The 10 Simple Steps You Want for an Epic Workout.

We’ve all been there, halfway our workout and we’re tired, bored, and wishing we were anywhere else. These 3 simple feelings had led to millions of people giving up on going to the gym and, ultimately, giving up on working out in general.

It doesn’t have to go down like this.

I’ve been consistently working out for 20+ years and every single time I felt this way it was due to something in my work out that was missing. I’m not going to boast that I have an Instagram level body (I don’t). I’m not going to say that I have the perfect solution either (I don’t). What I am going to say is that I have 10 simple steps you can take to help make your workouts epic. I know because I do them, every time.

When I have these 10 steps locked down, my workouts are fun, engaging, and I’m able to get in the best workout I possibly can.

If you find yourself tired, bored, and wishing you weren’t at the gym, follow these steps to maximize your effort. Hopefully, these steps will help keep you in the gym, keep you healthy, and get you the body you want.

Step 1: Go early

Pick a time of the day and I’ve been to the gym. I’ve gone late, in the afternoon, in the morning, and I’ve always found that going in the morning is the best time to hit the gym. The benefit of this is that the grind of the day hasn’t worn you down yet.

How many of you have gotten up, gone to work, come home, and just wanted to sit on the couch? It takes a lot of effort in the evening to get yourself to the gym. You can avoid this mental anguish and negative attitude before and while at the gym by going early.

Step 2: Drink Water

Too many people think it’s a lack of carbohydrates that’s causing their lack of energy in the gym. That isn’t true. What the problem really comes down to is a lack of water. The biggest symptom of dehydration is fatigue. If you aren’t drinking enough water, you’ll find your workouts sluggish and soul crushing.

Follow medical advice and drink two 8oz. glasses of water 2 to 3 hours before you head to the gym. Drink another 8oz. glass 20 to 30 minutes beforehand. Drink 8oz. every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise. You’ll be full of energy to get through your workouts and the days of crumbling at the thought of a third set will be over.

Step 3: Dress comfortably

You would think that this is a no-brainer, but the number of people, including myself, that have thrown anything on and headed to the gym is staggering. I’m not talking about wearing jeans or boots. I’m talking about wearing either too much clothing or wearing clothes that are ill-fitting. Find a breathable shirt, comfy pants/shorts, and the right pair of sneakers before heading out.

For most of us, we’re already self-conscious when we go to the gym. Whether it’s due to how in-shape we are, or the uncomfortability of people staring, limit the amount of awkwardness by dressing comfortably. Your body and mind with thank you and you’ll spend a lot more time focusing on your workout over what you’re wearing.

Step 4: Listen to Music

I’m just going to say it, your standard gym’s music is terrible. Maybe for some of you it’s great and, by all means, listen to it, but if you're looking to get into “the zone” I would recommend picking up a good pair of headphones and cranking the music on your phone.

The benefits of listening to your own music are enormous. For instance, when I find myself dogging it, I’ll pick a song that is sure to crank things up and it works every time. Put together a playlist of energy-inspiring tunes and your entire workout will be better for it. It will increase your level of focus, get you in the right state of mind, and push you to your limits.

(Every step I’ve mentioned, so far, are things you should be doing before you even work out, but there are things you need to do to maximize your time at the gym. Doing these next 7 steps will ensure that you’ll complete your workouts and keep you coming back.)

Step 5: Stretch

I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to stretch before you work out; especially if you are older. Your muscles and ligaments need to be primed, and ready, for the work out to come. So, take 5 to 10 minutes and get those limbs limber.

There is a wealth of information on stretching that can be found on the internet. Take the time and look up the stretches that work for you. Mix in some static and dynamic stretches and get your body primed. From personal experience, when I don’t stretch, it’s almost a guarantee that I will hurt somewhere after working out. If you’ve found yourself hurting after a workout, chances are it’s because you didn’t stretch beforehand.

Step 6: Warm up with cardio

After you’ve stretched appropriately, you need to get the heart rate up. It doesn’t have to be for a long period of time (roughly 5 minutes), but you need to do it. Just like your muscles and ligaments, your heart needs to be ready for the increased effort for your workout to be done effectively. You don’t need to jack your heart rate up to an insane level when you do it either. For me, I simply walk on the treadmill and at a brisk pace, just to get the heart rate up. That’s enough or me and I believe it’ll be enough for you.

If you think warming up with cardio is a waste of time, take a moment during your workout and ask yourself these questions: Are you feeling sluggish? Is the workout harder than it needs to be? Are you feeling sore in areas where you shouldn’t feel sore? If you answered yes to any of these, dedicate a little time to warming up with cardio before you work out.

Step 7: Don’t forget to breathe

In my early days, I used to think that exerting force meant you needed to hold your breath. My mistake was in thinking that to properly brace my core, I needed to be tight, which is true, but breathing has nothing to do with that. You can easily do both at the same time. Yet, when most people get into the gym and start lifting weights, they hold their breath. By doing that, all you end up doing is tiring yourself out and you make your workout unbearable.

Avoid all of this by remembering to exhale when you exert force and inhale when you don’t. Do this for every rep and you’ll have the energy you need to get through your work out. In addition to breathing during your workout, it’s important to breathe between steps. Another thing, breathe in through your nose. Whether you breathe out through your nose or mouth is up to you.

Step 8: Challenge yourself

This is for all of you that are bored out there. If you find yourself bored with your work out, change things up. It’s typically recommended that you switch up your work out every few months to help prevent your muscles from adapting to the stress you’re putting on them, but the other added benefit is that it keeps things fun and interesting for you.

Exactly how you do this is up to you, but for me I switch between full dumbbell workouts to full barbell workouts, and then a mixture of both. If I really want to spice things up, I’ll add machines into the mix. The key is to constantly be changing. What is routine becomes boring. What is boring becomes a chore. Working out shouldn’t be a chore.

Step 9: Modify for increased performance

There was a time where I was really into bodyweight exercising. I’d do my pull-ups, push-ups, and body squats (among other things). It was during this time that I learned that modification is the key to getting the most out of my workouts. I had really hit a plateau in how many push-ups I could do, so I decided that instead of stopping, I would start pumping out more on my knees. At first, I felt weird doing it, but after a couple of weeks I found the number of my standard push-ups were increasing. I kept going and busted my plateau.

The same will work for you. One example, you could do for squatting would be to have some dumbbells nearby and after doing your set of barbell squats, grab the dumbbells and get out more reps on those. Over time you’ll increase your max and you’ll have the added benefit of making your workout more challenging; which is always fun.

Step 10: Cool down

Your workout is finished, but you’re not quite done if you want it to be epic. Jump on your cardio machine of choice and drop that heart rate. You absolutely should not be walking out of the gym with your heart beating a mile a second. Similar to your warm-up, your cool down should be low intensity. Gradually slow down the speed and get your heart rate back to where it was when you walked in.

Furthermore, get some stretches in at the end. Really prioritize static stretching when you do this as it will help boost muscle recovery. Lastly, get another 8oz. of water no later than 30 minutes after your workout. When I prioritize this step, I always walk out of the gym feeling great and you will too.

I don’t have a degree in kinesiology, I don’t have any certifications as a personal trainer, but what I do have is 20+ years of consistent gym training. I’m just an average person like you and based on my experience these steps aren’t a recommendation, they’re a prescription if you want to have an epic workout. What do you have to lose?