5 Tips toSimplify Your Workouts!

Hi! Hope you're having a great week! Today is Workout Wednesday, and I thought I take today and offer you some tips to simplify your workouts, so you spend less time thinking about what to do and more time DOING! You don't have to plan your workouts this way, but this will take out some of the guesswork and set up time.

1. Choose your goals first, then your workout according to those goals. If you want to lean out, you may want to choose a circuit or super set workout. If you're trying increase muscle size...you may want to look into multiple sets of super low reps... It's up to you! A little homework on format will pay off in the long run. If you're looking at a home workout program, look for testimonials of people who accomplished their goals with that particular dvd or program.

2. Base your workout around 1 or 2 pieces of equipment. I recently completed a program that only used dumbbells and/or resistance bands. It took soooo much guesswork out of organizing and planning my workouts! Nothing drives me crazier than seeing workouts that are effective, but utilize 10 different pieces of equipment...by the time you gather all the paraphernalia needed, you could be finished with a workout!

3. Get a workout journal, and schedule your workouts a week in advance. Make it a priority...oh and by the way, you don't need to reinvent the wheel and do completely different exercises with completely different times, sets, and reps each time. Change up just one thing each time. Your body will thank you for it...and you won't get frustrated because you've wracked your brain trying to come up with a workout! Trust me, I learned this the hard way!

4. Have your post-workout snack ready in advance. This will save you time and your metabolism. You need to fuel your muscles...without muscles...there is very little metabolism. This will also keep you from reaching for junk, thus delaying your progress.

5. Less is more...I usually use about 3-5 exercises per muscle group, anything over that tends to be counter productive for me... start or end with isolation exercises to prime you muscles, and put compound moves at the polar end of the workout from your isolation moves.

One of my favorite ab moves to do after a warm-up: (The amazing Edgar Matos took this shot during a Fit Club at my house!)

There! That covers it! I hope this saves you time and energy when you're planning your workouts! What's your favorite workout format? Comment below!
Julie Auler Fit
Happy Sweating!

- Julie