Fit Life: Enhance your workouts with these simple tips

This time of year many of you tend to find yourself poolside with a grill full of deliciousness and/or gearing up for the summer season of fun.

This may mean that your training takes a backseat….or at the very least…a shortcut version to your normal routines.

However, making time for your fitness, regardless of the season, will be the golden ticket to you getting the results you wanted. After all, the number one thing I tell my clients they can do over all things(diet, training, sleep, intensity, etc. is consistency. 

Being consistent is my number one suggestion for anyone looking to reach their goals.  Yet, it’s the most difficult thing for most Americans.

In fact, 73% of you all give up before reaching your goals. Another 43% of you say you don’t have time….and, well, that is a whole other column I can write about in itself. You do have time!

Speaking of consistency, I also wanted to make sure I gave a huge shout out to one of the most successful Over-Achieve Fitness members in the five years we have been open.

Aaron Lawrence, a youth pastor at Bethel AG Church has been consistent with his training in the past year and has lost nearly 65lbs since joining!

It truly is remarkable and a pure product of his dedication and consistent approach to training with us. It’s not everyday that someone loses nearly 1/3 of their body weight, but Aaron’s perseverance has him in the best state of mind in his life so he can be there for his fellowship and his new bride to be!

Besides the point, today I am here to explain new ways to enhance your workout. You most likely have not thought about these, but you will come to find how important they might be to helping you have workouts that light fire to your body, mind, and spirit!

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So lets get right to it:

1.   Your grip

How many times did you catch yourself dropping weights or flailing your wrists like you stuck them in lava after holding a pair of dumbbells for an extended period of time?

If you are like most, you have been there! That burning sensation you get from over-extended periods of time under tension.

Why is this bad?

Well, for one, you will never get stronger without a stronger grip. The more you can stress the muscles in your wrist and forearms, the more weight you can use. Plain and simple. I can’t tell you enough how many times I see women doing workouts with baby weights only because they say their wrists hurt with heavier ones.

Same goes for men. If you struggle to hold a pair of dumbbells weighing in at your bodyweight, your grip needs work.

Having a strong grip will help you lift more, get stronger, prevent nagging injuries like tennis elbow and have your counterpart who shakes your hand look at you like you came from the family of the Hulk.

If you struggle in this area and need a way to strengthen it - my go to are farmers carrys of all sorts! Try grabbing a set of dumbbells and maintaining a neutral posture and holding them parallel to the floor….walk a given distance without dropping them. Try improving your time with the dumbbells each time you do them! Another way to boost grip is by doing complexes! You can read all about them here in my latest STACK Magazine article.

So if you are wanting to see huge progress in your training and workouts, improve that grip!

2.   Your shoes

I can’t begin to tell you how important this is. You can’t be doing workouts with 3 inch shoes. So yes, runners….if you are doing weight lifting workouts, ditch the HOKAS for your weight workouts!

So many things go into a proper training shoe. If you find yourself “slipping” and your feet moving around in them while you train, you need to find a new pair!

Your feet need to be able to breathe, but be snug enough not to slip. This is very important for when you are doing heavier lifts and even Olympic lifts.

Next comes the heel drop. Anything around 4-5’’ is good. You don’t want a huge heel when squatting with a load.Running shoes provide comfort and support for running. Weightlifting is different. You need a different type of support for weightlifting. Your heels need to be able to drive into the floor when doing lifts. We are not worried about the repetitive impact and providing cushion like we would if we are running. Weightlifting shoes have a more rigid, solid platform which is IDEAL for lifting. We do not want anything with a sort of instability.

Now, just because you have proper shoes still doesn’t mean you are in the clear. Make sure you are changing them regularly and do not have the same pair you wore in high school.

Worn out shoes can wreck havoc on your feet causing plantar fasciitis and other nasty issues that will end your gym time really quick! If you train regularly, switch them up every 4-6 months. Many people who know me know I have a shoe cabinet in my office at the gym! That’s how important it is to me!

Get better shoes and watch your workouts improve! My favorite are the Nike Metcon Versions.

3. Your mindset

“Get your mind right!”

This is the common phrase I tell all my clients. If your mind isn’t right, you will have a rough time getting your workout done.

You all know what I am talking about.  Lets say you have a ROUGH day at work, stressed to the max and had to deal with numerous confrontations leaving you checked out by the time you get home. Once home…you and your wife start bickering and get into a scuffle before you head to the gym.

I would bet you any money that your workout that night will be awful. Your head will be focused on your work deadlines, your fight with your wife, and what you are going to do about it. All this goes ahead of the workout at hand….and for those of you who say “I take out my anger.” Well, you most likely are not directing the anger correctly to give yourself the workout you need.

Sorry, 150 slam balls max effort to help you vent won’t help you reach your goal of deadlifting twice your bodyweight.

Now this can go another route also…

I see this one more at O.A.F. where people come in scared, worried and even unsure if they can DO the workout before they even walk through the door!

What type of workout do you think you will have when you are dreading every minute leading up to it?

Mindfulness if key here. Back in college we took meditation courses before games to settle our minds and put ourselves in position mentally to succeed. It worked. Preparing your mind before “battle” is key.

What do you think professional athletes are doing in the locker rooms before games? They are taking the time to get their minds in the element they need to be in.

Try this trick:

It's simple, but effective. Before your next workout, tell yourself: “Okay, I can do this! I am going to crush this workout!”

If you are having a rough day and find that hard to say….then tell yourself, “Okay, I can do this! Let’s just set a goal to get through 15 minutes! That’s it! After that, if I still feel like garbage, I will be DONE.”

I would bet you that after that 15 minutes you continue on and knock out your workout!

The mind is the biggest thing you need to get the workout you want! I can’t stress this enough and only urge you all to start making repeated healthy decisions that over time become residual habits of behavior which help you excel in all areas of your life….more than just your workouts.

Stop dreading your workouts and stop thinking you can't.

You can, and you will. Switch up the mind and watch your sessions get much much better!

4. Your Pre Workout Granola Bar

What’s your favorite? Kind Bars? Quest Bars? Cliff? One? Nature Valley? Quaker Oats?

If you are looking to improve your workouts and results that go with it….your granola bars need a reality check.

In fact, 68% of Americans think their granola bars are healthy while health & nutrition specialists would say nearly all of you are mistaken.

And you are not to fault. Mis-leading labels, claims, and ingredients can have you flabbergasted as to what’s right or wrong. Myself included!

Lets get one thing straight. If you are heading to bootcamp for a 45 minute metabolic workout or few mile run, you don’t need a 400 calorie CLIFF bar consisting of 75 grams of carbs and more sugar than a snickers bar.

I see so many people fuel up on the wrong things prior to their training. You just never know what’s right or wrong anymore.

So my suggestion?

Make your own pre-workout snack. Here is a recipe for oat balls you can make with a few simple ingredients, and you can eat them quick without worrying you are ingesting a candy bar. If you are training longer, you just can eat a couple more! That’s the beauty of it! Don’t overthink your snacks, but just be aware of hidden sugars, carbs, and calories in these “health bars.”

Protein Balls:

1 cup oats
1/2 cup natural peanut butter or almond butter
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup dark choc chips
2 tbsp flax 
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 scoop protein powder

Stir all together in a bowl and chill for 30 minutes then scoop into 1 inch balls. Keep refrigerated.

My go to snack are the protein balls, or vegan plant protein bars from Julian Bakery.  You also can’t go wrong with good old fashioned fruit and almond butter!

For a serious boost in your training and results, give your granola bars a reality check!

Take these tips to start training better while getting stronger and faster! If you are in need of some guidance and help, follow me @mjo_oaf on instagram and subscribe to me on playbook here (available in the APP store iOS and Android) to get training with me online for FREE!

Mike Over is a physical trainer and owner at Over-Achieve Fitness, 1320 Lincoln Way East 1A, Chambersburg. Follow him on Instagram @mjo_oaf. Read more of The Fit Life here.