{"id":45256,"date":"2016-11-17T11:15:59","date_gmt":"2016-11-17T16:15:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=45256"},"modified":"2021-04-30T06:49:30","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T10:49:30","slug":"easy-workout-fitness-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/easy-workout-fitness-test\/","title":{"rendered":"Is My Workout Too Easy? Here\u2019s How to Tell"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When we drag ourselves out of bed<\/a> for a workout, there\u2019s one goal we all have in common: Get the most out of it. Unfortunately, research shows we\u2019re not great at judging how hard we\u2019re pushing ourselves during our sweat sessions. In fact, when left to our own devices, scientists discovered<\/a> that we seriously underestimate just how hard we\u2019re working. (Apparently that puddle of sweat<\/a> you left behind isn\u2019t always the best indicator!) So instead of continuing the guessing game, we went to the pros to get some surefire ways to determine if your workout is too easy. Follow their tricks so you\u2019ll know when it\u2019s time to step up your game.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong>\u00a07 Functional Movement Patterns Trainers Want You to Master<\/a><\/p>\n

3 Signs You Need to Take Your Workout Up a Notch <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Sign #1: Your heart rate isn\u2019t that high.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We hate to break it to you, but when you think <\/em>you\u2019re exhausted and can\u2019t give any more, you might be able to dig deeper. When we rely on perceived effort, or how we feel during workouts, we\u2019re often overestimating how hard we\u2019re working. In one study<\/a>, when participants were told to work out at a \u201cvigorous\u201d effort, they wound up only getting their heart rate<\/a> up to about 70 percent of their maximum heart rate. They should have been hitting 77 to 93 percent. (Not sure what levels you should be aiming for? Try this calculator<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

To push yourself harder, Chris<\/a> and Heidi Powell<\/a>, certified trainers and the husband-wife duo behind ABC\u2019s Extreme Weight Loss<\/em>, suggest using a heart rate monitor during cardio workouts. \u201cIt\u2019s the most reliable indicator of your intensity and the zone in which you want to train in to achieve your goals,\u201d they say. If you don\u2019t have a monitor, no worries, you can measure it yourself, too. \u201cFind your pulse, count the number of beats you get in six seconds, then add a zero,\u201d says Heidi. So if you get 15 beats in six seconds, that equals an approximate heart rate of 150 BPM.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong>\u00a0Sports Watches: Do You Really Need One?<\/a><\/p>\n

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Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sign #2: You\u2019re easily lifting more than 10 reps on the reg.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When incorporating strength training<\/a> into your routine, your heart rate isn\u2019t necessarily going to be an accurate indicator of workout\u00a0difficulty. In fact, it may only increase slightly, depending on what type of workout you\u2019re doing, the Powells say. \u201cWhen it comes to strength training, it\u2019s better to gauge by muscle fatigue<\/a> and rep range. You may not experience a significant jump in heart rate but you\u2019re still working hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Try doing a reps test (like this one<\/a>) once a month at the beginning of your workout. If you\u2019re still familiarizing yourself with strength training, a 10-rep max test is a great way to gauge where you stand. That involves\u00a0seeing how heavy you can lift while safely completing 10 reps with proper form. Whatever your chosen exercise is \u2014 bicep curls, squats<\/a> or overhead presses \u2014 go on and do those 10 reps.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you can complete them with ease, it\u2019s time to move up in weight,\u201d says Heidi. \u201cOr if you can complete them with only a little struggle during 8 to 10 reps, you can consider moving up in weight to continue challenging your body.\u201d On the flip side, if you can\u2019t finish all 10 with proper form, or it\u2019s a serious struggle, continue working hard with that weight.<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>The 15 Most Underrated Exercises, According to Trainers<\/a><\/p>\n

Another great test that intermediate and advanced lifters can use is the one-rep max<\/a>, which analyzes your absolute strength \u2014 or how much you\u2019re able to lift just once. Adam Rosante<\/a>, certified trainer and author of The 30-Second Body<\/em><\/a>, suggests doing a deadlift<\/a>, squat<\/a> or bench press with a friend nearby, as going solo could lead to injury if your weight gets too heavy.<\/p>\n

Start with a moderate amount of weight (not the heaviest you can handle) for your first lift. \u201cComplete 6 reps, then rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Don\u2019t cut your recovery time short, even if you feel ready to go again,\u201d he says. Add more weight, perform 4 reps, and recover. Continue adding weight and lowering your reps \u2014 following a 6, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1 model. \u201cIf you finish that last set and feel like you could go again with more weight, then you can go harder,” Rosante says. “Rest for 4 to 5 minutes, and then get after it.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Is It Better to Do Cardio or Strength Training First?<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sign #3: You\u2019re not out of breath during fitness tests.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you haven\u2019t done a fitness test since sixth grade, you\u2019re not alone. \u201cAdding various tests and challenges to your workouts is a great way to prove that you\u2019re progressing and are ready to take things up a notch,\u201d says Rosante.<\/p>\n

But what tests should you do? In The 30-Second Body<\/em>, Rosante outlines six basic moves for your test: tuck jumps<\/a>, push-ups<\/a>, pencil squats<\/a>, three-point planks<\/a>\u00a0(here’s a refresher on plank form<\/a>), standing mountain climbers<\/a>\u00a0(check out these other variations<\/a>, too), and power thrusts<\/a>. Perform each move for 60 seconds, trying to fit in as many reps as possible. (Again, make sure that form is on point throughout.) Rest 30 seconds between each, and jot down the difference in your number of reps between weeks one and three. If it\u2019s the same (or even if your numbers increased), but you\u2019re not out of breath, then you didn\u2019t exactly push yourself to the limit. Try again and really go for it. Rosante suggests testing about every three weeks. You won\u2019t stagnate and will be able to more accurately measure if it\u2019s time for harder work.<\/p>\n

Originally posted November 2015. Updated November 2016.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Science shows that most of us don\u2019t push ourselves nearly as hard as we should while working out. Here\u2019s how to step up your game. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,6,14],"tags":[288,289,281,341,343],"class_list":["post-45256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cardio","category-fitness","category-strength-training","tag-cardio","tag-exercise","tag-strength-training","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2exercise"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45256"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45256\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}