The workout 'cheat codes' a 43-year-old personal trainer says he wishes he knew at 23

• Dan Go shared 20 workout "cheat codes" he wishes he'd known 20 years ago.
• He said that many things he does instinctively during his workouts now took him years to learn.

Dan Go, a personal trainer, last week tweeted a thread with 20 workout "cheat codes" he wishes he'd known 20 years ago when he started exercising.

Go, 43, who trains entrepreneurs through his company, High Performance Founder, told Insider he got the idea to tweet the tips while talking to a 25-year-old up-and-comer in the fitness world.

"He reminded me that there are many things I do instinctually that I take for granted," Go said. "So I wanted to compile everything I know into a thread to help others who might benefit."

Count backward to trick your mind

Go's first tip is designed to subtly trick you into finishing reps of an exercise. Counting backward from your target number of reps instead of counting up to it from one can help remind you there's a set number of reps you're trying to finish.

"This tricks your mind into finishing the reps," Go tweeted.

Tom Holland, an exercise physiologist, previously 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 backward while doing them could help you hit your numbers and feel that sense of accomplishment.

Develop a 'mind to muscle' connection

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

He recommends consciously thinking about the specific muscles you want to use as you're physically enacting the motion, rather than letting your mind wander. "Just being able to consciously activate your muscles by using your mind will compound in a big way with every rep you perform at the gym," he said.

Research has suggested that focusing on your muscles more while exercising can help increase muscle growth.

Go tweeted: "Think about the muscles you're exercising using your mind to contract them. This is called the mind-to-muscle connection."

The former NBA player Steve Nash has similarly recommended doing exercises at half-speed to build a better mind-muscle connection. He's suggested this could not only improve strength and muscle mass but 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. Chris Duffin, a powerlifter, has suggested that getting a few more hours of sleep can often be better for your progress than waking up early to exercise.

Go tweeted: "If you want to build muscle, increase energy & recover faster focus on your sleep. The better your sleep habits the better you become."

In his Twitter thread, Go said that it took him 20 years to learn all 20 tips but that putting them into practice had transformed his workout routine.

"There is detail to everything we do," he said. "It's not enough to just do an exercise. There's so many facets to working out that can go a long way to optimizing the way you exercise."