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25 Fitness Tips That EVERY Gym Enthusiast Needs to Know
Every great journey begins with a single solitary step. In the fitness world, we begin our journey toward health and wellness in earnest when we begin putting in the work. As many newcomers to the world of exercise have come to realize, simply working hard will not always lead to direct and effective results. Do you feel like you are hitting your limits, spinning your tires, or otherwise stalling out with your fitness progress?
To enjoy a more successful journey toward your fitness resolutions, consider incorporating 25 of these secret fitness tips that every gym enthusiast needs to know!
1. Work Your Way Up the Weights
Getting into shape through exercise and fitness requires an understanding of the journey along the way. You don’t start your weight lifting journey by going straight for the heaviest deadlift you can handle. Instead, slowly work your way up in weight until you are failing at roughly 30 to 40 seconds into your set.
The process described above is known as time under tension and is ideal for stimulating muscle growth.
2. Figure Out What Works For Your Body Type
You have probably read a thousand of those success stories that talk about trying every fad diet & every fad workout and having no results UNTIL that one thing. It’s true, all our bodies are built different and what works for your best friend, might not work for you. Korescale is a scale that uses biometric sensors to break-down your BMI, body fat, muscle mass, and body water, so you can see where you are hitting plateaus and how to get past them. Plus it’s just a really great scale for checking your weight in general. Currently 50% off through the end of the week – click here.
3. You CAN’T Outwork a Bad Diet
Spend more than five minutes with any personal trainer in the world and you will quickly learn the importance of dieting. Food isn’t just what fuels our body, it is what our body needs for us to reach all of our goals. A balanced meal consisting of complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats can contribute toward success in the weight room and in life.
4. Purchase A Heart Rate Monitor
Whether you are trying to gain muscle or burn fat, a heart rate monitor can be a tool of expediency. Heart rate monitors can be used with mobile fitness trackers to track and analyze the intensity of your workout routine. Keeping your heart rate in the right range can lead to more productive fitness sessions.
Use a fitness tracker and heart rate monitor combined to maximize the impact of your effort at the gym! Our favorite is KoreTrak because it’s affordable, but also has all the functions of something fancier – like an Apple Watch. Koretrak monitors heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen level, tracks steps, tracks calories, text message alerts, missed calls, find your phone, and time / weather / location. Click here for a KoreTrak Discount Code.
5. Target A Wide Range of Motion in the Gym
Did you know the best way to get the most out of your workout is by targeting exercises with a full range of motion? It’s true! When you target exercises with a wider range of motion, your muscles are forced to do more work per rep. This effort leads to more muscle tissue breaking down by the end of the workout, thus leading to more gains!
6. Relax And Let Your Muscles Recover
As your workout, your muscles strain and pull apart. Your body recovers from this by “refusing” the fibers and making them bigger and strong – hence the term – building your muscles. It’s important to allow your body recovery time. Hydration, stretching, a warm bath, and massage are all great ways to speed up recovery. Two products we like that can help with any pain + speed up recovery are NeckRelax and Kaydia Patch
Neck Relax makes a great product that helps you loosen and relax your body hands-free. You strain your neck more then you think when lifting and moving – clenching your jaw, etc. They are running a special for 50% off here.
Kaydia Patch we actually wear while doing cardio and when recovering. It’s a patch with nano technology that targets pain. It’s reusable and helps you keep a clean regiment (no pain pills), but without suffering through recovery days. They are also running a discount this time of year – click here for the discount code.
7. Get Comfortable With Exhaustion During Workouts
Endurance training focuses on total effort during a concentrated period of time. The goal here is to completely exhaust our muscles, so we have to prepare for exhaustion from the get-go. Pullups, pushups, squats, and rows are all great lifts to really push ourselves while defining our endurance capabilities.
8. Get In The Groove
Seriously, pump those jams. Research has shown that listening to music while working out can put you in a better mood, make you workout longer, AND increase you stamina. Since most newer phones don’t have a headphone jacks, it’s time you went wireless. DangoBuds are our pick for quality, affordability and style. Discount available here.
9. Strength Comes From Your Lower Body
If we really want to find results in the gym then we are going to have to attack our lower body with compound lifts. Compound lifts like squats, hip sleds, and deadlifts all do a great job of targeting stubborn fat. Additionally, your lower body is where the majority of your strength comes from and these exercises will prove it!
10. So Nice, We Listed It Twice – RECOVERY
Recovery really can’t be overstated. It is SO important to give your body time to heal and build. We recommend cardio or resistance training on your recovery days so you stay in the routine of working out, but also make sure you apply a muscle pain relief product and get some massages in.
We asked our resident fitness guru, Steve, what his two recovery secrets are and he said Muscle Care and LaidBack.
MuscleCare is a roll-on pain reliever for muscles. “It’s my secret weapon, most people buy a drugstore brand of pain reliever, but Muscle Care is the real deal. It works fast and actually smells good” said Steve.
“LaidBack,” Steve said with a smile and a glance at his feet, “Is a foot massager that provides all over body relief.” Steve is actually using LaidBack as we speak, I didn’t even notice. He says its great for in the office and his body is so tense after a hard workout that LaidBack really helps loosen him up. Currently on sale here.
11. Meal Preparation Is the KEY to Success
The easiest way to ruin a great workout is by eating a bad meal. Limit your exposure to impulse purchases and junk food by preparing your meals ahead of time. Pick a day of the week to prepare and freeze all of your meals and you’ll never go without!
12. Low Impact, High Resistance Training Yields BIG results
Resistance bands are great for low impact, high resistance training. They help you maintain muscle mass and improve flexibility and endurance, while putting low-strain on your body. KoreTense makes some nice resistance bands and they usually have a deal on the package of 5 bands, straps, bag, etc. We like to use the resistance bands on the days we don’t make it to the gym.
13. Map Out Your Fitness Journey
Before you pick up your first weight or book your first personal training session, take some time to clarify your goals. What are you looking to accomplish? Do you want to trim fat? Build muscle? Improve your cardiovascular endurance? Specific goals will require specific workouts, diets, and supplements. Don’t waste your effort by working in the wrong direction!
14. Take Care Of Your Knees
As Baz Luhrmann says in his advice filled song, “Be kind to your knees, you‘ll miss them when they’re gone.” Exercise can be killer on the knees. They take a lot of the impact, especially when running, fortunately knee braces can both protect them and alleviate any knee pain. Circa Knee was invented by a chronic knee pain sufferer – it’s comfortable and let’s us take workouts to the next level knowing that our knees are protected.
15. Learn Which Supplements Work Best For You
Depending on who you talk to, fitness supplements are either the best things or the worst things to ever happen to the fitness world. While there are countless fitness supplements on the market, there are a few that we would prioritize. Creatine is an ideal muscle-building supplement when used properly. BCAAs also help stimulate quicker muscle recovery.
Talk to your personal trainer to clarify your goals while discussing the supplements that might work best for you.
16. Master the Art of Proper Hydration
Did you know that a majority of the country walks around dehydrated during the average day? It’s true, far too few of us actually drink enough water to meet our hydration needs and this problem is amplified in the fitness world. Drink enough water to ensure the health of your GI tract so that nutrients are properly absorbed. Active fitness enthusiasts should aim for roughly one gall of water a day.
17. Find Your Motivation and Make It Count
When we work on any hard task, it can help to have a motivation to call upon when we begin to struggle. Motivation can take many different forms in the fitness world. Some of us are motivated by a desire to live healthier while others want to sculpt an aesthetically pleasing body. No matter your goals, find what motivates you, and stick to it when times are tough!
18. Lock Down Your Portion Control
Learn to eat with purpose by paying attention to how your portions look on your plate. Chicken, meat, and fish should stick to portions the size of your palm. Pasta should be portioned out roughly to the size of your fist. In order to promote healthier portion control, consider utilizing smaller bowls or plates to help.
19. Adjust Your Rest Periods For Different Lifts
Taking a break during a hard routine is normal. Taking an extended break during your lift can end up causing you harm. Stick to around 45 seconds at most between sets because this will best help you to improve your endurance. As you begin lifting heavier weights, you can start extending your rest periods.
20. Master Your Form Before Lifting Heavier Weights
While it is always fun to lift heavy weights, we really need to make sure that our form is in place before doing so. Workout with a trainer or a friend so that you can get feedback on your form. Proper form while lifting can help prevent injuries while also more accurately targeting muscle groups during your lift.
21. Carefully Incorporate Cardio Depending On Goals
If your goal is to lose weight and cut down on fat, ramp up your cardio and make sure that you are staying hydrated. If your goal is to gain muscle, then you really need to limit your exposure to cardiovascular training. For strength training, make sure to incorporate a light jog or some time on the treadmill a few times during the week.
22. Change Your Workout Routine to Inspire Results
When you walk into a fitness center, it can be easy to become overwhelmed by the many machines and weights available to you. There is a reason why gyms have so many pieces of equipment and it is because change is IMPORTANT! Change up your fitness routine to prevent boredom while maximizing your results. Your body can get used to a certain routine and that can lead to diminishing results. Changing up your routine often can keep things fresh and fruitful!
23. Find a Workout Partner to Hold You Accountable
Everything is more fun when it is done with a friend and exercise is no exception. While we understand how fun it is to lift alone, working out with a partner can be a powerful motivator. Not only will you have a friend to encourage your growth, but you will have someone to monitor your form, hold you accountable, and inspire your journey. Of course, you will offer the same thing to them!
24. Workout When It Works Best For Your Schedule
Going through college, I knew that the only time I could get a lift in was after class at night. Instead of trying to jam in an early morning lift when I knew I’d be tired, I scheduled post-class workouts. Make sure that you are always scheduling your workout routines around YOU. There is nothing wrong with waking up early or going to bed late, just fit it into your schedule and the results will come!
25. Track Your Journey Via Photographs
Whether you are trying to gain weight or trim stubborn belly fat, make sure to monitor your entire journey through photographs. Now, people might mock the fitness mirror selfie but we personally love it. These photos will work as both a reminder and a source of motivation as you push forward in your journey.
Small changes are hard to notice, but photographic evidence is impossible to deny. Enjoy your journey, track your progress, and become the fitness enthusiast you’ve always yearned after!
Fitness Related Products We Recommend
- KoreTrak Fitness Monitor to track your vitals and reach your fitness goals
- KoreTense Resistance Bands for low impact resistance training that can be done at home
- Neck Relax for neck pain recovery and all over body relief and relaxation
- Kaydia Patch for nano technology pain relief on targeted muscles
- Circa Knee for knee joint protection
- DangoBuds for powering up yourself workout by
- listening to your favorite tunes (wirelessly!)
- KoreScale for tracking not just your weight, but the break-down of BMI, water weight, and muscle mass.
- LaidBack to massage your feet and relieve all over body tension during recovery
- Muscle Care to rub on your sore muscles
In a shady clearing at Dams to Darnley Country Park, Hannah Willow, barefoot and clutching twigs and leaves, gently approached a towering tree. After gracefully circling it, she wrapped her arms around its wide trunk, resting her cheek against the rough bark.
Willow, a 36-year-old teacher and children’s book author, was crowned the champion tree hugger at Glasgow’s inaugural Tree Hugging Tournament. The event, organized just outside the city, was designed to help people reconnect with nature in what organizers called a “playful and heartfelt way.”
“I’m over the moon,” Willow said, adorned with her leaf-and-branch crown. “I’ve always been a bit of a tree hugger, so being here with others who feel the same is wonderful. The woods are truly where I feel at peace.”
About 15 adults and four children participated in the event, which draws inspiration from Finland’s World Tree Hugging Championships. As the weekend’s champion, Willow earned a spot in the international competition, held in the HaliPuu forest, just north of the Arctic Circle.
The global competition was established in 2020 to lift spirits during the pandemic and encourage people to reduce stress by spending time in forests. Since then, similar events have sprouted worldwide, including Glasgow’s tournament and another in the Scottish Highlands.
Shuna Mercer, 50, and Vicki Dale, the organizers, emphasized the mental health benefits of nature. Mercer, an outdoor play therapist, explained, “We wanted to raise awareness about how vital it is to reconnect with the natural world. With so much time spent on screens, people are missing out on the emotional benefits that come from being outdoors.”
The tournament consisted of three rounds. In the first, participants competed in speed hugging, where they hugged as many trees as possible in one minute, ensuring each hug lasted at least five seconds. The second round, “dedicated” hugging, focused on showing deep connection and respect to a single tree. The final freestyle round allowed competitors to express their creativity through their most unique and personal tree hug.
Vicki Dale’s daughter, Lottie, won the children’s category. Wearing a pink raincoat and green boots, she set up a whimsical tea party with her teddy bear, Tom, and a gnarled tree, which she lovingly referred to as the “twirly tree.” Lottie also read a poem during the dedicated hug, saying, “I chose this tree because it stood out to me. It’s important for kids to connect with nature, and I love spending time in the woods with my mom.”
As for Willow, she’s now preparing to compete in Finland next summer. When asked for her advice on tree hugging, she shared, “It’s all about intention. Trees are living beings, just like us. When you give them a bit of love, it’s a beautiful thing.”
A groundbreaking development in chocolate production has emerged from Switzerland’s Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. Food scientist Kim Mishra and his team have created a method to manufacture chocolate using the entire cocoa fruit, not just the beans, while eliminating the need for added sugar.
This innovative approach addresses several issues in the chocolate industry, including sustainability and farmer welfare. Traditionally, chocolate production discards most of the cocoa fruit, wasting valuable resources. The new method utilizes the fruit’s sweet juice, pulp, and even the husk to create a naturally sweet cocoa gel, potentially revolutionizing the industry.
The process has attracted attention from sustainable food companies and could solve multiple problems faced by the cocoa industry. Anian Schreiber, co-founder of KOA, a Swiss startup involved in the project, believes this approach could increase income for cocoa farmers and create more value in cocoa-producing countries.
This development comes at a time when the chocolate industry is under scrutiny for its historical links to colonialism and ongoing issues such as child labor and deforestation. The new method could contribute to more ethical and sustainable chocolate production.
The chocolate produced by this method has been described as having a rich, dark, yet sweet flavor with a hint of cocoa bitterness. However, challenges remain, including potentially higher production costs due to the current subsidies for sugar production.
Despite these hurdles, interest in the new method is growing. Chocolate producers from various cocoa-growing countries have reached out to learn more about the technique. Some major Swiss producers are beginning to incorporate more of the cocoa fruit in their processes, though none have yet eliminated sugar entirely.
As the Swiss chocolate industry, which produces 200,000 tonnes of chocolate annually worth an estimated $2 billion, looks to the future, this innovation could play a significant role in ensuring sustainability while maintaining Switzerland’s reputation for exceptional chocolate.
The development represents not just a potential shift in chocolate production, but also a step towards more sustainable and ethical practices in the food industry as a whole.
In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a heartening trend has emerged among the country’s younger generation. Millennials and Gen-Z Ukrainians, many of whom previously hesitated to take on the responsibility of pet ownership, are now stepping up to adopt animals displaced by the conflict. This wave of compassion is particularly evident in Kyiv, where the canine population now includes many furry friends with poignant wartime backstories.
This article highlights several touching tales of adoption:
Olena, a 30-year-old entrepreneur, found an instant connection with Chara, a dog rescued from Izium in the Kharkiv Region. Their bond formed quickly, creating a new family unit.
Daria, 31, welcomed Amelie, a cocker spaniel discovered near the Belarusian border by her boyfriend during a military mission. Amelie’s rescue fulfilled Daria’s long-held desire to help an animal in need.
Nastia, a 32-year-old designer with roots in conflict-affected regions, found solace in Spike, a mixed-breed dog from the Donetsk region. Their relationship has brought joy amidst Nastia’s experiences with displacement.
Vitalii, 33, and his wife Julia adopted Dyvo (meaning “Miracle” in Ukrainian), a puppy who overcame severe illness. For Vitalii, this marked his first deep connection with an animal, becoming a source of healing.
Costya, 34, and his girlfriend chose Runa from a shelter in Vasylkiv, appreciating the organization’s approach to reducing animal stress through temporary home placements.
Oleh and Lika, a creative couple, brought Maoshinda, a Ukrainian Laika, into their lives, overcoming initial hesitations about pet ownership.
Anya, 22, found companionship in Luna, a street dog who lost her puppies, filling a void left by wartime disruptions.
Max, 33, adopted Chief, a dog rescued from the Donetsk region, learning to navigate the challenges of pet ownership, including separation anxiety.
Olga and Andrii’s adoption of Sirko, a husky rescued from Irpin, prompted Olga’s return to Ukraine from Berlin, symbolizing a deeper commitment to their home during uncertain times.
These stories collectively illustrate how adopting animals affected by war has not only provided homes for displaced pets but also brought healing, purpose, and renewed hope to their human companions during a challenging period in Ukraine’s history.
Scientists at the University of Tasmania’s Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) are celebrating a significant milestone in their efforts to save the endangered Maugean skate. The captive breeding program, initiated in December, has produced its first hatchling from an egg laid in captivity.
Professor Jayson Semmens, who leads the project, expressed enthusiasm about this development, noting its importance in validating the program’s scientific approach. The success comes at a crucial time, as recent studies have shown a dramatic decline in the skate population in its last known habitat, Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania’s west coast.
The breeding program has seen remarkable progress since its inception. A female skate brought into captivity has been consistently producing eggs, with over 100 laid so far and about 70 showing signs of embryonic development. The first healthy female hatchling emerged on July 10, with more expected soon.
Interestingly, the eggs are being fertilized using sperm stored by the female from previous mating in the wild, as the captive male was initially kept separate to avoid disturbing the laying process. Scientists are now observing the interactions between the adult skates in captivity.
The program has evolved rapidly, moving from basic care of skates and their eggs to successfully nurturing embryos into viable hatchlings. While there have been challenges, including the loss of two adult skates early in the program, these setbacks have led to improved screening and care protocols.
Looking ahead, researchers are focusing on developing strategies for successfully reintroducing captive-bred skates into the wild. Macquarie Harbour’s unique environmental conditions, including naturally low oxygen levels, present specific challenges that need to be addressed.
The Tasmanian government has incorporated the captive breeding program into a broader conservation action plan for the Maugean skate. However, environmental groups stress the need for urgent attention to the root causes of the harbour’s poor water quality, particularly citing concerns about the impact of salmon farming.
Despite these challenges, the scientists involved in the project express a sense of privilege in their work to preserve this endangered species, viewing each day with the skates as a special opportunity to contribute to conservation efforts.
A heartwarming global response marked the 100th birthday of Richard ‘Dick’ Skepper, a former Royal Air Force (RAF) serviceman. Following an appeal by the RAF Association, Skepper’s Warwickshire home was inundated with birthday cards from well-wishers worldwide, creating an unforgettable centennial celebration.
The outpouring of support left Skepper deeply moved. His son, David, shared that the cards came from an incredibly diverse range of senders, spanning multiple generations and continents. The family was amazed to see postmarks from as far as Australia and the Americas, alongside numerous European countries.
David emphasized how touched his father was by the thoughtfulness evident in each card. The veteran took the time to read every message, marveling at the variety of designs and their far-flung origins. While individual acknowledgment of each sender isn’t feasible, the family expressed profound gratitude for the joy these gestures brought to Skepper’s milestone birthday.
The centenarian’s military service began at 18 when he joined the RAF, eventually serving with 7 Squadron under Bomber Command at RAF Oakington in Cambridgeshire. His role as a Flight Mechanic – Engines (FM1) was crucial to the war effort.
To commemorate this special occasion, Skepper enjoyed a garden party at his nursing home, Kinton Manor, surrounded by loved ones. The global card-sending initiative not only honored his past service but also created new, cherished memories as he enters his second century of life.
This outpouring of international support demonstrates the enduring respect for veterans and the power of community to create meaningful celebrations across borders.
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