New year, new you right? But what are the best ways to make a better you? Perhaps one of the most obvious ventures is going to the gym. But this can be difficult for newbies or those getting back into the grind. Here are The River’s top 5 ways to keep you gym fit for this 2020.
Motivation
Before we start the list, let’s first talk about motivation. Motivation is a vital part of any person’s workout, and you need to know how to stay motivated with your workouts in 2020.
- Not having a gym buddy going with you can really deplete your motivation. You’ll find yourself more inclined to workout if you have a friend pushing you to go with them. Finding someone to go with is essential but not compulsory.
- Music is a major factor that can weigh in to keep you motivated at the gym. Music is a good option if you can’t find anyone to go with and still want to be pumped while working out.
- Personal records in the form of progression pictures, fulfilling diet plans or counted weight loss are major motivators when it comes to going to the gym. If you keep record and track your progress after your workouts, you will see progression.
Cardio
Treadmills are an all-time favourite to burn calories. The velocity you run at is your choice, but I would recommend running for at least a solid 10-15 minutes to really burn some calories. You can also change the depth of the treadmill and exercise with an incline angle which will help you burn more calories.
Chest
The bench press is excellent for chest exercises. It works the pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, and triceps.
I would recommend doing drop sets of three. Start on 15 reps at the maximum weight you feel you can work with at around 18-20kg and then lower each set, but raise your weight.
Go straight to 12 reps of 16kg then finish with 10 reps of 14kg immediately after. The idea behind this is to keep your muscles engaged, to not give yourself any breaks in between sets, so you are really maximising your lift potential.
Abs
Russian Twists are a brilliant way to engage your core and build abdominal muscles. The best aspect of this exercise is that it allows you to work with a variety of equipment.
You have a choice of using a dumbbell, medicine ball or a kettlebell, whichever suits your preference. Try 5kg to start with, and increase it if you feel you can handle more. Repeat this for three sets of 10-15 reps.
Triceps
Tricep Dips is an activity that is simple to do, easily achievable from home, and is amazing to work your triceps. I would recommend pushing yourself on this one and try for three sets of 15 reps. This exercise is based on your own weight, so there is not a threshold to how much weight to work with.
Legs
Do not skip leg day. It is essential to any bodybuilder’s workout. Goblet squats are what I would recommend for leg training optimisation.
Goblet squats are a simple and easy exercise that you can achieve at home. You have the option to use a dumbbell, kettlebell or medicine ball to fulfil this workout. Starting on at least 5kg and progressively increasing the weight for three sets of 15 is the best way to go for this particular activity.