When you embark upon a new training or fitness regimen, it’s natural to want to achieve the best results. If you’ve recently started working out, or you’re working towards new fitness goals, here are some tips to help you elevate your performance.
Fuel your body
When it comes to training, it’s helpful to view your body in the same way as a supercar or a thoroughbred racehorse. To operate efficiently and supercharge performance levels, you need to ensure that you have high-quality fuel in the tank and enough reserves to keep you going. If you exercise regularly, you’ll use more energy, which means that you need to increase your calorie intake. Experts recommend a daily intake of 2,500 calories for men. If you have an active lifestyle and you burn hundreds of calories per day, adjust your intake to prevent weight loss and tiredness.
As well as making sure you eat enough and you have sufficient fuel to keep energy levels up, it’s important to think about what you eat. Focus on nutrition and ensure that your diet is balanced. If you train hard and you’re looking to build muscle mass and aid recovery, add protein to your diet. You can increase the amount of lean meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds and vegetables and supplement your intake with snacks like a protein bar. Slow-release carbohydrates will provide energy over a protracted period. Opt for whole grains, such as brown pasta and rice and wholemeal bread, to boost heart health and fiber intake.
Stay hydrated
Hydration is key when you train, as your body loses fluid through sweating. Sweating is a natural response to your body temperature rising. As the temperature increases, your sweat glands release water to cool your body down. If you don’t take enough fluids on board, you could become dehydrated. Dehydration can affect concentration, cause headaches and muscle pain and make you feel drowsy and disoriented. You will also find that you can’t train to the best of your ability if you’re dehydrated. Always ensure that you have water with you and drink plenty of fluids before and after a workout.
Get your body ready for action
If you’re excited to train, or you’re new to exercise, it’s understandable to want to get started as soon as possible, but you should always take the time to warm up and get your body ready. Warming up increases blood flow and heart rate to prepare the muscles for work. If you don’t warm up, you won’t be able to reach peak levels during your session and you run the risk of injuries, such as muscle strain and tears. Your warm-up should comprise stretches and light cardio exercises to gradually raise your heart rate. After exercise, stretch thoroughly and bring your heart rate back down with a gentle jog.
Find a training partner
Human beings are naturally competitive creatures. Most of us will try harder when we’re in competition with another person or team. If you’re looking to improve your performance in the gym or ring, or on the court or pitch, or you’re training for an event, consider finding a training partner. Working out with a friend or joining a training group can help you to push harder and eke out an extra bit of effort to achieve better results. Exercising with others can also be more fun, which makes it easier to maintain high levels of motivation.
Hire a personal trainer
It’s not always easy to hit the dizzy heights when you exercise, especially if you’re not in the mood or you’ve lost motivation. Personal trainers are there to encourage and support you and get the best out of you. Having a trainer there to instruct and coach you and push you when you feel like you can’t do anymore can help you to get more out of your sessions. Working with a trainer is also beneficial for working towards specific targets and goals. Your trainer can design and plan sessions and programs based on what you want to accomplish, your fitness level and your health status.
Set targets
Goal setting is beneficial for increasing motivation and it can make you try harder. Whether you enjoy running, you’re a member of the gym, or you play team sports, you can set targets to elevate your performance. Your goals should be ambitious but realistic. If you’ve only just started running, for example, it’s not realistic to sign up for a marathon in a month. Gradually build up your fitness and establish milestones on the way to your end goal. Start with a 5K run, move up to a 10K and then tackle a half-marathon before attempting the marathon. Celebrate successes, reward yourself and keep setting new targets.
Work on your technique
Mastering techniques is beneficial for two main reasons. Firstly, it can help you to improve your performance. Secondly, it reduces the risk of injuries. Work on your form, learn how to use equipment and seek advice if you’re new to a sport, or you’ve just joined the gym. If you haven’t got the technique nailed down, you could injure yourself and you won’t get the full benefit of the training session. It’s also crucial to make sure that you have the right kit. Wear comfortable, supportive footwear and clothes that fit well. You should be able to focus on the exercise, rather than thinking about adjusting clothing that is too loose or tight or worrying about blisters.
Whether you’re a beginner or a fitness fanatic, it’s natural to want to get the best out of your training sessions or workouts. If you’re working towards fitness goals, it’s beneficial to recognize that multiple factors contribute to hitting peak performance levels. Fuel your body, stay hydrated and prepare your body for exercise. Allow yourself time to recover, set targets, work out with others and consider hiring a personal trainer. Work on your technique and make sure you have the right clothing and equipment. If you combine all these steps, you should find that you achieve more and reach your goals faster.
