Many of us are creatures of habit when it comes to daily activities. Heading to your workout is no different. There are many factors that come into play if you’re going to have a good workout that day or not.

Food/Supplements

Are you someone who eats before a workout or can’t stand to eat before a workout? I personally like to have a snack before working out, I usually do well with something higher in carbs. I’ll never eat a big meal then have a good workout, and on an empty stomach I won’t be able to last the whole hour and a half to two hours. Everyone has different ways of going about their food intake before a workout so you just have to find what works for you. A pre-workout supplement may also help with that extra boost if you’ve had a long day. If it’s a good pre-workout it will give you a natural, steady flow of energy and won’t give you the jitters. Factors to take into consideration are the time of day, the type of workout, length of workout, and what your body is telling you to do. I challenge you to experiment with this and you may be surprised to find out what you’re doing now might not be helping you get an optimal workout in.

Warmup

Warming up could mean something completely different from one person to another. Do you need 30 minutes before your body can respond or are you ready to go at all times? If you’ve been sitting all day then your body might need a little more time to get ready for an intense exercise. Where you workout is another thing to look at. Do you drive 30 minutes to get to your gym or do you workout at home? If you’re driving 30 minutes then your body is going to be stiff and not ready to jump into things. I workout at CrossFit SANE so I don’t have a long drive from home. A good warmup for me is grabbing a barbell and just going through the motions. I take the movements I’ll be doing that day and just go through the basics so my body will know what it needs to get ready for. As I get older, it does take a little longer to get warmed up. I’ve learned to listen to my body and can tell when I’m ready to start.

Mental state/attitude

Some days are better than others and there is no way around it. You don’t want to be in the gym but no matter the circumstances, you’re still there ready to put in the hard work. There’s a certain mindset to have when starting a workout. Some like to get angry, others like to be relaxed. However you need to do it, get your mind right! Make exercise an activity that you enjoy and your body will respond better.

Having a pre-workout checklist can help you get in the right mindset to have an amazing workout and to feel great before, during, and after. I challenge you to find what works best for you and stick to that routine for a few weeks. Once you’re comfortable with a routine, you’ll know what you can add and subtract from your pre-workout checklist.