I didn’t know any better. I thought my exercise routine was going to make me look like some elite athlete. I was sweating! I was running (that’s a lie, I was jogging)! I was using weight machines! I was rewarding my efforts with post-workout drive-thrus! What the heck?!
I was wrong. Like pork rinds are wrong. Like chocolate dipped bacon is wrong. Like chicken and waffle potato chips are wrong.
And the sadder story is how many people are going through the exact same motions with no results or change. Don’t be in that club.
How do you know you’re exercising RIGHT? As a Metabolic Effect certified instructor, here’s how you can know for sure!
4 questions to always ask yourself as you exercise to know if you’re “in the zone”:
1. Am I hot?
Well, of COURSE you’re smoking hot. Any mirror will tell you that. What I mean is, are you producing sweat? Do you wish there were 4 fans pointed at you? Do you get to the point where you wish you were in the Arctic doing your weight-lifting?
2. Are my muscles burning?
You want this inner fire to be ignited so that you can feel magic happening. You should know without a doubt that you are working hard and that muscles are twitching in a way that forces you to face how strong you can be. Pacing yourself through a workout does not result in said burn or fire.
3. Is this weight heavy enough?
Most new clients of mine are so precious as they ask where the lighter dumbbells are hiding. Light weights don’t cause sculpted arms, abs, and legs. The weights need to be heavy enough so that you are forced to drop them down and rest (often!). You couldn’t possibly do one more rep. You’ve reached failure, and that’s right where you want to be. So pick a challenging weight that you can maintain precise form with.
4. Am I out of breath?
If you are able to talk on the phone or to a friend next to you, you are not in the zone for physique conditioning. You should not be able to say a complete sentence during a workout. Maybe uttering a quick, “Kill me!” is okay, but nothing as long as, “And then she said she could not believe that I would dare say that! Who does she think she is?” Pant like a dog. Rival asthma.
Get off the treadmill. Step away from weight machines. Do not approach a drive-thru.
You’re welcome.