7 WAYS TO JUMPSTART YOUR WORKOUT

Staying motivated in the gym can be difficult at times. Hitting a training plateau is one of the biggest culprits. Nothing saps your will like being stuck in a rut. The weights you are lifting aren’t going up. Your arms don’t appear to be getting any bigger. Your body fat has stopped going down. All those things can mess with your mind in the gym and negatively affect your training. MUSCLE INSIDER is here to help with our tips to reinvigorate your training and help you bust through plateaus.

1. BUDDY UP

One of the best ways to continue to make advancements in the gym is to have someone constantly pushing you. A training partner is just the answer. Having someone there to spot you while trying a new, heavier weight—all the while shouting encouragement—can really help you push yourself. There is also the egos-at-play aspect, which can elevate your training and results to new levels. You always want to best your training partner in the gym, and that competitive edge will pay dividends in the end.

Just be careful who you pick as a partner. You want someone who is motivated and dependable. If your partner keeps bailing on planned workouts or seems to sleep his way through a routine,  find a new partner. You want someone whose goals and commitment reflect your own. It is also good to find someone at a similar strength level to you. This way, you don’t have to constantly strip down and reload the bar between your sets. Besides, having a much-stronger partner may be motivational … but then again, it could have the opposite effect, making you feel inferior. Having a partner similar to you in development and strength makes it a level playing field and a great way to judge improvement.

2. SET SMALLER, ATTAINABLE GOALS

Remember when you first started going to the gym? You were motivated then, and had goals. After a while it is easy for the gym to become more of a job that you find yourself going through the motions with. You train, but that initial fire you had has been extinguished. You need to get that fever back. One of the simplest ways to accomplish this is to set goals. Remember though, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Keep your goals small and realistic. Put them into three-month cycles. Cut an inch from your waist, add 20 pounds to your bench, run three miles nonstop. Before you know it, these smaller attainable goals will lead to big results down the road.

3. ADDRESS YOUR NUTRITION AND SUPPLEMENTATION

Nutrition is key to developing the physique of your dreams. Train all you want, but if you are not following a sound nutrition plan, you are not going to be able to maximize your results. The late MuscleMag publisher Robert Kennedy used to say that “bodybuilding is 80 percent nutrition.” He was right. Legendary trainer Vince Gironda was also a firm believer in the power of food. And they were right. You think spending an hour in the gym followed by a Big Mac combo is a good idea? Not a chance. People think eating clean means eating boring and bland. That mind-set is antiquated and unjustified. Eating clean can be incredibly tasty and satisfying.

But it’s not just food—you should also be supplementing. It is surprising how many people in the gym don’t use any supplementation at all. And then they wonder why they are not seeing improvements in their physiques. To put it as plainly as possible, if you don’t use supplements and eat properly, you are simply not going to get the results you crave … regardless of how hard you train.

4. CONSIDER A PERSONAL TRAINER

It’s easy to fool yourself into thinking you know everything in the gym, just because you have been going there regularly for the past three years. Guess what—you don’t. Using a trainer can help you adjust technique and form, introduce you to new ideas, spot you when you need it, and best of all, push you harder than you are willing to push yourself. There is no shame in bringing in a professional. It’s the smart thing to do.

5. MIX UP YOUR TRAINING

One of the biggest mistakes people in the gym are guilty of is not changing up how they train. Chest Mondays, back Tuesdays, legs Wednesdays, etc., etc. Or when you train, you do the same exercises week after week after week. Mix things up! Change the days you train a specific body part. Forgo the dumbbells and barbells and try an all-cable workout instead. Go light one day and just push through to failure. Hit the Nautilus machines you felt were strictly for the ladies. Try training the same body part every day for one week straight. Do exercises you have never tried before. Instead of just hopping on the treadmill, go running outside instead. Variety and new experiences equal results. And mixing up your workout is a great way to avoid stagnation and bust through training plateaus.

6. BRING A NEWBIE TO THE GYM

A great way to motivate yourself is to motivate someone else. Helping someone get involved in training can be a very rewarding experience. And those positive energies will in turn push your training to new levels.

7. READ MUSCLE INSIDER

Okay, we admit this point is completely self-serving ... but it’s also true. Every issue, MUSCLE INSIDER strives to bring you the best information to help you build muscle, burn fat, increase strength and inspire you with every page. Cpies can be purchased in Canada at all Chapters, Indigo and Coles bookstores or at Expressmag.com. FREE copies are available at supplement stores in Canada Digital Subscriptions from iTunes are available HERE.