Have you ever worked out at home or by yourself at the gym and barely broke a sweat, despite the workout being hard and demanding? What about taking a group class and finding yourself getting extremely fatigued, and out of breath by the end of a warm-up that was only somewhere around 5 minutes? What I'm about to share with you is a simple hack you can use next time you plan your workout to make you burn more calories, which leads to better #results from your efforts.
There are two factors that influence the these situations: muscle fiber recruitment and social factor. Studies have shown that fatigue sets in quicker when you know are being watched(taking a group class for example). We would see more of the muscle fibers firing just because we as human beings are all conscious individuals. The more we think about it, the more we concentrate, and the more we concentrate, the more we recruit those muscle fibers.
It's not a secret that the number one way to burn more calories and get more hypertrophy (growth of muscle) is to put your mind into the muscle you are working on. In other words we are talking about mind-muscle connection. Try it next time you go to the gym. Grab a light to medium dumbbell and perform 12-15 bicep curls concentrating on that squeeze and focusing on the bicep for each rep.
Social factor plays a huge role when it comes to performance in a group setting. In a group we match the energy around us. Our eyes are naturally gravitated towards the person who's going the hardest and who's doing the most. Therefore subconsciously we'll push ourselves harder when we are around people who are going all the way in.
Whether you are a beginner or seasoned athlete, group classes or working out with somebody is a great way to get yourself back into the routine as well as improve your performance level and get better results.
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