The sheer number of workouts out there is enough to give any guy whiplash. Every day there’s something new and shiny to lift, push, or otherwise sweat through. But sometimes, the best results don’t involve switching up your entire workout. Sometimes, you just need to make a few little changes to how you’re doing your current workout. Check out these six super-simple ways to make the most out of the workout you already know and love:
Play with Speed
Cranking through your reps will get you out of the gym faster, but it won’t necessarily do much for your body. Instead, it’s best to explode during the concentric (harder) part of your reps and slow down during the eccentric (relatively easier) part of them, says strength coach Holly Perkins, C.S.C.S. So, for instance, when you are performing squats, you should explode up and then slowly lower back down.
While explosive movements can help spike your body’s levels of growth hormone in order to score you more power and muscles, simply dropping your weight as quickly as possible robs your body out of performing one-half of the exercise. Plus, it turns out you’re actually stronger when you muscles move eccentrically than when they move concentrically. Translation: You need to move slowly though the eccentric part in order to make it harder and get the most out of it.
Do Fewer (or More) Reps
If you’ve been benching 3 sets of 10 reps for months and you haven’t moved up in weight in, well, months, you might want to change up your set and rep scheme, Perkins says. After all, muscles will adapt to anything after long enough. So consider performing maybe 4 sets of 6 reps with a higher weight. Or 3 sets of 15 reps with a lower weight. Either way, you’ll get stronger. In general, you should aim to change up your sets, reps, and weight about every eight weeks, she says.
Wear a Stopwatch
Being strict with your workout’s rest breaks can be a game-changer for your body. Exactly how long you rest—even if it’s the difference between 15 and 30 seconds—can make a huge difference in terms of how much you can lift, what energy systems you’re using to fuel your reps, how much fat you burn, and how much muscle you gain, Perkins says. So, if your workout says you need a 30-second break between sets, you better be taking a 30-second break every time. If it says 60, watch the stopwatch that much longer.
Focus on Form
Any exercise becomes infinitely more effective when you perform it with perfect form. After all, curling 50-pound weights won’t do much more your biceps if you’re actually swinging your shoulder to lift the weight. Dropping your weight and using only the muscles you should be using? That will get you a lot further, Perkins notes. As will going through every exercise’s full range of motion. So, when performing pushups, for instance, lower your chest all of the way to the floor. Don’t stop when you have only a little bend in your elbows, or you’ll only work a fraction of the muscles you could otherwise, she says. When you become a stickler for form, you might find that you’re not as strong at your regular exercises as you thought you were. But don’t worry, you’ll become even stronger and fitter in the end.
Change Your Position
“Strength training is a relationship between your body and gravity,” Perkins says. “So if you change your grip or stance, you’ll change how your body has to work against gravity to move that weight.” For instance, lat pulldowns performed with a wide grip will work different muscle fibers in your back than will lat pulldowns performed with a narrow grip. The same holds true for every exercise known to man. Aim for changing up your grip and/or stance about every eight weeks—or whenever you’re just no longer feeling strong at your workouts.