There is this misconception out there when it comes to exercise that MORE is better; that spending hours and hours in the gym every day is what is needed to get results. Well, its NOT.
For most people, if they aren't seeing any changes in their bodies, they mistakenly think that the answer is to get in more days at the gym, do more cardio, more repetitions, more exercises....So they end up being in the gym for 2 hours, thinking they got a good workout and that they'll get results this way. When really, I believe you can get a much more effective workout in HALF the time.
I personally am very rarely in the gym for more than an hour, and that includes my warmup, my workout and stretching afterwards. You see, it is all about intensity. My workouts are so intense, that I can get an awesome workout in 10-20 minutes. It does NOT take hours in the gym to achieve a great physique.
Just because you spent 2 or 3 hours in the gym, does not necessarily mean that you're doing what is needed to get results. I think that if you can be in the gym for hours at a time, then you probably aren't working hard enough. Remember, it's more about intensity than duration.
Sometimes less is more. You can get a great workout in under an hour by focusing on just a few exercises that hit multiple muscle groups at a time. And by doing fewer exercises, you can put more intensity into your workout by lifting heavy and giving each set everything you've got, rather than just going through the motions.
For example, you could get a full body workout just by doing a few sets of heavy squats, pullups(or some type of row), and pushups or bench presses. Maybe do some plank holds at the end of your workout and a circuit or some sprint/jog intervals for cardio, or even 15-20 minutes on the elliptical or stair stepper if you must. Train your whole body on non-consecutive days, 3 days a week, focusing on trying to improve on each exercise week to week by increasing the weight or getting a few extra reps.
So when you aren't seeing results, rather than thinking about what more you can do IN the gym, try putting more effort into what you do outside of the gym(your DIET!!). I promise-the right nutrition is the key to fat loss. No matter WHAT you do, you CANNOT out train a bad diet. It's just the way it is, so stop trying!
I promise, if you put most of your effort into eating healthy and fueling your body correctly, you WILL see results. Not instant results, but they will come if you have patience and be consistent.
For most people, if they aren't seeing any changes in their bodies, they mistakenly think that the answer is to get in more days at the gym, do more cardio, more repetitions, more exercises....So they end up being in the gym for 2 hours, thinking they got a good workout and that they'll get results this way. When really, I believe you can get a much more effective workout in HALF the time.
I personally am very rarely in the gym for more than an hour, and that includes my warmup, my workout and stretching afterwards. You see, it is all about intensity. My workouts are so intense, that I can get an awesome workout in 10-20 minutes. It does NOT take hours in the gym to achieve a great physique.
Just because you spent 2 or 3 hours in the gym, does not necessarily mean that you're doing what is needed to get results. I think that if you can be in the gym for hours at a time, then you probably aren't working hard enough. Remember, it's more about intensity than duration.
Sometimes less is more. You can get a great workout in under an hour by focusing on just a few exercises that hit multiple muscle groups at a time. And by doing fewer exercises, you can put more intensity into your workout by lifting heavy and giving each set everything you've got, rather than just going through the motions.
For example, you could get a full body workout just by doing a few sets of heavy squats, pullups(or some type of row), and pushups or bench presses. Maybe do some plank holds at the end of your workout and a circuit or some sprint/jog intervals for cardio, or even 15-20 minutes on the elliptical or stair stepper if you must. Train your whole body on non-consecutive days, 3 days a week, focusing on trying to improve on each exercise week to week by increasing the weight or getting a few extra reps.
So when you aren't seeing results, rather than thinking about what more you can do IN the gym, try putting more effort into what you do outside of the gym(your DIET!!). I promise-the right nutrition is the key to fat loss. No matter WHAT you do, you CANNOT out train a bad diet. It's just the way it is, so stop trying!
I promise, if you put most of your effort into eating healthy and fueling your body correctly, you WILL see results. Not instant results, but they will come if you have patience and be consistent.
I recently started the jamie eason livefit program. Do you usually only lift 3x a week? And how often do you do cardio?
ReplyDeleteI actually do Crossfit now and am in the gym 5-6 days a week. I only do one heavy lift each day, with a very short metabolic conditioning workout 3-4 days a week. I'm doing more of a powerlifting program right now, not so much bodybuilding anymore. Most people would be fine with 3 days a week if they are training their whole body in one workout, while focusing on lifting heavy and eating right.
ReplyDeleteBut a bodybuilding program is completely different-you need more days in the gym if you are only training one or two muscle groups a day. It just depends on how often you can make it to the gym and what your goals are.
ReplyDelete