FitClub’s Cheat Sheet Will Help You Get the Most Out of Your Next Workout

You may already be putting in the time at FitClub to reach your fitness goals, but are you working out as hard as you should be? It’s not always easy to tell whether you could be or should be doing more during your workout. Instead of guessing or giving up, use FitClub’s cheat sheet to make sure you’re getting the most out of your workouts.

Image

• Can you hold a conversation? If you’re meeting up with a buddy at FitClub after work and your time on the treadmill is an hour-long conversation with few pauses to catch your breath, you can probably be pushing yourself harder. During a high-quality workout, you should be able to say a few words or a quick phrase, but if you can hold a conversation you need to up the speed or intensity of your workout to get the most out of your FitClub time.


• Your heart rate never changes. During a high-quality workout, your heart rate will increase to between 75% and 100% of your maximum heart rate. To estimate your heart rate, hold the handles on a cardio machine, invest in a heart rate monitor, or pause to take your pulse during your workout. Sweat alone isn’t an accurate estimate of your heart rate or workout intensity, some people just sweat more than others.


• You leave FitClub without breaking a sweat. Making it through an hour on the treadmill or in the weight room without breaking a sweat is probably an indicator that you’re not pushing yourself as hard as you could be. Sweat is your body’s cooling mechanism and if you’re not raising your core temperature and producing sweat, you’re not getting the most out of your attempts to burn calories and build muscle. Add speed, time, or intensity to your next workout and don’t be afraid to sweat!


• You’re too loyal to one type of workout. If your workout never changes, your body adapts quickly and you stop making important progress towards reaching your goals. What used to feel hard now feels easy and you never feel sore or tired when you complete your workout. While it’s certainly an achievement that you can now run three miles on the treadmill without much effort, it’s time for a change to make sure you keep making progress towards your goals. Expanding your comfort zone and trying something new will likely make you realize how much harder you could be pushing yourself each day.


• You don’t feel tired. At all. A high-quality workout should leave you feeling excited and full of endorphins, but also a little tired. If you don’t feel even a little tired when you’ve finished your workout, chances are you didn’t push yourself hard enough. Not every day has to be exhausting, of course. Rest days or light days are important for adequate recovery. Just make sure that you earn that rest day or recovery day by working harder on the other days in your FitClub schedule.

If any of these signs seem familiar to you, it’s time to increase the quality of your workout. Checking out a new class, trying something new, or working with a personal trainer can expand your horizons and change your body.

Is it time to push yourself a little harder?