity segment should leave you sucking wind at the end. If you can get through 5 cycles of intervals, you’ll be adding a great heart-healthy, fat-burning component to your workout.
3) Do drop sets for a few resistance training exercises
Instead of working through your normal sets (like three sets of 10, or 15/12/10 reps), try making your last set of an exercise a drop set. Get your hands on 50% more weight than you usually use and only do 4 reps. Now drop the weight down 5 or 10lbs and do four more reps. Do that a third time (and a fourth if you can handle it) and you’ll be left with an exhausted set of muscles! What’s more, you’ll have one of the most effective and efficient uses of time there is in resistance training.
4) Use intervals during your cardio (hills and faster pace)
When you do your cardio, break it up into intervals (or segments). For a treadmill, that could be as simple as walking at max incline for 2 minutes then jogging for 2 minutes. Or, if you’re on an indoor cycle, alternate 2 minutes of fast cycling and 2 minutes of stand-up pedaling. It’ll keep your body guessing so it makes the workout more effective. Plus, shorter segments make your workout seem to fly by! You’ll feel like you got through it MUCH more quickly.
5) Hire a personal trainer!
A fitness professional can expose you to a library of new exercises, drills and different approaches. He can push you to new limits, help you set new goals and reinvorate your workout so it’s challenging, effective and fun!