4 Ways to Ignite Results in Your Fitness Program

The goal of today's blog post is to outline some of the strategies that we as fitness professionals, athletes, and strength practitioners use in our programs to continue on a solid path of getting results. These are strategies that the general fitness population are not readily made aware of but that changes here. Integrate these principles and they can help nudge your program in the right direction and keep your progress on track.

1. Upgrade to Undulation 

Many people suffer from 2 pitfalls in their training. The first offense is falling into repetitive patterns. 3 months go by and they have done the exact same workout, with the exact same weights, for the exact same number of reps & sets, for the exact same duration of time. Secondly, instead of altering the programs dynamics end users will look to fancy or "sexy" new exercises to bring on more results.

A better strategy is to undulate your training days. This means integrating heavy, medium, and light training days. An example would be going heavy on Monday and keeping your reps between 3-5 for 4-6 sets, on Wednesday going less heavy and keeping your reps between 8-12 for 3-5 sets, and Friday going light and keeping your reps between 12-25 for 2-4 sets. This will give you a broader spectrum of adaptation and will allow you to keep variety in your program without succumbing to exercise selection ADD.

2. Sleep on the Job

When training intensely proper recovery is paramount. Countless studies show the benefits of napping for improved mental clarity, increased vigor, and reduced stress on your adrenals from feeding your fatigue with caffeine. 

Instead of cruising to your local fast food joint for lunch and then picking up a Starbucks to counteract your food coma try the following strategy. Bring a pre-prepared healthy lunch to work that is packed with protein and nutrient dense food (this will save you from wasting time in line at Sbarro) and use the time you save from going out to eat to catch a 30-40min nap before returning to the rest of your day. Napping can reduce stress, help balance hormones, and best of all help you feel refreshed and refocused.  

3. Don't be Afraid to Get Salty

One of the best and least expensive recovery methods for muscle soreness and stress that I know of is an Epsom salt bath. Epsom salt baths are rich in Magnesium which can become deficient from intensive exercise induced stress. Magnesium has been shown to aid in improved circulation, digestion, and elimination of toxins from cells. Magnesium has also been shown to be absorbed more readily through trans-dermal application (the skin) than through ingestion which makes an Epsom salt bath the perfect option.

Just fill a bathtub with warm water and pour in 2 cups of Epsom salt and let fully dissolve. Soak for about 15min and enjoy some meditative relaxation.  

4. Program for Practice

This in my opinion is a highly underutilized strategy in many people's fitness programs. The concept of practice entails going to the gym without an intention of working certain body parts, using certain machines, or even focusing on a specific fitness component (strength, power, cardio, etc..). Instead these days are all about practicing and enhancing movement quality.

These days can include light weight utilized in full body patterns, body weight training, focused skill work for dynamic lifting patterns (clean, snatch, jerk, etc..), or simply mobility work and corrective exercise. Either way it's good to have these "practice days" at least once every couple of weeks to build better movement skill. Additionally, they allow for a mental boost and they rejuvenate your body.

Conclusion:

These four fairly underutilized strategies can help boost gains in strength, enhance recovery and mental clarity, and can reduce injury risk and build better movement patterns. Integrate these concepts into your fitness program and watch your results improve. Training is not unlike anything in life. It's all about balance. Good Luck!