13 Facts Every Athlete Should Know About Working Out

Taking care of your health is a necessity for all. But whenever it comes to joining a gym, multiple questions start blinking in our minds. However, choosing a sport is not a difficult task, but being a first-timer has always been difficult and full of challenges.

If you have found your passion and want to become an athlete, either you have decided to go for elite combat sports or just want to become fit to live a healthy life. It always feels like a challenge to take that first step.

In this article, we’ll be discussing the most common questions regarding obstacles that most athletes often found throughout their journey. We’ll discuss those common challenges and also try to find a possible solution to them.

So, these are some of the facts listed below that every athlete should know about working out.

This is the most frequently asked question among beginners and rational indeed. However, if you are new to workouts, have no knowledge of how to use workout equipment, and are unsure where to begin, you can manage it by seeking assistance from experienced athletes.

As a fresher, it is possible you could get yourself into an intimidating situation and get yourself injured. Although, hiring a trainer for a good 8 to the 10-week session could be a better way to start training. They can teach you how to properly use the equipment, exercise techniques, rep cadence, and also what muscle groups each piece of equipment works.

A good trainer will also assist you in making a workout program according to your present level of fitness and particular goals.

Be precise with your goals and make a workout routine according to them. However, there is no difference between workout equipment and technique. Performing the same motion with a different intensity serves different purposes. Same with the number of reps in a set.

So, if you are training to lose weight, you should go for a combination of weight or resistance training and cardiovascular exercises. Many people make the mistake of indulging too much in cardio in their workout routine while neglecting weightlifting. They often think that only stationary bikes, treadmills, and stair steppers are the only possible ways to burn fat – though this is far from true.

Certainly, cardio helps you burn extra calories, but weight training helps stimulate your metabolism. It converts you into a fat-burning machine, changes the composition of your body, and brings about the contours and shape you want. You should do weight lifting 3–4 days per week and cardio 4-5 times per week, preferably first thing in the morning or right after resistance training.

Moreover, if you do not intend to breathe out while performing cardiovascular exercises and lifting weights, you should try something extra. Get yourself enrolled in a martial arts gym and you should just go there being specific with the sub-discipline of it. Boxing is one of the fastest ways to burn maximum calories or you should go for kickboxing, more precisely.

For building strength and muscles, your workout should be comprised of a well-designed workout training program. You should go for a self-made workout routine, but that is a next-level step. However, pick a workout training routine that primarily utilizes free weights and compound exercises. Superset workouts, giant set workouts, pyramid set workouts are some of the best workout routines for building muscle and strength.

Therefore, a 4-day-per-week program is recommended as it works quite well for most people, using a two-on, one-off, or two-on, two-off pattern. Working out this way allows you to hit each muscle group hard once per week while providing you with three days of rest and recovery (which is when actual growth takes place).

You should start with about four exercises for three sets each for major muscles like the back, quads, chest, hamstrings, and shoulders. For small groups like biceps, triceps, calves, forearms, and abs, you’ll do well with just three movements for two to three sets each. Perform one to three warm-up sets before each exercise, and then work sets of 13 to 15, 10 to 12, and 7 to 9 reps.

Your workout program is determined by your fitness level, planned goals, and time constraints. The bigger the goal, the more time you'll have to devote to achieving it. However, if you have a busy profession, a family, or other personal obligations, you may not be able to devote several hours per week to exercise. When it comes to achieving your goal, you'll need to be patient.

For decent development, you should go to the gym at least three times per week for an hour at a time. However, as time goes on, you'll find that you'll need more time to see ongoing growth. I recommend starting with three gym sessions per week and gradually increasing your program everymonth or so.

This might be the toughest question to answer for all. The motivation, desire, and will to stick to your workout routine day after day comes from within. However, people close to you like your friends and family contribute with their support, it’s still you that have to decide and to take the journey. You are the one who has to pass on the booze, skip the cheat meals, pump the weights, and sweat out while punching a heavy bag wearing your boxing gloves.

There are some other things that help you to keep moving with your greatest will and externally provide you motivation not to skip your workouts.

• Having a gym friend is one of the greatest helps you could have to stay motivated and inspired.
• Listen to the motivational music, this trick really helps in awakening your instincts and triggers you to hit some extra reps after your regular workouts.
• Make sure you are always ready to hit your workout routine. You should stay in your workout apparel so that no delays should be the reason for a change of mind.
• Watch inspirational videos and movies based on some real-life heroes like Mike Tyson in the category of boxing and Bruce Lee for Karate and whatever superhero you admire.
• Think before quitting. It is okay if you have skipped a workout session or two, but if you are not interested in lifting weights anymore, switch your exercises. You should do cardio or learn some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappling and locks, or boxing for self-defense. Look back and then look at yourself and see the difference between the first you started and now.

As stated in the last question, this is dependent on your present level of fitness and the goals you have set for yourself. Furthermore, how much time you have to commit to working out is a factor. Some people may find it more convenient and helpful to exercise three hours per week, while others may find it more convenient and beneficial to exercise five to six days per week for only 30 minutes.

To put it another way, think about how many total hours each week you'll spend at the gym, and then figure out how to effectively spread it out. Another factor to consider is the quality of time rather than the amount. Someone who is committed and focused on their training can accomplish significantly more in 30 minutes than someone who is there for an hour but is continually distracted by their phone, conversing with others, and watching rather than working.

Taking rest is one of the most important factors in building an athletic physique. Whatever sport you choose, don’t forget to keep a rest day as a part of your workout routine. A human body mechanism works in a process. When you work out, the muscle-breaking process happens in your body. Providing proper rest helps the muscles recover properly and build more developed muscles than before.

Moreover, except for post-workout rest, taking sets between sets is crucial as well. Rest in between sets, allowing your muscle fibres to recover and to get enough energy to continue your workout. Certain exercises require more rest between sets. For example, a set of 15 reps of barbell squats will not only affect your thighs, glutes, and lower back, but will also have you breathing like a rattler. Taking longer rests can be your workout destroyer by cooling down your body and relaxing your muscles. However, resting for 40 to 60 seconds is an ideal duration between high-intensity exercises for recovery.

The main focus at the start of your health and fitness journey should be on creating an educated and effective training routine as well as a healthy and balanced nutrition diet. Anyone who urges you to start taking a variety of sports supplements right away is either uninformed or trying to make quick cash (well, most of them). After eight to twelve weeks of hard work and consistency in the gym, as well as meticulous adherence to a healthy diet, it's time to consider supplementation.

Within the first hour of severe weight training, the body indeed enters a metabolic state where protein and carbs are partitioned towards muscles and away from fat cells. This is because insulin sensitivity is at an all-time high during this time, allowing amino acids and carbohydrates to be absorbed, digested, and stored directly into injured muscle cells. This allows for immediate repair, recovery, and recuperation, and you'll see far better results over time than if you eat your post-workout meal outside of this anabolic window.

When you feel disintegration and think you are not making any progress, here lies the plateau situation. Luckily, this problem can be resolved but it needs a little effort. By effort, I mean you need to focus on your routine and find out statistically where you are doing wrong. Maybe you are following the same workout routine for some weeks or months, or your training sessions are specific and follow your goal.

Let’s suppose a situation, you set a goal to lose weight. Well, at first, you start exercising for weight loss but after some weeks your weight stops reducing. There might be two conditions. First, you do not quit junk or unhealthy food and consume extra calories than burning. Secondly, you have completely tried to stay away from the food, healthy or unhealthy. If you are trying to lose weight, your body still needs the energy to endure and if you eat extra calories and burn less, you’ll hit a plateau. Reach out to our diet section to find out what you should eat like an athlete.

However, in other cases like you are trying to build and strengthen muscles for MMA, your workout regimen may not contain the proper muscle-building and endurance exercises. Make sure you are choosing the right exercises and doing a proper workout. Evaluate the number of your workout reps and sets, or switch to cardio workout if required.

Not everyone can swiftly become capable of doing deadlifts. If you’re severely out of shape and worried about your weight, no worries, but do something for yourself. However, it’s likely safe for you to start with some simple and lightweight workout programs. It would be best for you to consult an educated and experienced personal trainer.

Although it would be great for you to consult your physician as well, he or she will definitely help you to find out if you are in the state of working out or not. After getting the green light from your doctor, it’s totally you then. But remember, do not let your motivation overcome your mind. Do not push your limits at the very beginning of your journey. Though your muscle has been in a resting state, for the time being, it will take some time to build muscle strength and endurance.

Try not to get injured by performing excessive workout drills or making sure to provide ample recovery time for your body. Lifting heavy weights and getting into intensive cardio can beat your heart out rapidly. If you feel tired, take a rest, sit aside and catch your breath; otherwise, you will harm yourself.

Most importantly, don’t be disheartened; just keep moving and working out with motivation and consistency. Make up your mind, set a goal and then divide it into short-term goals and then keep fulfilling our list with every step ahead. Therefore, this is not as simple as it seems; just keep moving.

Firstly, a proper workout technique is one of the most important factors in making your workout effective. Secondly, hitting the right quantity of workouts, your sets shouldn’t be too short or too long. Perform sets with proper statics and do not overtrain your muscles. That can fade the effectiveness of your workout. For beginners, the variation of 8-10 reps per set is more than enough, and the reps will increase with your level of expertise in the sport.

Last but not least, whether you determine bodybuilding or combat sports proper training gear and outfit place a great impact on your workout effectiveness. While performing exercises in the gym or even throwing a jab, you need a complete range of motion and the proper workout gear and outfit.

Other than gym workouts and HIIT training workouts, there are many fun activities to make your workout routine more interesting and refreshing. However, outside activities are not only great for your physical health but they’ve also been proven beneficial for improving your mental health as well. Depression and stress are often the factors that prevent people from getting into proper shape. Therefore, it is 70% mind and 30% body that makes an aesthetic physique.

Anyhow, outside activities are especially great when it comes to getting in your cardiovascular training. It is certainly far more enjoyable to run, hike, climb, dance, and swim than to walk on a treadmill every session.

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