We can all agree that any workout is better than no workout, but you should strive to get the most out of your workouts. Unfortunately, you can’t do that if your workouts are too easy.
Before you read further, I’d like to reassure you that I’m not preaching the ‘no pain no gain’ mantra. You can keep your workouts challenging without hurting yourself.
In fact, you should stop exercising whenever you experience sharp pain or discomfort. A challenging workout involves pushing yourself until you can’t do one more rep properly. And doing challenging exercises.
Below are some of the benefits of keeping your workouts challenging.
1. YOU GAIN MUSCLE AND STRENGTH FAST.
You can gain more muscle and strength without exercising for longer by simply pushing yourself in every workout.
The more resistance your muscles experience, the faster they will grow. The person doing classic push-ups will gain muscle faster than the one doing knee push-ups.
2. YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO STAY CONSISTENT.
If you are like most who people are trying to stay in shape, you struggle with consistency. What if I told you that making your workouts more challenging can make you a fitness junkie?
When your workouts are challenging, you break many personal records. You can do five to 10 push-ups nonstop in no time or even perform your first pull-up.
These milestones will encourage you to work out consistently. On the other hand, repeating easy workouts won’t keep you motivated to exercise.
3. YOUR WILLPOWER WILL INCREASE.
I credit the little willpower I have to fitness, and the best part is that the willpower I’ve gained through challenging workouts has poured to other aspects of my life.
The same thing can happen for you, if you keep your workouts challenging. When you get used to challenging workouts, it will be easier form new habits, like meditating.
4. YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT FASTER.
You need to keep your workouts challenging, if your goal is to lose weight.
Challenging exercises burn more calories. You will burn more calories doing burpees for 10 minutes than you will, jogging for 10 minutes.
I may also note that gaining muscle boosts metabolism, which consequently enhances weight loss.
5. YOUR BONES WILL BECOME STRONGER.
You need to do workouts that strengthen your bones, since we start to lose bone mass after 35. Challenging workouts will force your bones to become stronger, due to increased resistance.
However, don’t do very challenging exercises if you have weak bones or arthritis. Start with these simple exercises, then advance to more challenging exercises as you get stronger.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR WORKOUTS CHALLENGING
- Do the maximum number of reps in each set.
- Take shorter breaks between sets.
- Add more challenging exercises to your routine after every three to four weeks.
- Add resistance to your workouts by wearing a weighted vest or ankle weights.
- Avoid exercises you can do more than 15 reps – it means they are too easy for you.
SOURCE: https://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-reasons-your-workouts-should-be-challenging.html
