Nothing replaces hard work and perseverance at the gym. However, there are a few tricks you can use to maximize your time while you’re there. These 5 time-saving tips will keep you on track and working to your full potential.
1. Use compound exercises, movements that use more than one joint, and more than one muscle group. It’s like multitasking your workout. Some good examples are tricep dips, squats, bicycle ab crunch, and even a basic push up.
2. Pick up the pace! Research from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research has shown that one rep per two seconds is 3x MORE effective than one rep per four seconds.
3. Move until you fail. Instead of multiple sets, work in the same exercises until you cannot hold the form any longer and physically cannot do another rep. By limiting your sets and only resting between different exercises, you could effectively limit your weight training to 15 minutes day.
4. Every day is not a weight day. Stick to a 3 day per week muscle building routine, taking rest days in between. Some suggest taking rest days just for certain muscle groups, such as doing your back one day and arms another. However, if you’re using compound exercises, your whole body will need to rest. Use these days for cardio.
5. Keep moving! Limit your rest times during sets to under minute. The general rule is if you’re lifting heavy, keep the rest periods closer to a minute. If you’re lifting lighter take shorter breaks.
Jennifer Cohen is a leading fitness authority, TV personality, best-selling author, and entrepreneur. With her signature, straight-talking approach to wellness, Jennifer was the featured trainer on The CW’s Shedding for the Wedding, mentoring the contestants’ to lose hundreds of pounds before their big day, and she appears regularly on NBC’s Today Show, Extra, The Doctors and Good Morning America. Connect with Jennifer on Facebook, Twitter, G+ and on Pinterest.