The key to effective and efficient workouts is keeping the intensity high. If you are able to have a conversation, read or watch tv while you are exercising then your exercise intensity isn't high enough and you won't get the results you want. Here are 6 tips to increase the intensity of you workout

Have a workout log

There are two reasons why a workout log is vital. Firstly it means you know what exercises you are doing and in what order. This means you won't waste time remembering what exercise to do next in the middle of your workout. The second reason a workout log is important is that it allows you to note how many reps you need to do or how much weight you need to lift. This gives you a goal and allows you to track your progress

Set everything up

If you know you need equipment for your exercise, then try and set up as much as possible before you start. This will limit the amount of time you spend resting between exercises and allow you to keep the intensity high

Set an alarm

Many people make the mistake of taking too long rest breaks between session when exercising. This means the intensity decreases, the workout takes longer and is less effective. When exercising I always set a timer during my exercise sessions and my rest sessions. This means I can always keep the intensity high and get my workouts done effectively

Avoid machines

Lots of people like to use weights machines in the gym. They are easy to use but not very effective. This is because they only isolate a few muscles during the exercise. Using free weights or bodyweight training uses a lot more muscles during each exercise, making it more effective, allowing you to keep your heart rate higher and burn more calories

Train one side at a time

We all have an arm and a leg that we are more comfortable using. This could mean that we actually allow this arm or leg to do most of the work during exercises and can lead to one side being stronger than the other. Training one leg or one arm at a time (for example try single leg squats) can allow you to work on these weaknesses

Increase the weight

If you aren't seeing results then one of the reasons could be that you haven't increased the difficulty of your exercise for a while. Progressing your exercise is one is one of the best ways to ensure that you keep on seeing results. Increasing the amount of weight you are lifting will make the exercise harder, meaning you muscles are working more and your workout is more intense. With bodyweight exercises you can make the exercise more difficult. For example you could do normal or decline push ups instead of incline push ups or single leg squats instead of normal bodyweight squats

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