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"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards."
Experience is a tricky teacher because she gives the test first and the lesson afterward.
Here's a quote from one of my favorite authors. While I don't fully understand it either, it's still good to know what this author means by this about learning.
Some people are quick to learn, and some need that extra push to get them going in the right direction. It can be difficult because sometimes you feel like there is no way back once you have taken that path and started down that road of experience, but in many cases, it is possible to change your approach or find another way entirely! Some redirection might be needed as time goes on, and eventually, you'll find yourself on a better track than where you started.
It is the same way with our training. We didn't start out being able to handle heavier weights, run longer distances, or complete more reps. It takes time and training to build endurance, strength, and muscle, so it's just something we have to work on and do to better ourselves.
In this post, I will go over some ways you can use your experience in training for better results in the gym!
#1: Start a log book of some kind – Be it an app on your phone or a paper journal, a log book gives you something concrete to look back on at any time of the day with ease. I keep mine on a smartphone and can go to it whenever I want.
Write down everything you do, feel, hear, and see that might be useful in your training regime and how it relates. For example: How many sets did you do? How long did you rest between sets? What were the times of your workouts (rest intervals between locations)? Write down any other pertinent information you can think of that might help you.
With a log book, you will see exactly what was going on during the workout so you can compare it to your progress and better understand what needs to be done in the gym.
#2:
- Listen to a podcast or flip through fitness magazines – I either listen to podcasts while running.
- Have them on my phone.
- Just have them inside my browser.
It's a great way of learning new information in your spare time, and they are also an excellent resource for motivation!
There are many benefits of listening to podcasts during your training. Here are some of them:
1) Motivate yourself by listening to someone else's success stories as it promotes success within yourself.
2) Learn new things about your exercises, such as different exercises you haven't done before or different training strategies to incorporate.
3) Listen to training advice when you have difficulty with a particular exercise or workout.
4) Find out what other people are doing in their routines and what works best for them.
5) Discover how others are approaching their goals and how they are working towards them. The better you know how to get there, the better off you'll be! It will also inspire you to work harder at your own goals.
6) Get in the mood by listening to music that gets you pumped up during your training sessions (bonus: it's an extra motivator).
I always try to incorporate some exercise into my music playlist. It helps me get in the mood and blood flow before I start working out.
#3: Try something new – Another thing you can do to change your routine or work on a different aspect of your fitness is to try something new! Some of these things can be just trying something new in your way, like having a separate order for training days or doing more cardio than usual. It allows you to take advantage of more time for other aspects of your life without letting gym time become all you do.
Now I'm not saying to avoid going to the gym altogether. If you love lifting weights, then by all means, keep going! But I have noticed that if you try something different, like running or walking more often, your body will become ready for more (in moderation).
#4: Add more weight – Okay, so maybe it's not the best idea to start adding on more and more weight as you are already handling a lot. However, I suggest adding an extra set or two that can be just as challenging as your current workout while still keeping with good form.
So, for example, your working set is heavy, and you're doing 20 reps. You haven't even hit failure yet, so it's time for an extra set to add to your total number of agents. You can do this with any exercise you want if it doesn't fall under the "push yourself too hard" category.
Add another 5lbs of weight or two sets and work your normal rep range into those new sets again.
#5: Do a different workout each week – One thing that has helped me a lot is changing my activities. I try to keep them separate each week so I don't get bored or stuck in routines that become stale. I've always worked better when I'm not doing the same thing repeatedly, and that's the same for training.
For example, if you have been doing more bench presses without fail – try switching to incline presses. Or, if you have been squatting all the time, try lunges or leg extensions instead. It allows you to use more muscles than your primary ones, increasing a feeling of total body usage and adding a new variable to your daily training plan!
Try not to switch to something too crazy because it might be difficult for you initially, but there is a fine line between working different muscles and being unable to do something. Don't be afraid to try something new; don't get discouraged if it is too hard for you.
#6: Change your routine – This one is a bit more difficult, but it's essential to keep your body from getting stuck in habit and not doing anything different. One of the best ways I have found to do this is by mixing up your training days. If you usually work out Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, try doing Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday instead. Or if you have been doing three days on one day off, switch it to 1 day on three days off.
I don't recommend doing both simultaneously; that would be too much of a change. But switching up your routine each week should be fine. It'll also help keep your body from getting used to exercise and give you more variety which is always good!
#7: Do shorter workouts – I know what you're thinking right now, "Shorter than 30 minutes? That's practically training in my sleep!" Contrary to what most people believe, you don't have to do a full hour to see results. You can still get the benefits of working out in 30 minutes while having much more time during the day to do other activities rather than sitting on a couch waiting for some progress.