As summer approaches and the outdoors start to call your name, you might be wondering what you can do in order to melt away those last few stubborn pounds. Arguably the single most important aspect to fat loss is a sound and safe diet, but if you’ve already dialed in on a meal plan that’s yielding great results it might be time to consider increasing the intensity of your workouts.
Today, our trainer Brian Cavanaugh is here to share five of his favorite strategies to increase the intensity of your workouts to create your summer body. Choose one that works best for you and when your body begins to adapt chose another option to keep reaping the weight loss benefits.
#1. Shorten the rest intervals between your sets.
Two major benefits are in your favor when decreasing your rest intervals to 20-30 seconds between sets.
Shorter rest periods allow you to complete more work in your allocated workout time thus increasing work volume and they also keep your heart rate elevated which will help you burn more calories during your workout aiding in fat loss. And if that’s not enough, studies have also shown that high volume, short rest period training increases human growth hormone levels as compared to the same training with longer rest periods resulting in a physique that is comprised of lean muscle and lower overall body fat percentage.
#2. Perform Super Sets and Giant Sets
Another great way to increase the intensity of your workouts in order to burn more calories is to perform super sets and giant sets.
Sound extreme? That’s because it is, but nothing worth having was ever obtained without hard work right?
A super set is done by combining two or three exercises in a sequence back to back with no rest in between and a giant set is essentially performing bigger supersets- at least four exercises performed in consecutive order without any rest in between.
Super sets and giant sets help improve cardiovascular and muscular endurance. They are also both very effective in burning calories and building muscle which equates to assisting with fat loss.
#3. Slow-Fast Reps
This is a very intense way to execute an exercise movement and should only be performed by more experienced weight lifters or with the assistance of a workout buddy or trainer.
To perform slow-fast reps- pick an exercise and do the following:
- Perform three repetitions at a super slow pace-three to five seconds should pass before one repetition is considered complete- with constant tension on the muscle followed immediately by five repetitions at a very high tempo.
- Perform the same exercise three times for a total of 24 total reps- this is one set.
- Perform 3-4 sets.
This method will increase time under tension, essentially the amount of time a muscle is working during a set, thus forcing your body to expend more energy than you would in a regular workout.
#4. Rest-Pause
The third method to increase the intensity of your workouts is the rest-pause method. This method of training is intended to allow you to use a heavy weight at a higher volume.
To perform a rest-pause exercise do the following:
- Pick a weight that you can perform a maximum of 4-5 repetitions.
- Perform this exercise with the prescribed weight for 4-5 reps then rest 10-15 seconds and perform another 4-5 reps. This is considered one set.
- Perform 2-3 sets using this rest-pause method.
#5. Drop Sets
The final way to increase the intensity in your workouts might seem very familiar to you, but I added it to the list for very good reason. The technique of drop sets is nothing new, but it’s so effective at burning extra calories and building lean muscle that elite athletes and average workout enthusiasts alike incorporate drop sets into their routines and you should too!
To perform a drop set do the following:
- Select a weight you can life six to ten times and perform your desired amount of reps.
- Immediately drop the weight 30-50% and lift to technical failure. This is considered one set.
- Repeat this for 3-4 sets.
The key to performing these correctly is to have as little rest as possible between the heavy and light sets, this makes stacked weights and dumbbells ideal for this type of training. This method can improve muscle mass, strength, and endurance which all help to support fat loss and muscle growth.
Now you have 5 new training strategies that you can incorporate into your daily workouts to increase your training intensity. I’m hoping you will utilize these 5 methods to take your fitness to a whole new level. As always, please consult your physician prior to starting a new workout regimen and if you have any questions, feel free reach out to any of our personal trainers who are ready and eager to help you on your path to health and fitness.
Onelife for all,
Brian Cavanaugh
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