These 50 Essential Fitness Tips Will Make You Stronger and More Badass

Make the most of your exercise time by reading up on these 50 fitness tips so you can crush your workouts and crush your goals!

1. Never stretch before a cardio workout; save it for after when your muscles are warm and pliable.
2. HIIT (high-intensity interval training) burns tons of calories in a short amount of time. Try Tabata, which combines 20 seconds of intense bursts of activity with 10 seconds of rest in four-minute rounds.
3. If you’re trying to bike, run, row, or jump rope at a certain speed, use music to set your pace.
4. When strength training, save time and burn more calories by doing fewer reps with heavier weights.
5. When doing any type of workout, it should never hurt. Make sure you have correct form, you’re not pushing yourself too hard, and that you don’t have an injury.
6. If you’re doing an early morning workout, some experts say it’s OK to run on an empty stomach. But if you’re doing a longer workout, fuel up with simple carbs and a little protein, such as half a banana and a handful of almonds.
7. Raise the incline on the treadmill to increase your calorie burn. A five percent incline will burn almost 100 more calories, so pump it up!
8. Push yourself to go five extra minutes when working out – you’ll burn close to 20 to 60 extra calories.
9. Do a light cardio warmup before strength training to help prevent injury and post-workout soreness.
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10. Always strength train before a cardio session.
11. If you start doing more strength training, make sure you eat enough food to give your muscles the fuel they need to grow.
12. Borrowing a mat for your first yoga or Pilates class is fine, but after that, it’s time to buy your own mat to reduce your exposure to germs and bacteria.
13. Intervals are proven to reduce belly fat and rev up metabolism; instead of exercising at the same pace for the entire workout, alternate between periods of pushing your body to the max and periods of recovery.
14. Studies show that a little bit of caffeine can help improve your stamina, strength, and speed, so sip on a small cup of coffee before working out.
15. Choose gear based on your needs, not on style. If you’re running on the road, don’t choose a pair of trail runners just because you like how they look.
16. Write motivational quotes on sticky notes and put them anywhere you need them – on your bathroom mirror, on the fridge, in your car, or on your computer monitor.
17. Since…

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