January 30, 9:04 AM
You're hitting the apartment gym a few times a week, breaking a sweat, and working on those arms pretty hard, but you honestly aren't seeing results? Been there, done that.
The answer to this may be simple. Kick things up a notch. During a study at Ohio State University it was found that often weights are chosen to work out with that are 50 % of the wait that can actually be handled. Think about the last time you moved up to the next sized dumbbell for those curls. I switched from 15 to 20 pound weights and almost immediately saw a difference.
It's important to push yourself if you would like to see results. You should typically only be able to do 8 to 12 reps in a set and should be too tired in those muscles to go on without taking a few minutes of rest. For a complete muscle workout, you should do 3 to 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
It's also a great idea to remember to stretch properly before any workout and to make sure that you isolate certain muscle groups on alternating days to give them time to repair. When you lift weights you are actually slightly damaging your muscles, then they strengthen as they heal and repair. This is why it is very important to not work out the same muscle group on back to back days. If you are on a three day a week work out, try this:
Day One: Chest and Triceps
Day Two: Back and Legs
Day Three: Shoulders and Biceps
Your abs have a tendency to recover quicker than other muscle groups, so you may be able to work them out everyday. Just monitor how sore you are, and if you are still very sore with a certain muscle group, skip it for that day and work out something else.
Following these simple rules the next time you are in your apartment's fitness center should give your muscles and metabolism a boost and have you seeing better results in no time.
PS- If you ever want to read a great sports blog, check out The Tenth Inning