5 Best Ways To Improve Your Workout

In This Article:

1. Set SMART goals to stay focused: The first step to improving your workout is knowing what you’re working toward. SMART goals ensure your workouts have direction.

SMART = Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, & Timely.

EXAMPLE GOAL:

(Specific) I want to lose 10 pounds by improving my eating habits and exercising regularly. (Measurable) I will weigh myself once a week and keep a food and exercise journal. (Achievable) I will achieve this by eating 500 fewer calories daily and exercising four times per week, consisting of two strength training sessions and two cardio sessions. (Relevant) Losing 10 pounds will help me feel more confident, improve my health, and give me more energy to do activities with my friends or family. (Time Bound) I will reach this goal within 10 weeks, aiming for a steady and healthy weight loss of 1 pound per week.

2. Focus on multi-joint, compound exercises to save time and maximize results: When time is tight, prioritize exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once. These are more efficient and effective than single-joint movements.

3. Structure Your Workouts with Training Phases to Meet Your Unique Goals: Training phases will guide how you advance toward your goals while avoiding plateaus and injury. Here are the key phases:

Corrective Phase: Build a strong foundation by improving posture and balance.

Strength/Endurance Phase: Strengthen weaker muscles and build endurance.

Hypertrophy Phase: Build muscle tone and mass.

Max Strength Phase: Increase overall strength for advanced lifters

Power Phase: Improve speed and explosive strength.

*Switch phases every 4-6 weeks.

4.  Apply Progressive Overload to Keep Progressing: Progressive overload means gradually increasing the weight, reps, or intensity of your workouts over time. This principle forces your muscles to adapt and grow stronger.

Ways to Apply It:

• Add weight to your exercises.
• Increase reps or sets.
• Perform slower reps
• Shorten rest periods

5.  Don’t Skip Rest and Recovery: Recovery is just as important as the workout. It allows your muscles to repair themselves and grow stronger.

1. Set SMART Goals to Stay Focused

Setting goals that are too small can hold you back, but setting goals that are too big can lead to frustration and disappointment. SMART goals are a powerful tool to strike a perfect balance between the two. SMART is an acronym that stands for:

S – Specific: Set a specific goal that motivates you throughout your journey. Examples include: to lose weight, build muscle, reduce body fat, get stronger, eat smarter, reduce joint pain and improve your overall health.

M – Measurable: Your goal must be measurable. For example, you may aim to lose 15 pounds, gain 5% muscle mass, lose 10% body fat, cut out processed food from your diet, move pain free, or reduce your body mass index (BMI).

A – Achievable: Your goal should be challenging, but realistic and achievable. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting an unrealistic goal. For example, you can realistically lose 1-2 pounds per week for healthy weight loss.

R – Relevant: If your goal isn’t important to you, you are less likely to achieve it! 

T – Time Bound: set a realistic timeframe to reach your goals. For example, if you are working to lose 20 pounds, you can realistically expect to achieve this goal in 10-20 weeks (if you lose 1-2 pounds per week).

EXAMPLE GOAL:

Here is an example of a SMART goal for someone who wants to lose weight.

(Specific) I want to lose 10 pounds by improving my eating habits and exercising regularly. (Measurable) I will weigh myself once a week and keep a food and exercise journal. (Achievable) I will achieve this by eating 500 fewer calories daily and exercising four times per week, consisting of two strength training sessions and two cardio sessions. (Relevant) Losing 10 pounds will help me feel more confident, improve my health, and give me more energy to do activities with my friends or family. (Time Bound) I will reach this goal within 10 weeks, aiming for a steady and healthy weight loss of 1 pound per week.

2. Focus on Multi-Joint, Full-Body Movements

Maximizing your time in the gym means getting the most out of every exercise. Single-joint movements, like bicep curls or tricep extensions, target just one muscle group at a time. While they still have a place in your routine, they’re less efficient for someone with a busy schedule. By converting single-joint movements into multi-joint, compound exercises, you engage more muscles simultaneously, and burn more calories. For example,

instead of a bicep curl, try a cable row with supination (palms facing up), which engages your back, shoulders, and biceps.

        Bicep curl  —> Cable row w supination [palms facing up]

          (Biceps)   —> (Back, Shoulders, Biceps)

Replace leg extensions with barbell back squats or leg presses, which work your quads, glutes, and core. 

         Leg extensions  —>    Barbell back squats

              (Quads)        —>   (Quads, glutes, core)

These adjustments will make your workouts more effective and help you achieve your goals faster.

3. Structure Your Workouts with Training Phases

Training phases will guide how you advance toward your goals while avoiding plateaus and injury. Here are the key phases:

• Corrective Phase: Focus on building a strong foundation by improving posture, stability, and muscle imbalances.
• Strength Endurance Phase: Develop endurance and neuromuscular control by activating weaker muscles and improving coordination.
• Hypertrophy Phase: Build muscle tone and mass by increasing the recruitment of muscle fibers through higher-volume training.
• Max Strength Phase: For advanced lifters, this phase builds maximum strength with heavy loads and low repetitions.
• Power Phase: Improve athletic performance by combining speed and strength for explosive movements.

The general recommendation from the National Academy of Sports Medicine is to change phases every 4 to 6 weeks to avoid plateaus and maintain progress.

4. Apply Progressive Overload to Keep Progressing

Progressive overload means gradually increasing the weight, reps, or intensity of your workouts over time. Without it, your body will plateau. For example, if you start by squatting 50 pounds for 10 reps, aim to squat 55 pounds or complete 12 reps the next time. This forces your muscles to adapt and grow stronger. Progressive overload can be applied by adding weight, adding more reps or sets, reducing rest time, or improving exercise form and controlling speed. However, you should always prioritize good form over heavier weights to avoid injury.

5. Rest and Recovery

Rest is just as important as the workout itself. Without proper recovery, your muscles can’t repair themselves and grow stronger. Aim for at least 48 hours of rest before training the same muscle group again. For overall health, the CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week, combined with strength training for all major muscle groups at least 2 days per week. Schedule rest days or lighter workouts, like walking or yoga, to stay active while giving your body time to recover.

Final Takeaway

To improve your workouts, start by setting SMART goals to ensure direction and motivation. Focus on multi-joint, compound exercises to save time and maximize results by engaging multiple muscle groups. Structure your workouts with training phases—like strength endurance, hypertrophy, and max strength—to avoid plateaus and achieve long-term progress. Apply progressive overload by gradually increasing weight, reps, or intensity to continually challenge your muscles. Finally, prioritize rest and recovery to allow your muscles to repair and grow stronger. Rest at least 48 hours before training the same muscle group and incorporate lighter activities to stay active on recovery days.

References

McLester, C. (n.d.). Setting S.M.A.R.T. fitness goals to overcome mental hurdles. NASM. https://blog.nasm.org/setting-smart-fitness-goals

Cleveland Clinic. (2024, November 7). How to work out smarter, not harder. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/smart-fitness-goals

Adams, A. (n.d.). Periodization training simplified: A strategic guide: NASM blog. NASM. https://blog.nasm.org/periodization-training-simplified

Sutton, B. (n.d.). An explanation of the new updates to the OPTTM model. NASM. https://blog.nasm.org/new-opt-model-updates

Stull, K. (n.d.). Exercise progressions: Are you asking the right questions?. NASM. https://blog.nasm.org/certified-personal-trainer/exercise-progressions-asking-right-questions

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, December 20). Adult activity: An overview. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/adults.html

Charles Armstrong

Contributing Author

Charles Armstrong is a copywriter with a specialization in the fitness industry, and has a track record of success, having worked with Transfitnation over the course of several years. Additionally, he is an author and entrepreneur, using his skills to help others achieve their goals.