“I want six packs.” “I want to have a V-shaped chest.” “I want a flat tummy.” Does this sound familiar? If it doesn’t then I think you probably leave in a utopia somewhere. More than just a few times, we hear folk say they want to have a rocking body (reigning body) and most times they hit the gym in a bid to achieve this. However, some of them on countless occasions return from the gym tired, exasperated and not willing to return.
What is the cause?
A poor/ineffective routine can totally get on anyone’s nerve. Yet from my experiences I’ve seen that most times it’s not just about the routine but the person. So how exactly do you begin and end a workout session? A great start (and finish) can make your 30-minute long workout more effective than a 2-hour session. Let’s begin.
Before a workout:
- Get enough sleep. Make sure that your body is well rested. You will be burning a lot of energy so you need to be ready both in your mind and your body for all that exercising.
- Keep your body hydrated. This is probably as important as sleeping well before a workout. I’m pretty sure you already know that your body needs water to be in good shape. This time, however, you’ll be losing a lot of it from sweat so you’ll need to keep your body hydrated before, during and after a workout to maintain your energy levels.
- Eat something. If you feel quite tired and hungry you may need to take a small snack to help keep your energy levels up. It’s not too necessary, but it can make a whole lot of difference if done right.
- Don’t skip a warm-up drill. To avoid hurting yourself during a workout, I strongly suggest you undergo a warm-up so your body can ease into the moment during your session. The warm-up will help free the tension in your muscles and increase the range of motion helping you do even more in less time.
After a workout:
Some think the best thing to do after a workout is dive into a bed and sleep, but no no, don’t do that. Here’s what you should do instead.
- Stretch. At this point, your muscles are stretched and there’s a lot of tension going on in your body. You would need to do light stretch exercises to free up all this tension so your body can return to its initial resting position.
- Eat! Now its time to eat. I know you’ll feel so hungry and drained, nonetheless don’t rush your meal; take it slow and easy. Your body needs carbohydrates and protein to replenish all the lost glycogen and build your muscles so do well to enrich it.
- Take a bath. Taking a cool bath after a workout helps reduce the inflammation of the muscles and speeds up the body’s healing process.
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