4 Tips for Making Your Workouts More Effective
Kaizen – the principle of continuous improvement — is one of our core values here at 9Round and the inspiration behind today’s blog. There are always small ways to improve various aspects of life, including your KILLER workouts. That’s why we’re sharing a few simple tips for how you can make your workouts more effective, so you can keep progressing toward your goals with absolute confidence!
Prep Your Body Prior to Your Workout
When you’re following a workout routine, it’s important to keep your body fueled with proper nutrition before and after you exercise. This not only helps you find the energy you need to get through your workout but also ensures your body has the nutrients it needs to replenish your muscles following a tough sweat sesh. Monitor your macronutrients to ensure you’re getting a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat at each meal.
This is especially important following your workout when your body needs to refuel after depleting all of your stored energy. So, make sure you plan ahead to eat a snack or meal with lots of lean protein and healthy carbohydrates following every workout to assist with the muscle recovery process.
Pro Tip: Check out the 9Round Nutrition Guide in your online Member Portal for a breakdown of what macronutrients are how they should look on your plate, plus some healthy recipes created by our certified nutrition coach.
Set Micro Goals During Each Workout
Challenging yourself to achieve small goals each week can help you stay motivated and on track to reach your long-term fitness and health goals. It’s easier to push yourself during your KILLER workout when you have a purpose for doing so, whether that’s to improve your CHOW score before the end of the week, increase the speed of your kickboxing combos, or to get comfortable using heavier weights. These micro goals are part of the big picture of what you want to achieve, and they will help you work toward growing stronger over time. At 9Round, we encourage you to set new micro-goals with our Challenges of the Week (CHOWs) and PULSE Challenges.
Be Intentional with Your Gym Time
It doesn’t matter what happened to you earlier in the day or what you have going on after you leave the gym — from the second you step into the studio, it’s your time to unplug from the rest of the world and focus on your workout. Let the smile on your Champion Trainer’s face bring you joy, and take out all of your frustrations on the bag. Make sure you are intentional with every minute you spend at the gym, and don’t let outside distractions prevent you from doing your best. A good tip to help you stay focused is to watch your heart rate and PULSE Points as you work, so you know if you’re giving it your all or if you need to pick up the pace to reach your goals.
Ensure You’re Rested and Ready to Work
According to the Sleep Foundation, “sleep powers the mind, restores the body, and fortifies virtually every system in the body.” Therefore, it’s incredibly important to get enough rest each night, especially following a tough 9Round workout. You should be aiming to get at between 7-9 hours of sleep per night to give your body that crucial time for recovery, as this is when your muscles will put in the work to grow bigger and stronger. This will not only help you feel rested and ready for your next workout, but it will also help you maximize the results of the hard work you put in the day before.
Our revolutionary kickboxing-themed circuit is a fun, fast, and effective workout that anyone can do. Come see for yourself how incredible you’ll feel after a KILLER workout with a free session at your local studio. We can’t wait to kick it with you soon!
