Many people use the "no time" excuse as the reason they don't exercise. Most people assume that they need at least an hour in the gym to get anything out of it and that anything less than that is pointless.
Well, the thing is you DON'T really need an hour in the gym. If you are choosing the right exercises and using the right techniques, you can get in a workout in 30-45 minutes. In fact, my client's workouts are only 30 minutes. If you are extremely short on time, you can even get in a decent workout in just 15 minutes.Yes, it can be done.
For example, here's what you could do in 15 minutes: 3-5 minute warmup of jumping jacks, squats, lunges, mountain climbers. Then just pick 3 exercises to do in a circuit that would work your entire body, such as squats, dumbbell rows and overhead shoulder presses. Go through a warmup set of each one, then 2-3 working sets of 8-10 reps. You could also throw some type of cardio in there, like jump rope or burpees to really keep your heart rate going. So there ya go. 10-15 minutes, and you have a full body workout!
Here are some other ways to make your workouts more time efficient:
-Focus on compound lifts that work your biggest muscle groups(such as squats, deadlifts, presses, pushups and rows) over isolation exercises.
-Trisets: Pick 3 exercises for non-opposing muscle groups and perform them back to back. For example, you could choose squats, rows and overhead presses for the first triset, and then lunges, pushups and a plank hold for the second triset.
-Supersets: I really like to use these in my workouts. For an upper body superset you would choose two exercises for opposite muscle groups, such as the dumbbell bench press and some type of a row or pullup. Perform the two exercises back to back, resting between each superset if needed.
-Trying incorporating cardio into your weight training, rather than doing them separately on the days you are short on time. For example, add in jump squats, mountain climbers or jumping rope in between sets.
-Instead of doing your normal 30 minutes of steady-state cardio, do a bodyweight cardio circuit for just 10 minutes after the weights. Choose 3-5 exercises such as pushups, squats or squat jumps, lunges, mountain climbers, burpees, high knees or jumping jacks, and do each one for 20-30 seconds, 3-5 rounds.
Hopefully incorporating some of these tips will help you get in and out of the gym in a shorter amount of time. Don't ever think you can't get in a great workout in under 30 minutes. Sometimes the shortest workouts are the most intense!
Another tip: on the days when you just don't feel like working out, tell yourself you'll just go to the gym for TEN minutes. You can at least do something for TEN minutes. When you get there, you'll probably end up staying longer, but even if you don't, just do what you can for those 10 minutes.
So don't use the "I don't have time" excuse any more! There are people out there who are busier than you who are at the gym right this second! Get your butt to the gym, lift some heavy weights, hit your major muscle groups, and you'll be good to go!
Well, the thing is you DON'T really need an hour in the gym. If you are choosing the right exercises and using the right techniques, you can get in a workout in 30-45 minutes. In fact, my client's workouts are only 30 minutes. If you are extremely short on time, you can even get in a decent workout in just 15 minutes.Yes, it can be done.
For example, here's what you could do in 15 minutes: 3-5 minute warmup of jumping jacks, squats, lunges, mountain climbers. Then just pick 3 exercises to do in a circuit that would work your entire body, such as squats, dumbbell rows and overhead shoulder presses. Go through a warmup set of each one, then 2-3 working sets of 8-10 reps. You could also throw some type of cardio in there, like jump rope or burpees to really keep your heart rate going. So there ya go. 10-15 minutes, and you have a full body workout!
Here are some other ways to make your workouts more time efficient:
-Focus on compound lifts that work your biggest muscle groups(such as squats, deadlifts, presses, pushups and rows) over isolation exercises.
-Trisets: Pick 3 exercises for non-opposing muscle groups and perform them back to back. For example, you could choose squats, rows and overhead presses for the first triset, and then lunges, pushups and a plank hold for the second triset.
-Supersets: I really like to use these in my workouts. For an upper body superset you would choose two exercises for opposite muscle groups, such as the dumbbell bench press and some type of a row or pullup. Perform the two exercises back to back, resting between each superset if needed.
-Trying incorporating cardio into your weight training, rather than doing them separately on the days you are short on time. For example, add in jump squats, mountain climbers or jumping rope in between sets.
-Instead of doing your normal 30 minutes of steady-state cardio, do a bodyweight cardio circuit for just 10 minutes after the weights. Choose 3-5 exercises such as pushups, squats or squat jumps, lunges, mountain climbers, burpees, high knees or jumping jacks, and do each one for 20-30 seconds, 3-5 rounds.
Hopefully incorporating some of these tips will help you get in and out of the gym in a shorter amount of time. Don't ever think you can't get in a great workout in under 30 minutes. Sometimes the shortest workouts are the most intense!
Another tip: on the days when you just don't feel like working out, tell yourself you'll just go to the gym for TEN minutes. You can at least do something for TEN minutes. When you get there, you'll probably end up staying longer, but even if you don't, just do what you can for those 10 minutes.
So don't use the "I don't have time" excuse any more! There are people out there who are busier than you who are at the gym right this second! Get your butt to the gym, lift some heavy weights, hit your major muscle groups, and you'll be good to go!
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