Article: #Challenge #Yourself, #Challenge Your Own#Workout!

Submitted by RacSMolina, In gym, many people thought that all the machines around have theirpurposes and the way it is organize/arrange in certain manner, its a hint that they should try eachand every one of the machine there so that they could try different workout each day to achieve abetter result in their body sculpturing journey in building the muscle groups they wish to.

Many students of mine when first joined the gym I work in often have such misunderstanding orthoughts in them. Some of them even planned through their calendars of which machine to workwith in certain days in order for them to be able to try each and every machine they saw in the gym.

As a trainer, well, sadly to reveal to everyone that not every machine is right for everyone or everypurpose of your body. I often encourage my students to set their target first of the result they wishto have and choose 12 different machines that I think is suitable for their target and rotate the use.Mostly, I will suggest them to stick to basic workout and tools like dumbbells, kettle bells andweights in their exercises till I felt fit that they are ready for some other challenge.

Workout dont have to be different each days, it dont have to be fancy or it dont even have to involvemachines sometimes. Theres a lot of ways that you could stick to the same simple workout routine,simple tools and achieve your target in your everyday life just by fine tuning it to another levelI willnormally call it a Challenge for yourself.

You know the basics: Do resistance training on alternate days, include core exercises in yourroutine, and stretch only after youre warmed up. But once youve met your original goals, its time toraise the bar. Getting faster, stronger, and more flexible takes more than just doing more of thesame. Heres how tweaking your approach can bring your results to the next level.

Speed

Traditional methods of boosting speed include sprints and intervals, during which you alternate fastruns with slower rest periods. But another way to really shave off time is by adding plyometrics toyour workoutalso known as jump training, plyometrics involve explosive movements that requiremuscles to lengthen and then immediately contract, much like a spring. Plyometrics improvesrunning economy, which means you expend less energy with each stride. The rapid-fire movementstrain you to accelerate quicker, increasing overall speed and efficiency. A simple way to incorporateplyometrics into your workout is with jump squats.

How to do it: Stand with feet hip-widthapart and hands clasped behind yourhead. Keeping your weight on yourheels, squat down until your thighs areparallel to the floor. Pause in thesquat, then jump up as high aspossible, absorbing the impact of thelanding by pushing your hips back andbending your knees beforeimmediately jumping up again. Do twoor three sets of 15 reps.

Endurance

Being able to finish a 10k or just makeit through your entire cycling classlargely depends upon your corestrength. Your core is involved in thetransfer of energy to your arms andlegs. So in the later stages of an eventor workout, that energy transfer will be thrown off if your core is weak. In addition to the traditionalplank, try this challenging CrossFit-inspired move called The Hollow Rock.

How to do it: Lie on your back with your arms extended overhead by your ears. Engage your coreand begin rocking your entire body by lifting your feet and legs up and then raising your upper bodyand arms while lowering your legs. Your body should move like a rocking chair and your abs shouldfeel challenged throughout the movement. Start with 20 to 30 seconds and work up to two minutes.

Muscle Definition

Its frustrating when you train hard and still dont see the muscle tone and definition you want. Fine-tuning your diet can help by increasing lean tissue and decreasing body fat. Even if you have arelatively healthy diet already, cleaning it up a bit more can help reveal the underlying muscle youvebuilt. The cleaner you eat, the leaner you will be.

How to do it: For a sculpted look, focus on eating protein at each meal and snack and decreasing saltand sugar. Lean protein (fish, low-fat dairy, eggs, and lean meat) helps you repair and build muscleafter workouts and feel full faster, keeping calories in check. Salt and sugar, on the other hand, cancause bloating, hiding those hard-earned muscles. If you sweat a lot during a long event, such as amarathon, replace your electrolytes during and after your workout and cut back on salt later in theday.

Flexibility

Traditional stretching will help you get more limber. But you can take it to the next level bytargeting tight spots with a foam roller or massage ball. This releases the fascia, connective tissuethat supports the muscle (think of the white covering on a chicken breast), loosening tight areas and

allowing for greater flexibility. A recent study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise showedthat foam rolling unravels trigger points (tiny knots that develop in overworked muscles), relievingmuscle spasms and allowing for better circulation. Used after a workout, the roller can also easemuscle soreness.

How to do it: Lie on a massage ball or foam roller and apply pressure until you find a trigger point (aknot or tight area). Hold at the trigger point for 20 to 60 seconds or until you feel it release. Be sureto pinpoint areas above and below the site of specific aches and pains, as often pain in one spot is anindicator of tension somewhere else in the body.

Strength

The general rule for strength gains is the same regardless of the muscle group you target: You mustuse enough weight or resistance to overload the muscle beyond its usual limits. (You can also add anextra day of resistance training to your weekly routine and/or increase the number of sets you dowithin each workout.) Aside from upgrading to heavier weights, you can increase the intensity ofyour usual body-weight moves with specific tweaks, such as raising a leg during planks or standingexercises like bicep curls. I recommend the following technique to amp up one of the best all-aroundexercises, the pushup.

How to do it: Try a super-slow pushup: On your knees or toes, instead of pumping out reps, timeyourself to make each rep last a full 30 seconds. Take 15 seconds to lower yourself and 15 secondsto push back up. It will bring a quiver to your body and make your core work hard to hold properform. Do this at the beginning of your upper body routine.

Be your Own Masterpiece!!

Rachel S. Over & Out!!

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