Check out these 15 awesome new scientifically based fitness hacks, tricks, and tactics (plus some good old-fashioned motivation) for getting yourself in shape in 2015.
Forecasting 2015: Our Top 10 Fitness Trends of 2015 >>>
Calculate your “fitness age” so you can hit the ground running.
Determined using your VO2 max and waist size, your fitness age fluctuates with your general health, not years, and is a primo indicator of mortality. Visit mensfitness.com/fit-age for the formula, then go knock a few years off at the gym.
Source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
Work out with people fitter than you to improve 20% more
Watching a partner do an exercise better than you spurs you on to perform it better yourself.
Source: Psychology of Sport and Exercise
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When running, focus on a target to get there faster.
Keep your eyes on a faraway object such as a tree or sign, and you’ll get to it faster and with less effort than if you allow your attention to wander.
Source: Motivation and Emotion
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Use custom running-shoe insoles to lower your risk of injury.
Podiatrist-prescribed custom insoles allow less force to impact your feet than prefabricated insoles.
Source: Journal of Sports Sciences
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Stop feeling selfish for going to the gym.
Don’t ditch your workout because of guilt. The happiest family men find that their “me time” improves the health of the entire family.
Source: BMC
Is Muscle Strength All in Your Head? >>>
Bench press fast to hit a new PR.
Speeding up the concentric (pushing) phase of the bench press results in accelerated strength gains.
Source: European Journal of Applied Physiology
Ask Men’s Fitness: What Tips Do You Have For Staying on Track With a New Year’s Fitness Goal? >>>
Work out in the sun to slow weight gain.
Moderate UV exposure (while wearing sunscreen, of course) releases nitric oxide in the skin, which can help you shed pounds and lower diabetes risk.
Source: Diabetes
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Run at a 10% incline for double-fast conditioning.
Interval runs on a moderate hill or a treadmill set at a 10% incline up your VO2 max and jumping ability in half the time it takes with level training.
Source: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
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Compress to progress faster.
Wearing compression gear for 24 hours post-workout speeds recovery and cuts muscle soreness.
Source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
50 Ways to Boost Your Energy >>>
Blast music during HIIT.
A power playlist will boost performance. Plus, the longer you listen to music during a session, the more enjoyable it becomes.
Source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
The 21 Day Shred Ab Workout >>>
Don’t let extra pounds discourage you from sticking to your fitness plan.
No workout is in vain—even if you don’t lose all the weight you want, you’ll still have a healthier heart and stronger metabolism if you consistently strength train.
Source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
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Design a “PRISE”-winning workout formula.
Eat protein (P) daily and do a four-hour mix of resistance training (R), intervals (I), stretching (S), and endurance (E) weekly—called the “PRISE” plan—and in 16 weeks you can lose up to five pounds more than people who do just one type of exercise.
Source: Journal of Applied Physiology
Drink milk—it does the body (in motion) good.
Milk provides more effective hydration, energy, and protein after exercise than run-of-the-mill sports drinks.
Source: Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism
Does Pot Make You a Better Athlete? >>>
Work out for more than just looks.
Exercise boosts sleep, mood, and memory.
Source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise/Jama Psychiatry/Acta Psychologica
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For more squat reps, lift weights first, do cardio after.
For more squat reps, lift weights first, do cardio after. Saving the cardio till after you’ve done your resistance training boosts lifting performance.
Source: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
The 5 Best Deadlift Variations >>>
