Are your workouts giving you the results you want? See if they include the following…

If you’ve got into the healthy habit of working out regularly (well done you!) you’ve probably already felt the difference it makes to your mood, energy and stress levels. 

But what about your fitness and fat-loss results?

So many people abandon their workouts off the back of simply not seeing results. Sure, it can be very frustrating putting in all that effort and having very little to show for it. So what exactly should we be expecting?

I believe, a far more important question is what exactly should we be doing? 

So here’s three of the most important things I always ensure I do at every workout; as well as within my clients’ personal training sessions and at boot camp classes. 

Eliminate Distractions

Your workout time should be exactly that: yours. So all distractions like phone calls, texts, emails and Facebook scrolling should wait until you are finished. 

Painfully simple as it sounds, focusing all your attention on your workout will mean you do a far better; and therefore much more effective job. If you’ve chosen to dedicate that little bit of time for yourself, you may as well make the most of it by not diluting it with anyone else.

Taking care of yourself for a small percentage of time each day, does not under any circumstances make you selfish. In fact, the opposite is true: it means you will have even more energy to dedicate to your family, friends, job and loved ones afterwards. 

So leave your phone and iPad in another room, and if you are using your phone for an app like a timer for your workout, put it in flight mode so no one disturbs you.

Change it Up

If you’ve ever attended a gym or health club, how often do you see the same people doing exactly the same thing every time they’re there?! And quite possibly looking exactly the same too?!

The fact is, nothing will change if nothing changes. In order to create a change on the physical body, it needs to be met with something that challenges it. It is so easy to fall into a ‘routine’ of doing exactly the same thing at every workout.

A workout routine may have created some initial results for you, but be aware your body will adapt very quickly as it knows what to expect. The plateau that follows can be very frustrating, often causing people to give up all together – or just carry on!

If this sounds like you, all you need to do to overcome this is change the variables of your routine. More advanced exercises, less rest, more reps, faster speed, different planes of motion – the variables list is vast and yours to play around with.

Balance it Out

I used to think if I worked hard doing cardio in the mornings, and resistance training in the afternoons seven days a week, surely my body would turn into a fat-burning machine? Not quite!

One major fat-loss factor my previous training schedule lacked was the exact opposite: adequate recovery! And by recovery, I don’t mean doing nothing – but rather enabling the body to grow and repair by actively balancing it out. 

It is during rest periods that the body is doing it’s growth and repair work. So getting enough good quality sleep is also imperative here. I recommend your workouts always include an appropriate cool down and stretching segment, when they are finished. This will bring your heart rate back down at an easy pace, as well as re-elongate your muscles; which shorten when met with resistance.

My favourite active recovery is Yoga. I include some after every workout, to cool and calm my body down after training at a high intensity; and a longer Yoga practice on my rest day too.

I have been practicing it regularly for about six months now, and have noticed a difference in all aspects of my fitness – not just my flexibility, but also my strength, stamina and mental clarity. For those reasons, I cannot recommend it enough!

Remember, every individual’s physiology is completely unique, meaning everyone will therefore experience varying rates of fat-loss and fitness improvement. If you’re not sure if you’re getting the most out of your workouts and would like to learn how, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Feel free to have a go at this HIIT home workout that encompasses the above three aspects that I believe have contributed massively to the fat-loss results I have achieved – and kept. I sincerely wish the very same for you!