Making the most out of the time you exercise is often difficult due to lack of determination or energy. This articles will provide you with information on what you can do to increase your energy whether it be through mental or physical means. There’s no magic pill that can turn you into Rocky Balboa but there are some great ways to increase your exercising intensity. If you combine all of the techniques I’m about to show you then you should be in for one hell of a workout.

First you should think about some things that could be contributing to your fatigue in the first place:
-Sickness
-Lack of sleep
-Stress
-Nutrition
-Overtraining


Sickness:
If you are sick your body will be using all of its resources to get better. You should not be exercising whilst you are sick because it may increase the intensity or duration that you are sick for. Try and get as much as sleep as you can to let your body get better.
You may notice that after being sick you have lost some of your strength/stamina. This is only very temporary and it shouldn’t take you very long at all to get back to where you were before.


Lack of Sleep:
When you sleep your body releases, amongst other things, a hormone called HGH (human growth hormone). This is what helps to repair and recover all your tired muscles. Without enough proper sleep your muscles will not be getting enough HGH.


Stress:
If you are stressed you may find it a lot harder to get out and exercise. Once you do get out however you will find that it is a great way to forget about all your worries and get rid of some of your pent up frustration.
Quite often it’s hard to get to sleep when you are stressed. If you do some vigorous exercise during the day you will find it much easier to fall asleep at night.


Nutrition:
Often the most neglected aspect of our health is nutrition. Adequate time should be put aside each day to prepare proper meals. You should eat your largest meal after exercise as this will help your body to recuperate and recover.


Overtraining:
Overtraining is something that many bodybuilders do. You need to allow yourself adequate time for all your muscles to heal. It takes experience to know whether you are overtraining or not. A good idea is that if you haven’t made any progress within the last 3-4 weeks then take a week off. Once you come back you should notice some instant progress. If not then you probably haven’t been overtraining and your lack of progress is due to some other factor.


Now it’s time to look at some energy boosters:
-Caffeine
-Energy Supplements
-Vitamin B
-Food
-Water


Caffeine:
Caffeine is probably the most overrated energy booster out there. The energy effects do not last for very long and most people will experience a slump after the caffeine has left their body.
It can also contribute to dehydration as it is a diuretic.


Energy Supplements:
Unlike caffeine, energy supplements should last for the whole duration of your workout. Energy supplements are used mainly by bodybuilders to increase their energy levels and lift at a higher intensity. I’m not a great fan of using energy supplements but if you like them then go ahead.


Vitamin B:
Vitamin B is used to help transfer food into elements the body can use for energy. There are a lot of other vitamins and minerals that have the same effect but none of them are as important as Vitamin B. Bananas are a great way to stock up on Vitamin B.


Food:
Eat a small meal before exercise. A large meal probably isn’t the best idea as your body will put lot’s of energy into digesting the meal (up to 25% of the food we eat is used to digest other food) but by having a small meal such as some fruit or a small sandwich it will help to boost your energy levels.


Water:
Drink some water before, during and after exercise. Getting dehydrated can make you feel sick or light headed and will effect the intensity of your workout. I would recommend drinking at least 250mls every 15 minutes during intense exercise.


Perhaps more important than increasing your bodies physical capabilities is motivation:
-Music
-Videos
-Pictures
-Talk to yourself
-Exercise with a buddy


Music:
Listening to some really loud music is a great way to psyche up before and during exercise. A great investment is to buy and ipod with an arm strap. Make sure you put some of your favorite songs on there and the louder you listen to them the more pumped you’ll get.


Videos:
Looking up some inspirational videos on YouTube is a great idea. Search for “pumping iron” or the likes and you’ll find some great videos that will inspire you to work harder.


Pictures:
View pictures of something that motivates you. The type of picture you will look at will depend a lot upon your goals. If your a bodybuilder look at pictures of how you want to look. If your losing weight then take a look at your progress photos.


Talk to yourself:
I don’t necessarily mean out loud. Just keep reminding yourself why you're exercising in the first place and think of whatever motivates you. Get your ego involved and put pressure upon yourself to work hard.
You’ll be surprised how well this technique works, especially when lifting weights.


Exercise with a buddy:
Exercising with a buddy is probably the best way to increase your motivation. You may hire a personal trainer or simply ask a friend to train with you.
Personal trainers are relatively expensive, however if you are a serious athlete I would highly recommend one. Personal trainers are trained to get the most out of you and my personal experience is that they will get you to work 100% harder.


By combining all of the above tips you will be setting yourself up for one hell of a workout. Sometimes it’s hard to get the energy and motivation needed but now you have no excuse.