“To each his own…” A common phrase that is often used to describe an individual’s personal choices or style. This definitely applies to my workout must-haves and top tips for the gym. With Health and Wellness, given enough time and a consistent schedule, each person will discover what they need to maximize their gym time and get that oh-so-important ‘high’ of a great session slanging’ weights or bangin’ the track. Sometimes it’s the perfect playlist, others its the exact order of exercises that produces the sweetest sweat…whatever it is, its your own personal form of perfection.
Let’s get started with my ‘must-have’ items!
- An A-1 playlist with a mix of old-school crew cuts and new school club bangers. During a session I need lots of energy, so a collection of upbeat hits and classics is the perfect motivation.
- Gloves! Consider me a bit weird or just set in my ways but I never workout without my palms being covered. For a multitude of reasons, I try to protect my hands from callouses and nicks that are an inevitable part of consistent hittin’ the iron.
- Water is a necessity and could easily be #1 on my list of must-haves. Hydration is of the utmost importance and it is advisable that you make it a priority before, during, and after your workout to maintain physical efficiency.
Now here’s my top 3 tips for a great workout session!
- Create a plan of attack, not just for the day, set a plan for the week or several weeks. This will help you keep variety in your workouts and ensure that you are consistently targeting every muscle group. In addition, it will keep you from becoming bored with your routine.
- Stay off your phone! Even if you’re working out in you own personal gym, do not waste time checking your devices between sets because it stalls a productive workout instantly. If you must take pictures, get them before and after the session. If your thing is videos, let it record the whole time you’re on a machine or in a drill, then edit the footage post-workout.
- No ego lifting! At all cost, lift within your limits and slowly increase the weight in time. Increases of 10+ lbs can be dangerous and you run the risk of injury. Be smart and maintain your patience with your progress. It’s just like novocaine, give it time, it’ll work.
Bonus: Lastly, run your own race…don’t let someone else’s process dictate what you need to be doing. We’re all different and we have different needs to reach our health and wellness goals.
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