Chances are you have overheard a conversation about how much time guys have spent at the gym. We aren’t talking how many days, months or years, but more so bragging that they spent two or three hours throwing weights around. The reality is, most of the time, these people are socializing or not using their break time properly. However, in order to maximize your workout and get the most out of your time at the gym there are a number of factors that you may want to consider.
GET OFF THE CARDIO MACHINES:
Unless you are training for a marathon, spending more than ten minutes at a time on the treadmill, bike or elliptical could be negatively impacting your workout. At the start of your training session a brisk walk, jog or pedal is fine to get your blood pumping and body moving and as an active recovery during a break or as a cool down at the end of your session, these pieces of equipment are suitable choices. However, as a workout, aiming for short bursts of speed and energy will help aid your cardiovascular health. Tabata workouts focus on 20-30 seconds of work, followed by a short break and then repeating for a series of 6-8 sets, are ideal for those who seek improvements in their heart rate, building of muscle, speed and power and breathing capacity.
USE COMPOUND MOVEMENTS:
Although it is equally important to hit the small muscle groups, sometimes when you are up against the clock the most effective workout is one that hits the most amount of muscle. By targeting many different actions at once, compound exercises are extremely effective and efficient. Some examples of compound exercises that you may want to add to your workout program for a quick in and out session are:
Deadlifts – A great exercise for the posterior chain, deadlifts target the forearms, lats, glutes, hamstrings, back and core stabilizers.
Farmer’s Walk – Targeting shoulders, back, core, arms, legs and grip strength, Farmer’s Walk (or Farmer’s Carry) is a complete full body workout that requires you to focus on all body parts being engaged and used at the same time.
Push-Ups – One of the best and easiest exercises to do almost anywhere, push-ups with their countless variations and progressions require strength and control of your whole body, including arms, shoulders, chest, back, glutes, legs and core stabilizers.
Pull-Ups – Pull-Ups require the ability to lift your entire body weight in a controlled form. Focused mainly on your upper body, Pull-Ups train your arms, shoulders, back, core and grip strength.
Lunges with Curls/Presses – Whether you choose to do a forward or reverse lunge combined with a curl or shoulder press, this combination compound exercise hits your glutes, hamstrings, core, back, biceps/shoulders all at once.
PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES:
With today’s ever increasing need to be in touch with friends, family, work and the latest update on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook, bringing your device to the gym can cost you valuable workout time and focus. Sure they are great to use for music or a workout app or tracking your session, but they are often more of a distraction than anything. If you choose to bring your phone with you, put it on “airplane mode” to limit any chances of taking precious moments away from the reason why you are in the gym in the first place. Try to have your workout playlist set in advance so you don’t have reason to keep reaching for your phone and as for those gym selfies, save them for after your session. While it’s understandable that you want to be proud of your accomplishments, taking time out of your workout to snap a pic not only takes away from your purpose, but unless you are the only one in the gym, it distracts other around you.
ENJOY YOUR WORKOUT:
What’s one of the main reasons people quit hitting the gym? They hate their workouts. Let’s be honest, the gym isn’t for everyone, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy exercise and working out. Maybe you just haven’t found the right workout partner or gym class or maybe the gym isn’t for you and you are better off getting your daily dose of exercise with an outdoor activity. If you hate throwing weights around, maybe switch it up and try a Pilates Reformer class (you would be surprised how challenging those springs can be!), or if you aren’t a fan of the treadmill and elliptical (which can get tedious) why not join a biking group or dance class or sports team. The key to being healthy and fit is to enjoy the exercise that you are doing and continuing to be motivated by it.
As with everything in life, what you put into exercising is what you will get out of it. If you are going to put time, energy and money into it, make it worth your while. Whether it be the above reasons or maybe something different, if you are not getting the most out of your workout, maybe it is time to change gyms and start fresh with a new atmosphere. If this is the case, check out our listings of “Fitness Centers Near Me” on www.wesellgyms.com for information on the best places to train.