How often do you get ready for your workout, head out, and then find yourself just going through the motions?

Are you happy with your results? Often I find that lack intensity seems to bring a feeling of wasted time due to effort.

Intensity does turn it around when I want to achieve lasting results. The key is to push yourself. You can only get fitter, stronger and better if you keep pushing.

Reaching a level of tolerance or discomfort. Once you get here, you can achieve anything you put your mind to.

I’m not saying you need to lift the heaviest ever weights or push yourself to a point of throwing up after every cardio session, but you need to be uncomfortable and focused during your workout. That means putting away the social media check-ins and Instagram selfies, ditching work worries and solely focusing on the task ahead. To boost your workout there is this new steroids alternative you should try.

What’s intensity about?

Intensity is your perceived effort, usually. But when it comes to your workouts, it’s about how much weight you can lift of how much more you can push yourself. Increasing your efforts increases your intensity.

Why?

Intensity matters because your oxygen consumption directly relates to how many calories you burn. Studies show that you consume around 3.5 mL of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute. What’s more, your body is able to burn almost 5 calories per liter of oxygen. When you exercise harder, you consume more oxygen and burn more calories.

That’s exactly why pushing yourself when you exercise can do you a whole lot of good. But how do you start pushing? Where do you start?

A few tips…
  1. Trick the Mind
If you think that getting a good workout is just about participating, it’s definitely not. It’s got a lot to do with your mindset. It’s your mind that tells your body what to do or not do. Often, your brain tells you to pull back when your body can’t take any more. But by slowly pushing part your perceived maximum intensity, you can train your brain to let your body push harder.
  1. Stop counting
Often, you get used to completing a certain number of reps, so once you get there during a workout, you stop. Counting reps can actually be a bad habit. It limits you from pushing past your perceived intensity to really reach your potential. Rather, aim to push yourself until you’re so exhausted you really want to stop. Then try squeeze in a few more.
  1. Limit rest
It’s not as difficult as it may sound to bust out a pretty hard set then take a minute recovery break. Ditch the time wasting if you want results. Set a timer or stopwatch to help keep your breaks down to a minimum. For example, if muscular endurance is your goal, you should only rest for about 30 seconds between sets. If HIIT training is more of your thing, shorter rest periods help you achieve better results.
  1. Mantra
Find a mantra that motivates you to keep moving when your body wants to quit. Making it something short that’s natural and that really keeps you pushing. Find something that keeps you moving and determined and keep repeating it when you really want to give up.
  1. Set a Goal
Pick a specific goal for your fitness journey. Whether it’s running a marathon, reaching a body fat percentage or putting on a certain amount of muscle. Then, visualize yourself achieving your goal and think about how you’ll feel when you finally get there. Whenever you feel like cheating or quitting, bring this goals front and center to keep you going.
  1. Plan Workouts
Once you’ve established your goal, make a plan for your exercises. Fitness should never be random. Whether you pull workouts off the internet or download an app or two, you need a goal and a solid plan to help you push through those barriers and keep achieving great things.

7. Tunes

Keep your workout playlist upbeat and loud. Studies show that playing loud, fast music can help you push harder during your workouts.

I hope these 7 tips help you push yourself harder during your workouts. After all, pushing harder means achieving more!

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