Personal Trainer Shares His Best Workout ‘Cheat Codes’

• Dan Go has shared 20 workout “cheat codes” he wish he had known 20 years ago.
• He said many of the things he instinctively does during his workouts took him years to learn.
• His tips include counting your reps backwards and creating a mind-muscle connection.

Dan Go, a personal trainerlast week tweeted a thread with 20 training “cheat codes” he wishes he had known 20 years ago when he started exercising.

Go, 43, who trains entrepreneurs through his business, High Performance Foundertold Insider he got the idea to tweet the tips while talking to a 25-year-old rising in the fitness world.

“He reminded me that there are a lot of things that I do instinctively and take for granted,” Go said. “So I wanted to compile everything I know into a thread to help others who might. benefit.”

Count down to trick your mind

Go’s first tip is designed to subtly nudge you to complete a certain number of repetitions of an exercise. Counting down from your target number of reps instead of one can help you remember that there is a set number of reps you are trying to complete.

“It inspires you to complete the rehearsals,” Go tweeted.

Tom Holland, exercise physiologist, has already told Insider that it’s important to go to the gym with a plan and that feeling accomplished when you leave can help keep you coming back.

Planning to do a certain number of reps and then counting down while doing them could help you reach your goals and feel that sense of accomplishment.

Develop a “mind to muscle” connection

Go told Insider that building a strong mind-muscle connection is the most important of his cheat codes.

“Just being able to consciously activate your muscles using your mind will get dramatically worse with every rep you perform in the gym,” he says.

Research has suggested that focusing more on your muscles during exercise can help increase muscle growth.

Go tweeted: “Think about the muscles you are exercising using your mind to contract them. This is called the mind-muscle connection.”

The former NBA player Steve Nash also recommended doing mid-speed drills to establish a better mind-muscle connection. He suggested it could not only improve strength and muscle mass, but also help prevent injury through better technique.

Focus on sleep

Sleep is an essential part of any exercise routine because it’s when the body repairs and regrows damaged muscle tissue after workouts. Chris Duffin, a weightlifter, suggested that a few extra hours of sleep can often be better for your progress than getting up early to exercise.

Go tweeted: “If you want to build muscle, increase energy and recover faster, focus on your sleep. The better your sleep patterns, the better you become.”

In his Twitter feed, Go said it took him 20 years to learn the 20 tips, but putting them into practice transformed his workout routine.

“There are details in everything we do,” he said. “It’s not enough to do an exercise. There are so many facets to training that can go a long way towards optimizing the way you train.”