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3 Signs of a Successful Workout, According to a Fitness Coach

You've probably heard the phrase: "I don't see any sweat on your forehead, keep going!" Well, Fitness Coach , it turns out that sweating is far from the only indicator of a good workout.

The return of good weather will surely motivate you to do even more sport. So, are aches and sweat the only proof of an effective workout? We talk about it with Thomas Fortunato , physical trainer.

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Why sweating and muscle soreness aren't the best indicators of an effective workout?

  • A post-workout leaden sleep

  • A wolf's hunger after physical exercise

  • Muscle fatigue at the end of training

Sweating and muscle soreness: are they the best indicators of effective training?

To sweat is to perform?

The answer is yes… and no. Sweating is not necessarily a sign of good performance . It is a sign of intensity, not efficiency. “ In bodybuilding, Fitness Coach, we sweat less unlike a cardio session. We must also take into account the temperature, because we tend to sweat more in high heat ,” warns Thomas Fortunato. Remember that sweating allows the body to maintain the right temperature when it is hot , we then speak of “thermoregulation”.


Is having muscle aches helpful for progress?


“ It’s good to have them sometimes, but not all the time, otherwise it means that the chosen training is not suitable. However, Fitness Coach, muscle soreness can occur depending on certain sports even though the training is good, such as in bodybuilding ,” notes our expert. In fact, muscle soreness is a sign of micro-trauma or micro-lesions of the muscles . Repeated muscle soreness indicates physical and muscular overload, which is sometimes useful for progressing, but you still need to manage your fatigue well to limit the risk of injury.


3 Signs of a Successful Workout Fitness Coach


1- A deep sleep after training

Do you get a good night's sleep after a workout? It's probably related to the quality of your workout. "During high-intensity exercise, Fitness Coach, your body releases so-called feel-good hormones . These hormones act as natural painkillers . After a hormone spike, you'll generally want to rest. But you have to realize that this has a different impact on everyone ," explains Thomas Fortunato.

2- A wolf's hunger after exercise


When you do an effective workout, even if its intensity is moderate, your body naturally draws on its energy reserves to allow you to make the required efforts.

These efforts have an impact on the production of ghrelin , a hunger hormone produced by the stomach and pancreas. This is why many athletes drink sugary drinks to limit this phenomenon immediately during exercise. So, if you feel hungry after a workout, it is most certainly because it was accomplished. However, the opposite can also happen. Everyone has their own reactions to exercise!


3- Muscle fatigue


During your training, there is mental fatigue, of course, but also muscular fatigue . “ Fatigue depends on each person depending on the energy consumed during training ,” warns Thomas Fortunato.


Muscular fatigue is the maximum force produced during training . Thomas Fortunato gives us an example to measure the impact of this: the maximum jump test. “ Do a standing jump before and after your training. If there is no difference, it is because the training was not up to par .”


Mental fatigue can be greatly influenced by the course of your day or depending on the time of your training.

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