Exercise Tips for a Better Workout

18 Genius Ways to Improve Your Workout

You don't need to revamp your routine to get better results. Refresh it with these quick fixes for every exercise you do

By Greg Presto fitbie

2 of 20

18 Genius Ways to Improve Your Workout // woman doing lunge with one arm weighted c Beth Bischoff

Image: Beth Bischoff

Load One Side to Fire Up Your Core

Your core does more than resemble beer packaging (six-packs for some, kegs for most); it also stabilizes your body. So when you create instability—by holding a weight in one hand, but not in the other, for instance—your middle starts working. "In order to maintain proper posture, your torso muscles have to engage to counterbalance the load," says Nick Tumminello, CSCS, director of Performance University. He recommends this strategy for lunges, squats, and shoulder presses, but his favorite offset load is the standing, single-arm chest press on the cable machine.

Back to Start

2 of 20

Keywords:

More From

	Related Programs
	Personal Trainer for Men This program does triple duty—building muscle, burning fat, and saving you time. The plan is built on complex movements that use more muscle with every rep, so you build more lean tissue in fewer sets. Personal Trainer for Women Don’t work out harder, work out smarter: This plan combines the genius of interval cardio with full-body strength training to keep your body burning calories longer.

18 Genius Ways to Improve Your Workout

sites/default/files/exercise-upgrades-combo-th_0.jpg

%5B%7B%22link%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F20%5C%2Fmeatless-monday-grilled-vegetable-pasta-salad%5C%22+title%3D%5C%22Meatless+Monday%3A+Grilled+Vegetable+Pasta+Salad%5C%22%3EMeatless+Monday%3A+Grilled+Vegetable+Pasta...%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%22image%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F20%5C%2Fmeatless-monday-grilled-vegetable-pasta-salad%5C%22%3E%3Cimg+src%3D%5C%22%5C%2Fsites%5C%2Fdefault%5C%2Ffiles%5C%2Fgrilled-vegetable-pasta-salad-meatless-monday-juicebar_1.jpg%5C%22+%5C%2F%3E%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%7D%2C%7B%22link%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F20%5C%2Fhow-to-feel-better-about-yourself%5C%22+title%3D%5C%22Talk+Yourself+into+a+Better+Self+Image%5C%22%3ETalk+Yourself+into+a+Better+Self+Image%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%22image%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F20%5C%2Fhow-to-feel-better-about-yourself%5C%22%3E%3Cimg+src%3D%5C%22%5C%2Fsites%5C%2Fdefault%5C%2Ffiles%5C%2Fpositive-self-talk-juicebar_1.jpg%5C%22+%5C%2F%3E%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%7D%2C%7B%22link%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F20%5C%2Ffitstreak-day-20-fight-flabby-arms%5C%22+title%3D%5C%22%23FitStreak+Day+20%3A+Fight+Flabby+Arms%5C%22%3E%23FitStreak+Day+20%3A+Fight+Flabby+Arms%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%22image%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F20%5C%2Ffitstreak-day-20-fight-flabby-arms%5C%22%3E%3Cimg+src%3D%5C%22%5C%2Fsites%5C%2Fdefault%5C%2Ffiles%5C%2Ffitstreak-fight-flabby-arms-day-20-juicebar_1.jpg%5C%22+%5C%2F%3E%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%7D%2C%7B%22link%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F17%5C%2Ffitness-hacks-make-exercising-easier%5C%22+title%3D%5C%22Fitness+Hacks+to+Make+Exercising+Easier%5C%22%3EFitness+Hacks+to+Make+Exercising+Easier%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%22image%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F17%5C%2Ffitness-hacks-make-exercising-easier%5C%22%3E%3Cimg+src%3D%5C%22%5C%2Fsites%5C%2Fdefault%5C%2Ffiles%5C%2Fweekly-blend-5-17-people-exercising-juicebar_1.jpg%5C%22+%5C%2F%3E%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%7D%2C%7B%22link%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F17%5C%2F5-bike-safety-tips%5C%22+title%3D%5C%225+Tips+for+a+Safe+Bike+Commute%5C%22%3E5+Tips+for+a+Safe+Bike+Commute%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%22image%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F17%5C%2F5-bike-safety-tips%5C%22%3E%3Cimg+src%3D%5C%22%5C%2Fsites%5C%2Fdefault%5C%2Ffiles%5C%2Fbiking-to-work-traffic-juicebar_1.jpg%5C%22+%5C%2F%3E%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%7D%2C%7B%22link%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F17%5C%2Ffitness-tools-top-athletes-use-train%5C%22+title%3D%5C%22The+Fitness+Tools+Used+By+Top+Athletes%5C%22%3EThe+Fitness+Tools+Used+By+Top+Athletes%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%22image%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F17%5C%2Ffitness-tools-top-athletes-use-train%5C%22%3E%3Cimg+src%3D%5C%22%5C%2Fsites%5C%2Fdefault%5C%2Ffiles%5C%2Fsklz-athletes-performance-san-diego-juicebar_1.jpg%5C%22+%5C%2F%3E%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%7D%2C%7B%22link%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2Fslideshow%5C%2Fhair-tutorials%5C%22+title%3D%5C%227+Great+Gym-to-Street+Hairstyles%5C%22%3E7+Great+Gym-to-Street+Hairstyles%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%22image%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2Fslideshow%5C%2Fhair-tutorials%5C%22%3E%3Cimg+src%3D%5C%22%5C%2Fsites%5C%2Fdefault%5C%2Ffiles%5C%2Fgym-to-street-hairstyles-gibson-tuck-th.jpg%5C%22+%5C%2F%3E%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%7D%5D