So many of us look forward to our gym workouts throughout the week, but in the current times we live in, we have to do things a bit differently. Whether you are transitioning back to using the gym, or you want to minimise your time spent there, it is important to make the most of your visit.
Planning your workout and including compound exercises is a great way to start and to make sure you are still hitting your fitness goals, but there are many other aspects you can consider as well. See our top 10 tips below, to find out how you can maximise your fitness while minimising your time spent at the gym.
1. Make an Efficient Training Plan
If you want to shorten the time of your workout and get the most out of your session at the gym, then you need to arrive with a good plan in place. Knowing what you are doing means you will spend less time trying to decide what to do and you will maximise your time spent working out and reaching your fitness goals.
Planning your session also means that you have more of a chance of reaching your fitness goals and having an all-round balanced workout, whether you are doing yoga, weights or cardio. If you want to maintain or improve your level of fitness, make sure you discover the best gym workouts, then add them to your routine.
2. Time Your Gym Workouts
If you don’t usually time any aspect of your workout, this might seem like a strange idea, but once you get into timing what you do and hitting targets it can be very rewarding. When you only have a short time to spend at the gym, this also means you can fit everything in that you’ve planned to do.
Timing how many squats you can do in two minutes or doing a sprint on the exercise bike for the last 30 seconds, adds more intensity to your workout and drives you to give that bit more. You will soon find that time limits can actually improve what you can get done when you go to the gym.
3. Go at Quieter Times
At this point in time, many of us have to avoid people as much as we can, for everyone’s health and safety. If you are transitioning back to using the gym, going at a quieter time can be a smart move and great compromise. This way is getting to use all the equipment that you don’t have at home, while minimising your contact with people, by avoiding peak times.
If you are there when there are fewer people to use the facilities and equipment you need, this will also make your workout a lot more efficient. You won’t have to wait around to use a machine, so you can throw yourself into your next exercise. The times when there are the least people there are often during the day on weekdays, so if you can go then, make sure you do.
4. Minimise Socialising
This goes for socialising both on and offline. It is only too easy to turn up at the gym then spend most of your time chatting to people in between using the machines, or browsing through your social media feed and replying to comments. Because our time working out is more precious now, you have to use it efficiently.
This can really help with getting into the zone and good workout headspace as well, So, although we love to let our minds wander and chat both on and offline, minimising this will only improve our fitness and dedication.
5. Do Less Accessory Work
There are always a few things we do during our workout that aren’t totally necessary, but we like to add to our session. This might be because you want to hit your ab workouts at the gym or see how long you can hold a plank for, but if it isn’t wholly necessary then you should consider cutting it out.
This doesn’t mean don’t have fun when you’re there, but using your time effectively can offer you a better workout and do more for your overall fitness level.
6. Arrive in Your Workout Gear
This is a very practical tip that really does shave time off. It is easier to arrive in your workout gear during the summer months, but when it’s colder you can always wear warmer clothes on-top until you’re inside.
Doing this means you don’t have to spend long changing when you arrive or before you leave, you can simply put your bag in your locker and start enjoying your workout.
7. Give 100% for each gym workout
We should always aim to give everything we’ve got each time we’re at the gym, although for many of us this actually becomes easier when you have a shorter time frame. Having less time adds a little more urgency and usually means that we give more to each session.
Keeping your energy high and throwing yourself into each of the workouts you’ve planned out for yourself, ensures you are making the most of your time spent. Whatever you don’t do at the gym, you can do during your home gym workouts to still hit your goals.
8. Use the Equipment Wisely
Reducing the contact you’re having with machines and equipment is always advisable, especially during current times. Being efficient with what equipment you use and double up kettlebells, weights or mats for what you’ve got planned minimises this contact.
It also saves you time, as you spend less of it running around, trying to find what you need. When planning your gym session beforehand, make sure you consider exactly what equipment you are going to need and when.
9. Embrace Compound Movements and Exercises
Because we have less time, a great way to make use of it is to use predominantly compound movements and exercises. These sorts of movements engage multiple muscle groups at once, making your workout more intense and high energy.
Although this doesn’t specifically target muscle groups, it does enable you to target your whole body all at once and get the most out of each session at the gym, with a full-body workout.
10. Interval Training Is Key
One fantastic way to boost your gym workouts has to be to include interval training. This high energy and high effort form of exercise is also a great way to increase and maximise your fitness levels in a short space of time.
By giving 80% or 100% than having small rest periods, you can pack a really good workout into a short space of time. If you want to create a muscle-building workout plan, this is also a great training method to use for your gym workouts.
For fitness knowledge and training tips, take a look at our other blogs and get inspired to become the best you can be.
