My husband is the person I rely on the most when talking about working out and it provides great advice for me to follow.

Did you know that you need to prep before a workout or pre-workout? You should do a couple of things to get your mind and body in the mood for the upcoming activity. You will need to think about what you eat or lack of, what you drink or lack of, and the kind of way you prepare your body for the time spent in the gym. Mentally prepare yourself because doing hard physical activity is not easy and requires focus. Especially, if you want to build a better mind to muscle connection - which my husband always tells me to do - a warm up, not just physically but mentally is equally important. 

Take these 5 Tips on how to Prep:

Actually get mentally ready

So many people think that they can just put on their gym clothes, head out the door and when they get to the workout, they will be motivated. Who has ever heard of getting more motivated the closer you get to the gym? It sounds like some hocus-pocus nonsense. You actually have to mentally prepare for your workout. So, do whatever you can to mentally go through your workout, each set, rep, exercise and how long you will rest for between the sets. Imagine how you will feel during the workout, pumped, breathing heavy, sweating, etc. the more you already know what to expect, the less daunting it becomes.

Charge your body

Right before a workout, you should give your body an extra charge. It doesn’t have to be complex, a simple cup of espresso will do. If you can get something like the new Charged-AF pre-workout which improves stamina, strength and focus. You can also have a bowl of acidic fruit such as berries, strawberries and cherries. A little bit of energy drink might even help as it has caffeine in it. Do something that will give you the additional glycogen spark to get through an intense workout.

Get into the right clothes

Do not go to the gym in just your regular t-shirt. For one, it will soak up all the sweat and not whisk it away. It will also be sticky and distracting from your workout. So, try to wear something like a compression t-shirt like the type Adidas makes. This will hug the sides of your body, arms and waist, allowing your body to feel connected, protected and ready to go. You can also wear compression or sports bras if you’re a woman, and both men and women can of course wear leggings. Just make sure that it's made from lightweight materials such as cotton or polyester.

A plan

It may sound obvious, but so many of us head into the gym with just a bundle of enthusiasm but no real plan. So you should always make a workout plan for the week or month before you even tighten your shoelaces. Write it down on a pad, or on your phone. Make sure you have references such as drawings or videos to show you how to do an exercise if you can’t quite figure it out once you’re at the gym. 

If you do make a plan, make sure to memorize it so you already know what your workout will be for a specific day. Give your workouts names, such as back and biceps 1, triceps (long head focus), or core day, etc. 

Have enough time

Do not try to workout in a hurry, because you have something else you need to do. You won’t focus on what you need to do to make gains or lose weight and this can only spell trouble. You might drop a weight on your toes, slip off a cardio machine or perhaps annoy someone else at the gym as you get lost in your train of thought while hogging equipment.

What you need to do is to set aside time where it's just for working out and nothing else. Chances are, a good workout with about 4-6 exercises and 3-4 sets will run for about an hour. This includes rests. So you should plan for the commute to the gym and back, as well as the warm up and actual workout. This could rack up to 2 hours in total. So time preparation and allotment to workout is more complex than what meets the eye. 

Everybody should charge their body up before they go to the gym. Do this 1 hour before your workout and see the difference in performance. But wear the right clothes and have a plan too so you can get the most out of yourself.