Putting Intensity Into Your Workouts

Scott Tousignant from The Fit Bastard recently wrote an article about how to exercise less and get better results on your weight loss program. Scott and I both agree that once you've passed the beginner stages of training and your body is ready for a powerful workout, the best way to get results is to lower the time in the gym and increase the intensity.

5 Rules For Getting More Out Of Your Workout

1) You need to have purpose and passion at the foundation of each workout.

Purpose comes from realizing that this individual workout is a step toward achieving your ultimate fat loss goal.

Passion comes from realizing all the benefits associated with accomplishing your fat loss goal, such as looking hot in a bathing suit, getting compliments from your friends and spouse, landing your dream job or getting a promotion, increased confidence and self esteem, knowing that you will be around to play with your grandchildren or see your own children get married, and so much more.

2) Make every workout count.

Youve got to give maximum effort to every single rep of each set of every exercise you do. One way that you can do this is by having an intense focus on the individual muscle that you are working. Feel the muscle working and push it to exhaustion. You need to connect your mind with your muscle.

If youre going to go to the gym, youve got to give it everything that youve got!

3) Choose a weight that is challenging and push it to momentary muscular exhaustion.

5 pound dumbbells usually dont cut it. Stimulate those muscles and force them to change to give you the defined body that you deserve.

4) Cut your rest time right down.

There are times when I only allow 15 seconds rest between sets, and if Im super setting or drop setting I may not rest at all. This is the reason why many of my workouts only last for 20 minutes. Its also the reason why there isnt a dry spot on my shirt at the end of the workout and my heart rate is higher than the people that have been on the treadmill for an hour.

I created The Fit Chic and The Fit Bastard workouts to be incredibly time efficient so you get the most out of your time in the gym or in your home gym so you can carry on with the rest of your life. Most of the workouts take less than 20 minutes. Some as little as 10 minutes.

When you increase the intensity you can cut your workout time way down and it will be much more effective than the long drawn out programs that most people are doing.

5) Continuous and consistent progress is a powerful way to increase your intensity.

If you are better this workout than you were the last and you plan on being better the next workout than you were this one, you will force yourself into increasing your intensity.

This is where using a journal really comes into play. Record the workout that you did, along with the exercises, reps, weight lifted, rest period, and total time that it took you to complete the workout. Make a note of how you feel and how challenging it was. Create a rating system and rate each workout.

When you follow the above strategies you will have no choice but to cut your workout time in half because you simply will not be able to keep up with that pace. Basically you are getting more work done in less time.

For more on this principle of exercising less and increasing results, have a read of Scott's article "Exercise Less For Fat Loss Success"

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[Source: Former Fat Guy - Weight Loss Blog]