8 ways to get more from every workout

Liberate your muscle-building force to shift more weight in the gym with
less collateral damage the next day

1. A double chin is now desirable

Bear with us. When you’re setting up for a deadlift, ‘pack’ your neck by
making a double chin. This keeps your spine neutral and stops you from
hyperextending your lower back, so you can pull more weight safely.
2. Contrast to grow faster
Moving the weight from A to B is not the point. If there’s no tension in
the muscle you’re working, it won’t grow – regardless of how heavy you
go. Practise contracting the muscle before you start, then really
squeeze it at the top end of each rep to get bigger and stronger,
quicker.
3. Drop your bloody phone
In rest periods, focus only on the next set. Don’t tweet your #1RM( one rep max),
don’t scroll around for a new song. Focus. Call it ‘visualisation’, if
you like. We call it working out.
4. Forget about reps
Set a timer when lifting weights. Go for 40sec and concentrate on
getting the move right. You’ll do more reps with better form than if
you’re counting away in your head. Take 60sec rest and repeat 4 times.
Be prepared to lower the weight – it burns.
5. Cheat the system
Struggling to finish a set of 10? Make science your spotter. Do 1-3 reps
with a heavier weight than normal, then drop back down again: you’ll
trick your central nervous system and find your regular load much
lighter.
6. Drink 3l every day
Sure, water’s good for performance and all that. But three litres a day
is your shortcut to definition. If you don’t stay hydrated, your body
will store what water it has between your muscles and your skin, so all
your hard work will be drowned in a layer of H2O.
7. Stretch yourself
Bouncing the weight might get you through your set quicker but it won’t
make the most of your workout. Instead, pause for 1-2sec at the bottom
of the movement to take out the ‘stretch reflex’ (read:bounce) and fire
extra muscle fibres. If it hurts more afterwords, you’re doing right.
8. Rest for 90sec
This is the ideal rest period for muscle building. Take too long or too
short and you won’t achieve the results you want. Leave nothing to
chance.

(MensHealthUK)