(BPT) - No matter how much you work out, chances are you want more — either in terms of your experience or results. It's not just the time you put in, however. A great workout is all about targeting the right muscle groups, and finding the most efficient exercises to optimize your time and energy.
Here are some tips for boosting your workout — and results.
1. Make it convenient
Everyone’s busy, and if it’s hard to get to the gym, most people skip days — or weeks — when life is hectic. If your workout is convenient, preferably right in your own home, you have fewer excuses to skip a day. Make it easier to keep a consistent exercise regimen and you’ll be happier with your results. Find equipment for your home that provides the kind of workout you want, whether it’s for overall cardiovascular health and fitness, maintaining your body shape or training for upcoming adventures like hiking and climbing.
2. Work the right muscle groups
The muscle groups you target will depend on your fitness level and health goals. And working particular muscles can also help prevent injuries. Stair climbing is a popular and effective workout, as it activates your “glutes,” or the gluteal muscles: gluteus minimus, gluteus medius and gluteus maximus, the largest muscle involved in hip extension. Studies show that stair climbing activates this muscle 50% more than treadmill walking.
To exercise the all-important glutes in the comfort of your home, the C50 ClimbMill by Matrix provides a calorie-burning workout for your lower body muscles and cardiovascular system that’s easier on joints than jogging. This equipment also strengthens your lower leg muscles, helping to prevent injuries to the ankle, which is one of the body's most vulnerable joints. By targeting both the glutes and ankle-stabilizing muscles, ClimbMill offers an excellent option for building strength using a low-impact movement pattern.
3. Work smarter, not harder
As advocates of interval training will tell you, short intense bursts of exercise get better results than long, less intense exercise sessions. This is especially true when it comes to stair climbing. Recent studies have shown that short, high-intensity stair climbing intervals performed even just a few times per week resulted in fitness gains that were measurably better than long sessions of steady exercise performed on a flat surface.
The conclusion? Intense stair climbing, even in small doses, can be a much more efficient way to get to the fitness level you want than hours of biking or treadmill walking.
4. Keep it interesting
Any indoor exercise can get tedious over time. Some ways to keep your workout interesting include using upbeat music to motivate you, exercising with others or using visual stimulation. The Landmarks program on the C50 ClimbMill, for example, challenges you to climb to the top of famous structures and global landmarks, taking you to exotic locales while you work out. With the touchscreen consoles of the ClimbMill, you can also access Netflix, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify and more while exercising.
5. Track your progress
Another way to keep yourself motivated is by setting concrete goals, tracking your progress and monitoring your results. Matrix cardio equipment features the ViaFit connectivity system so you can track and share your workout data with a variety of fitness apps. Knowing how much you're boosting your health and increasing your fitness levels helps keep you going, to meet or even exceed your goals.
Finding an exercise routine that's highly effective is extremely satisfying, especially when you can do it in your own home, any time. And harnessing the latest technology in home exercise equipment is the first step toward achieving your fitness goals.
For more information on how to get club-quality workouts at home, visit matrixclimbill.com.
