It’s easy to get stuck in an exercise routine or rut. Going through the everyday workouts without switching it up can get boring and may just be like not working out at all. By getting stranded on a plateau means you could stop seeing improvements, and nothing is less inspiring than that. There is, however, light at the end of the tunnel. There’s a lot of easy steps to inject life back into your workout. Below are a few tips to get you out of that exercise rut.
Watch the Clock
Workouts can suffer if you are spending too much time resting or at the water fountain. Make sure to keep a close eye on the clock to ensure you’re not spending too much time resting (or too little). You want to hit that sweet spot that will lower your risk for injury, as well as make your workouts as effective as it can be. Depending on what your goals are, your rest time will vary from thirty seconds to five minutes.
Skip the Machines
Yes, machines do make resistance training user-friendly. Free weights are your best bet if you are looking for an extra intense workout. You will engage more stabilizing muscles during each rep, without the help of a machine. This will make your body work way harder. The same is said when doing bodyweight exercises, which can be more effective at strengthening the core than workouts done on machines.
Combine strength and cardio
People often assume strength training and cardio to be two separate activities. They are actually intertwined and heavily related to one another. Adding cardio (like jumping rope for 20 seconds) into your circuit will rev your metabolism while still building strength.
Hold your Pose
By contracting a muscle and holding it in a flexed position provides strength and endurance benefits that can’t be achieved through traditional isotonic exercise. Try this out on a stability wall squat.
Embrace instability
A balancing act can go a long way when it comes to your workouts. Exercise that requires balance stimulates more muscles, especially in your core. To test this, try doing simple exercises like squats or push-ups on a BOSU or stability ball.