Fitness Friday – 3 signs you’ve had a good workout

A-Train's Super Fit

How do you determine whether you’ve had a good workout? Do measure this by how much you sweat, or how sore your muscles are? I’m guilty of this. The experts say this is not necessarily an accurate measure of your workout.

The amount of sweating you do is subjective.  I may break out in a sweat looking at a 25 lb. weight the trainer said I need to lift 50 times. A beginner may be able to use sore muscles as a sign they’ve worked out hard, because these are muscles they haven’t used frequently. This may not be true for someone who exercises frequently. So let’s hear what the experts say.

Below are 3 signs that psychologists say indicate that you had a good workout

1.      Difficult to hold a conversation – try talking mid-way through your workout, if you answer with short one or two word responses, you’re on target. I was an example of this during a recent fitness class. We were swinging kettle bells and I was singing along with the song blaring throughout the room. The trainer looked and me and said, “You need to grab a heavier bell.” I guess I should not have been able to sing a whole chorus while swinging the bell 15 times. Hmmm.

2.     You could barely finish your last rep – the experts say this is a good sign because it means you have fatigued your muscles.

3.      You slept soundly – you sleep through the night without waking up as much.

Read the entire article on signs of a good workout here.

The next time you hit the gym, go ahead and work up a sweat, but change your routine if you’ve been doing the same thing for a while. What would you add to the list of signs you’ve had a good workout?

 

4 reasons why you should not workout alone

I am beginning to discover that it is not just my kids who experience an adventure when leaving home. My latest visit to Planet Fitness provided me with more than just a workout, it was an adventure.

I started my warm-up on the elliptical machine. I really don’t like this machine; I’m trying it because the personal trainer suggested it. And it forces me to out of my comfort zone. So I entered my weight, age and workout level. However, I accidentally entered my age as four years younger. I didn’t bother to correct the error, but in my mind it felt like I had to work harder.

The elliptical machine was only the beginning of my adventure. Here are my reasons you shouldn’t workout alone:

• The machines can be intimidating if you are not familiar with them. Take a friend and you can feel intimidated together.
• The people around you can make you feel you are not working hard enough. Can we go back to the elliptical machine? The lady next to me had to be at least 70 years old and she was pretty much running on the machine. She had arms pumping, legs moving fast, and hair bouncing with her stride. I just kept moving at a “turtle's” pace and focused on the TV monitor. My mantra for the day became, “I can do this, I can do this.”
• You sometimes loose focus of what you are doing. If you frequent fitness clubs, you know they require you to wipe down the machines after use. Well, I walked away from my machine to get a wipe. I returned and cleaned the seat, the handles and the back rest…but it was the wrong machine. I could have smacked myself in the forehead like the V8 commercial, but I didn’t. I rolled my shoulders back, sucked in my stomach and walked tall like the rest off the people there.
• You are tempted to compare yourself to those around you. Only two more machines to complete and my workout would be done. While using the outer thigh machine (don’t know the real name) I glanced next to me. Guess who was there?...the super grandma from the elliptical machine. She was moving 130 or 150 pounds. I made sure she wasn’t looking in my direction as I increased my weights to match hers. I just had to try it. I only did a few reps then lowered it back to my original weight.

Do you prefer to workout with a friend or alone? What has been your workout experience?