How many times have you told yourself you don’t have time to workout? That’s why saving time at the gym is so important. It can be the difference between getting a workout in and skipping. But there are ways to save time at the gym and still get a great workout in 30 minutes or less. Here’s how to do it:
5 Easy Ways to Save Time at the Gym
Have a Plan (and Ignore Everything Else)
You know how you make a list of things you want to do and see on vacation? What about the grocery store? When you bring a list, everything goes much more smoothly. Apply that same logic to hitting the gym. Figure out your plan of attack before you set food in the gym: What’s your warmup? Which exercises are you doing, including the number of sets and reps. What weights or equipment will you use? Get in. Get out.
Use Supersets
The idea of a superset is doing two exercises back-to-back without rest in between. Be sure to work different body parts to avoid fatigue and also get to more muscle groups quickly. Supersets are an effective way to save time at the gym because you eliminate the time spent resting or slowly transitioning to a new exercise. Here’s an example from Web MD: do one set of 10 push-ups focusing on your chest and shoulder muscles. Then, immediately do a set of pull-ups focusing on your back and bicep muscles.
Increase Intensity
To save time at the gym while still getting a good workout, it’s all about intensity. If you’re into cardio you want to boost the resistance or speed (or both). Are you a weight lifter? Increase the amount of weight you’re dealing with. Maxing out the intensity means short, powerful boosts of exercise with a quick rest in between. Here are 2 options for cardio: 1:2 interval (30 sec of high intensity work for every 1 minute of rest) or 1:1 interval (30 sec of high intensity work for every 30 sec of rest). And for weight training: choose a heavy weight and lift to complete failure (which means you can’t lift the weights even one more time). Take a short rest then move on to another exercise. But be careful, especially in the beginning. High intensity movements can create a higher possibility of injury. Focus and keep your form, no matter the speed or weight.
Warm Up Better
Instead of hitting the treadmill for your first 10 minutes and stretching afterward, simplify your warm up to save time at the gym. Start with a foam roller for three minutes. Then move onto an efficient series of warm ups that targets each section of your body:
- 10 hops in place
- 10 high knees
- 20 single leg hops
- 10 torso rotations
- 10 jumping jacks
- 10 shoulder rotations
- 5 neck rotations
Time Everything
Use your phone to set a timer. If you have 30 minutes to spend at the gym, designate a specific amount of time to each section of your workout. For example: Spend 5 minutes on your warmup. Spend 3 minutes per exercise. And don’t let yourself get sidetracked.
You’ll save time at the gym and also get a workout that makes your body feel its best. YouFit gyms are here to help you accomplish your goals, no matter how much time you have, on a limited budget, and at any stage of fitness. Visit one of our 80 locations and one of our professionally certified trainers can help you create a quick and effective workout that fits your life.
