How to Sabotage Your Workout

Here is a good guide on how to get the most ineffective workout possible. See if you recognize yourself. If not, incorporate some or all of these to be sure you don't get the results you want.

Get too little or too much sleep the night before.

Cool. Getting too little sleep shouldn't be a problem. I'll just eat a big carb-loaded meal late, top it off with some stimulating TV, play around on the computer, let the kids stay up too late and pick a fight with my spouse. Then I'll have a late night drink to calm down but read something that fires me up right before I go to sleep. I'll be sure the room is too warm and hopefully that late night drink will have me get up in the night to go to the bathroom. Awesome! If I have to go to work the next day I'll set the alarm to get up early and hit the snooze at least 3 times. If it's a Saturday I'll sleep in really late so that I can't get going all day. Got that one down!

Drink everything but water during the day.

This one shouldn't be a problem. I'll start the day with half a pot of coffee (I like a little coffee with my cream and sugar). I'll stop and get a 42 oz diet soft drink on the way to work (helps me get through my morning meetings). At lunch I'll drink another diet soft drink or maybe one of those big cups of sweet tea from the deli. I'll try to squeeze in my workout on my way home from work because we'll meet some friends for drinks before dinner (more sweet tea). Before we leave for dinner I'll probably finish off the rest of a juice box one of the kids wasted. Then maybe a glass of wine before bed. Oh, but should I sip water from the water fountain at the gym?

Hit the gym without a plan.

Super, one less thing I have to think about. That will give me more time to plan for lunch with clients, that big meeting this week, updating my status on my social media sites, my child's birthday party and which outfit makes me look the least fat for Saturday night out with friends. Wonder should I go try to find something new since I only have one pair of pants that aren't way too tight? Anyway, I won't have to work so hard in the gym because I can take my time figuring out which move comes next. That will be easy because I'll just choose the ones I like best. Hey, maybe Bob will be there so we can talk! I've heard resistance training is good, so maybe I'll do a few bicep curls, cheat on some bench presses and throw in some crunches, but I really like riding the elliptical so I can watch my favorite show or read a book. I'm thinking too much! But whatever, it still counts because I went to the gym and did something, right?

Eat high calorie, low nutritional value foods inconsistently throughout the day.

Are you kidding? I've got this one covered. I'll skip breakfast because I put so much fat and sugar in my coffee it fills me up, plus I have lots of energy! Hmmm...that mid morning slump will mean I can't make it until lunch, so is it okay if I grab something out of the break room machine or a pastry someone brought in? Oh yeah, we have a meeting that starts right after lunch so I'll just grab something from the fast food place across the street, if I even get to do that. I'll do pretty well on this tip though because I never plan for lunch and pack anything from home. Susie always has some candy or chips or something at her desk if I get hungry in the afternoon. That'll get me through the day until I can make it to our big dinner tonight! My favorite Italian restaurant! Can you say pasta-rama?! Then maybe I can rummage around in the fridge after everyone is in bed and the house is finally quiet.

There you go! You won't be eating much but you can still have all your favorite foods. You can say you go to the gym, but you won't have to work hard. You'll be able to continue your sleep deprivation without having to change, and who likes water anyway? These tips should at least get you started in the wrong direction and if you're lucky it might even snowball from there!

What is your favorite tip for sabotaging a workout?

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Workout Plans and Intensity

Which Workout?

There are so many workout programs and plans available right now that it's hard to know which one to choose. For a beginner or someone just getting started, I'm sure it is downright frustrating.

If you have access to a reputable trainer known for getting results, I would almost always say that's a smart move. But if you want to take a shot at it on your own, there are several basic things to consider when choosing a program or plan. Here are some that help me.

1. Who designed it?

This is important. There are tons of people out there developing programs and putting them on the market in various formats. Do your homework on the designer of the program. Look at credentials and experience. Dig around and see if they have respect from others in the industry (not just marketing partnerships). Does this person have a solid reputation? Is this person known for getting results? Does this person train or teach others? It is possible to be a good trainer and not necessarily be the best at program design. Also, what assistance is available from the program designer(s)?

2. Does the purpose of it fit my goals and time frame?

What are your goals? That's an important thing to establish first. Then look at each program and determine if the targeted results match up to your goals. This is true whether you're starting out or taking yourself to the next level. Are you looking to: increase strength? build or increase endurance? build muscle? lose fat? increase speed? Are you training for a particular event? Do you have a certain date you need to meet your goals? Do you play a particular sport or are you involved in martial arts? It doesn't make sense to choose a program that is contrary to your goals.

3. Is it feasible for me?

Do you have the time/space/money/equipment/knowledge/foundation/mental strength, etc. to do the program? If you are super busy, a program that calls for gym time every day or hours on end of training time may not be feasible. Will you work out at home or in the gym? Do you have access to the required equipment? Does the program clearly explain through descriptive words, pictures and videos how to perform each component? Is the program the right level for you? Too basic feels like backtracking and too advanced can be overwhelming. Is it something you've never done before or do you have foundational knowledge and experience?

In addition to considering these three basic things, I have learned (the hard way) some basic things about using any type of program.

1. Choose one that makes sense for you and stick with it.

If you don't stick with it, you'll never know if it works. Program hopping is not the answer. Work through it. If you don't know if the one you chose works for you now, how can you choose the next one?

2. Don't jack around with it.

If you have gone through the basic steps of choosing a program, do it the way it's designed. Otherwise, it's not the same program and you can't clearly evaluate it or even understand what the changes you made did to the program. This means you won't have any solid data or facts on which to base your conclusions.

3. Understand the difference in short term and long term.

Don't go into a short-term program thinking you'll use it for the long run. Sure there will be things that you will learn and take with you, but if the program is truly designed well for the short term it will be impossible for you to keep it up. This is especially true of programs that really zero in on maximum fat loss or peaking for an event.

4. Don't have time lapses in your plan.

Once you are into a program, stay focused on it but be thinking about what you will do when it's over. This will keep you from having too much lag time between plans which can be detrimental, especially if you're building on a skill or working maintaining fat loss. Absolutely plan for rest between programs, but keep it deliberate and planned so that you don't overtrain but you also don't lose momentum.

More to come on some of my favorite programs or trainers/designers I think are great.

I'd love to see comments on favorite programs and trainers/designers.

Related Post(s):

Burn, Baby, Burn

Workout Plans and Intensity

The other day a woman commented to me at the gym that she wished she could work out the way I do. We had a nice conversation about our workouts and talked about the differences in them and a couple of things she could immediately incorporate.

First I'll attempt to describe why I might have even drawn any attention in the gym. My favorite tank top is hot pink. I literally pour sweat. Occasionally I grunt when I am lifting, and when I get fatigued I blow when I exhale, so if you walked in front of me I would for sure part your hair. I'm all over the place using free weights, cable machines and bodyweight exercises. I'm one of about 5 women there on M-W-F that even goes near the barbells. I'm not afraid to ask to work in a set with guys that could probably use me for bicep curls and I use weight plates for swings since they don't have kettlebells. Now you probably have the picture.

However, as I talked with this lady there were two things that immediately surfaced when we started talking about working out. She comes to the gym without a workout plan and she lacks intensity. These are two things that are totally within her control. If she incorporated a specific plan and a higher level of intensity, think of the progress she might make and the sense of accomplishment she would have when she leaves the gym! I get excited about this type of thing.

If I go to the gym without a plan I find that several undesirable things happen.

1. It's hard to get my mind around my workout on the way there because I don't yet know exactly what I'm going to do.
2. I tend to gravitate toward the exercises I like, which means my workout is probably not balanced.
3. It's difficult to keep my rest periods tight if I'm picking and chosing my next exercise.
4. It's easier for me to talk myself out of the last set.
5. I just don't work as hard.

With a plan, I know exactly what I'm going to do before I get there. I can get my mind around it and be ready to work hard. My warm-up is more effective because it's based on the workout itself. I'm compelled to do the exercises that are in the plan (and in the correct order) whether I like them or not and I can keep my speed up because I know what's coming next. I always complete my workout because I'm determined not to wimp out.

Developing a sound, balanced workout plan takes some knowledge, so it's not to be taken lightly. There are several options out there if you don't have that knowledge. Access a certified personal trainer through your gym or community. Join a small workout group. Attend a local bootcamp session. Purchase a plan from a reputable trainer. One I would suggest that you can obtain online is Turbulence Training.

The other component that is easily incorporated into your current workout is intensity. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned athlete you can still step it up a notch. There are many ways to do this. Some suggestions would be:

1. add circuit training workouts
2. choose 2 exercises to superset and do as many sets as possible in 10 minutes
3. add interval training
4. decrease your rest between sets
5. add weight
6. increase your reps or sets
7. add plyometric exercises
8. add a series of bodyweight exercises such as squats, jump squats, jumping lunges, dynamic lunges, mountain climbers (you get the picture) as a finisher at the end of your workout

I could go on and on. I love hearing ideas about increasing intensity! If you want to blast fat, have fun and like kicking your own tail, step up the intensity and use your time efficiently by hitting the gym with a plan!

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Related Post(s):

Burn, Baby, Burn

Which Workout?

Bodyweight Workouts