How Long Should I Spend At The Gym?
You’re a busy guy in a busy world. You want to do everything — have a successful career, great family, fun hobbies, and a fit body. But when you’re in a time crunch, what’s the first thing to go?
Fitness.
We all know exercise is important, but who has time for four, hour-long workouts at the gym a week (which doesn’t include the drive there and back)?
If your workouts are too hard to fit in your schedule, follow these simple tweaks to get the best possible results in the least amount of time. Not only will you get in a great workout, but you’ll also find yourself fitting more workouts into your calendar.
Plan In Advance
Too often, men will walk into the gym without a game plan. “Should I lift weights? Hmm, the bench is crowded. Maybe I’ll do legs?”
Suddenly, your training balloons in time as you spend more time deciding what to do than actually doing it. Before you even step into the gym, have a plan ready to go. At the very least, know the following things:
- Your warmup
- Which exercises you’re going to do
- How many sets and how many reps
- How much weight
A cheap, spiral-bound notebook is a classic way to keep note of your program while recording your progress.
Do Fewer Exercises
This is a little counterintuitive, but more often than not, men do too many different exercises in the gym. (For example, they’ll do 5 different exercises for their biceps.) It not only wastes time, but it also doesn’t give you much added benefit.
A better way is to pick one or two key lifts for each muscle group. For example, if you’re training your back, do a chest-supported row and a pullup using heavier weights. You’ll save a ton of time from eliminating redundant exercises.
Use Supersets To Your Advantage
A “superset” is a circuit of a few exercises done consecutively to save time and give your body a good rest. You put three or four exercises together, with each exercise targeting a completely different area.
For example, here’s a 3-exercise superset:
- Squats
- Pullups
- Bench Press
(Take a 30-60 second break between each exercise.)
Now you can run through your exercises, keep your heart rate up, and give each muscle group adequate rest before retargeting it.
Time Yourself
If you only have 20 minutes to do something, chances are you’ll take 20 minutes to do it. If you find that your workouts take too long, set a timer and race against the clock. You’ll enjoy faster and more efficient workouts.
Focus On Your Exercise
Look around your gym and notice how many people waste time texting, checking social media, and talking. Don’t let these distractions get in the way of your training.
Instead, train yourself to have ironclad focus in the gym — no books, no magazines, no kindles, etc. You might discover you’ll have a faster workout than ever before.
Is 2 hours at gym too much?
Being an absolute gym enthusiast, I've often asked myself the same question. Understanding the balancing act of 'how much is too much' can be somewhat blurry. One needs to understand when rigorous training shifts from a productive session to an obsessive pursuit. Spending two hours in the gym every day isn't necessarily too much, presuming you are physically fit and robust. But, let's also keep in mind that overextending yourself can lead to serious afflictions like exercise bulimia, heart distress, and damage to muscles and joints. If you're working out appropriately and seeing progression without overtraining, then a two-hour workout shouldn't be a concern. Remember, your body deserves adequate rest as much as it needs the exertion. So as a guideline, if you're otherwise fit and healthy, a two-hour daily workout should be fine.
Is 1 hour in the gym enough?
As a fitness trainer, one of the most common questions I come across is, "Is one hour enough to become fit?" Well, to put it simply, sure it is. In my years of experience, I've found that a 60-minute workout session is ample, particularly for strength training. It's a pretty optimal span to thoroughly work on different muscle groups, including the necessary warm-ups and cool-downs. To break it down, you'd begin with a 5-10 minute warm-up, followed by the real task, weight lifting for 40-45 minutes, and end with another 5-10 minutes of cooling down and stretching. Throughout my training career, I've seen beginners and intermediates make significant progress with this schedule. So, indeed, an hour-long session is adequately potent to build up your strength.
Is 30 minutes in the gym long enough?
Doesn't it sound amazing to get fit in just half an hour? Half an hour of dedicated strength training can indeed do wonders for your body, especially when you're concentrating on major muscle groups like your legs, back, and chest. This perspective comes from countless people I've witnessed in my gym transform their bodies in limited time sessions, simply by focusing their workout plans correctly. The key lies in efficient and targeted workouts. Of course, more extended periods allow for a comprehensive regimen, but that should not undermine the potency of a focused 30-minute workout. So, if you're time-bound or prefer quick sessions, 30 minutes is enough to effectively work all the big muscle groups.
Conclusion
Get in, get out, and get fit — that’s the goal. Put together, these tips can save a tremendous amount of time from your training.
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