107: How to get more from your workout routine

Hi friends! How are ya? I hope you’re enjoying the week so far!

I have a new podcast episode up for you today, and I’m chatting all about ways to get more out of your workout routine. If you’ve been consistent with your routine but aren’t seeing results, here are some checkmarks to consider. It’s always helpful to assess our routine and see where we’re succeeding, what our weaknesses look like, and small changes we can make to improve results. Of course, always talk with your doctor or healthcare professional before making any changes to your fitness and nutrition routine.

107: How to get more from your workout routine

Switch the emphasis from cardio to strength training and walking

Don’t get me wrong; I LOVE cardio. I love to sweat from my eyeballs and I thrive on the endorphins. Cardio is a solid part of my routine for the mental health benefits.

Here’s what too much cardio can be a problem:

It can increase inflammation in the body, which gives us a puffy look and makes it harder to recover from our workouts

It can catabolize muscle tissue if it’s in excess and we’re not fueling/recovering properly

With cardio overtraining, it can lead to altered movement patterns, muscle imbalances, and overuse injuries. If you’re an endurance athlete, make sure you’re following a balanced training plan that incorporates cross training, along with proper fueling and recovery.

If you have body composition goals, you will notice a bigger difference if you switch your focus to strength training and use walking (or hill walking) as cardio. This will enable you to preserve muscle tissue and use your energy for strength.

Not sure how much cardio you need? Check out this post. 

Do the same things over and over again; follow a progressive training module

I cringe SO hard when I think about how I used to advocate for “muscle confusion.” Your muscles don’t have a brain lol. It’s actually beneficial to do the same movement patterns (push, pull, hinge, squat, carry) and increase the sets and reps over time. THIS is how you strategically build lean muscle. Of course, you can add in changes to keep things exciting and challenge yourself in a different way, but all solid training plans need to emphasize the basics. The classic movements have stood the test of time for a reason.

In your personal routine, take a look at your core exercises and make sure they have the pull, push, hinge, squat, and carry movements at least 2x a week. If you’re looking for a progressive training plan, join us in Fit Team.

Podcast about progressive training here!

Focus on sleep and recovery

Athletes need 7+ hours of quality sleep each night in order to facilitate mental and physical repair.

Some tips for better sleep:

– Have a solid wind down routine and follow the same steps each night

– Sunlight in your eyes each morning

– Minimize screens and blue light. Shut off screens 2 hours before bed and put your phone on airplane mode.

– Wrap up your last meal 2-3 hours before bedtime.

– Avoid late-night sweets and alcohol

– Make the room as dark as possible and create a sleep sanctuary.

Also, be sure to have 1-2 full days of rest each week in your routine. Our bodies become stronger during REST, not work. On your off days, use this time to do things that feel restorative to you: take a nap, get a massage, take a yin yoga or stretch class, work on mobility, take a leisurely walk, and fuel your body.

Incorporate warmup strategies into your routine

A solid warm up with increase tissue temperature, increase blood flow and oxygen to the muscles, allow your body to get used to the movement patterns to follow, and mentally help you get in the mindset for your workout. I always like to warm up with 7-10 minutes of cardio (easy to moderate) and then follow with dynamic stretching and/or foam rolling. Your warmup should mimic the workout that’s on the way.

A proper warmup should increase your range of motion and allow you to lift MORE, but make sure it doesn’t cut into your workout time too much.

Nutrition, hydration throughout the day, and electrolytes

It’s easy to forget that so much of our results are also dependent on how we fuel ourselves throughout the day. Make sure you’re getting enough protein, carbs, health fats, and calories. If you’re depleted, you won’t be able to build new muscle (which gives us the “toned” look so many of us are looking for),

If you’re looking for electrolytes, try NOW foods (use FITNESSISTA for 20% off) or LMNT (I order through Thrive Market).

Resources from this episode:

If any of my fellow health professional friends are looking for another way to help their clients, I highly recommend IHP. You can also use this information to heal yourself and then go on to heal others, which I think is a beautiful mission.

You can use my referral link here and the code FITNESSISTA for up to $250 off the Integrative Health Practitioner program. This is the certification I’m currently working towards and highly recommend it. You can check out my initial thoughts on IHP here!

I love love love the meals from Sakara Life! Use this link and the code XOGINAH for 20% off their meal delivery and clean boutique items. This is something I do once a month as a lil treat to myself – just got a shipment last night! – and the meals are always showstoppers.

Get 15% off Organifi with the code FITNESSISTA. I drink the green juice, red juice, gold, and Harmony! (Each day I might have something different, or have two different things. Everything I’ve tried is amazing.)

Get your free 2-week Summer Shape Up fitness plan here

Thank you so much for listening and for all of your support with the podcast! Please be sure to subscribe, and leave a rating or review if you enjoyed this episode. If you leave a rating, head to this page and you’ll get a little “thank you” gift from me to you. 

xoxo

Gina