How to Get the Most out of Your Workouts

Making sure you get the most out of your workouts will ensure getting the best results possible the fastest. You have more of a hand in the outcome of your workouts than you'd think-- check out these tips for making your workouts as beneficial as possible!

- Drink tons of water: When your body is hydrated, you perform better. Even small amounts of dehydration can drastically reduce your performance. Make sure to listen to your body during your workouts, and bring a big bottle of water to keep yourself hydrated.

- Make a protein shake: Protein is the building block of fitness! No matter what your goal is -- to lose fat, gain muscle, or increase strength -- eating enough protein is vital in helping you reach your goals. Make sure you are eating enough protein rich foods, and try incorporating a protein shake in your daily diet to ensure you're getting enough of this helpful macronutrient!

- Give yourself adequate recovery days: Your body repairs itself when you sleep and rest. If you work out heavily every day, or aren't getting enough sleep, then you are impeding your body's ability to heal itself. Take your rest days very seriously!

- Consistency is key: Ever hear the saying that "Rome wasn't built in a day"? Well, in the same vein, fitness goals were never reached in a day! You won't be getting the results you want unless you are keeping consistent. Working out several times a week and making sure you're not skimping on your nutritional needs will make sure that you end up exactly where you want to be.

- Track your progress: Tracking your fitness journey is the best way to see how far you've come. Not only does it help motivate you, but it can show you where you may need to fine tune your workout, or show you where you're excelling. Take measurements and progress pictures on day 1, then multiple times throughout your fitness journey. Look back often to make sure you're on the right path.

- Warm up properly: A quick, 10 minute warm-up helps your workout in more ways than one. It helps lubricate your joints, get your blood flowing, and prevent injuries. By warming up briefly, you increase your performance during the main part of your workout.

- Focus on your form: If you're not doing your workouts properly, you aren't getting the full results that you could be getting. In some cases, improper form could be causing more harm than good by damaging your muscles. So, make sure that you are going through the entire range of motion, not going to deep or too shallow, and using the equipment properly. You should have your full concentration on going through the movements while working out!