For most people who have the gumption to drag themselves out of bed every morning to go for a run, hit the gym, or do a home workout, they seem to have one goal in common: Just do the best you can do and get the most out of it.
But, it’s proven that we aren’t the best at judging how good or bad our exercise is or was; scientists found out that when we’re left on our own, we tend to underestimate how hard we’re pushing ourselves. We assume that the more we sweat through our workout, the harder we’ve worked, but apparently sweat isn’t the best indicator.
So, if you can’t rely on your body telling you how good your workout was, how will you know if you’re doing well or not?
Here are the 3 indicators you should be looking for to know if you need to up your game:
Let’s think about this a second, you’ve probably been working out for some time, and you’ve been using your sweat as your indicator. But, did it ever cross your mind that your heart could tell you a lot more than your sweat can?
It should have, if it’s hot outside or your body is fighting off an infection, you’ll start sweating, but that doesn’t mean that you’re working your muscles to exhaustion, right?
So, invest in a heart rate monitor, you’ll get to see just how hard you’re pushing yourself. Just keep in mind that cardio will increase your heart rate a lot more than weight lifting.
Weight lifting can be challenging, fun, and motivating. But, if you get to the point where you’re doing 10 reps easily, then you need to adjust the weights you’re using.
Let’s just assume that you’re doing bicep curls; you’re lifting 8 kilograms (roughly 18 Lbs). You finish your first set, and your bicep isn’t tired at all, in fact, you could’ve done a lot more than 10 reps. This should be an indicator that the weight is far too low and needs increasing. Or if you’ve tried increasing the weight and your form wasn’t right, increase the number of reps you’re doing to maintain your form.
Keep in mind with any exercise you do; your form should always be in check!
When was the last time you did a fitness test? Probably eons ago, we know, and we understand, life gets hectic, and things get pushed aside.
If you really want to judge if you’re getting better, or your body is developing the way you want it to. Then you’ll need to do a fitness test at least once a month (could be planking, squats, pull-ups, or anything else). Here’s the catch though, if you’re still breathing normally at the end of your fitness test, then clearly your workout is way too easy, and you need to seriously up your game!
How do you tell when your exercise routine is getting too easy? Let us know on our Facebook page.
Check out what your sweat actually means here.
