Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to spend an age in the gym to get results.
The typical time frame people aim for is 60 minutes, and anything over that you’re often just wasting time.
Sure, if you’re a diehard bodybuilder or advanced lifter than you’ll likely need more time to accommodate high volume and workload.
But the chances are you’re not.
For a lot of you, 60 minutes is still a long time.
So here’s how you can save time with your workout and get that closer to 45 minutes instead.
6 Exercises or Less
One of the biggest mistakes people make with their programming is doing too much.
More isn’t always more.
With a resistance training session, I would aim for 6 good quality exercises.
If you add something in, then you take something out.
Simple.
What do I mean by good quality?
Big, compound movements that provide plenty of bang for your buck.
With isolation exercises targeting weak, or particular areas of interest, added in afterwards.
Of course, it depends how you programme is setup, frequency of training, goals etc.
The more frequently you train, the more you can focus on specific body parts and increase the use of isolation exercises.
Without going off on a tangent, keep your programme to 6 exercise or less if you want to spend less time in the gym.
Time Saving Supersets
A great way I like to save time when working out is to superset exercises.
To get the most out of exercise pairings, I’m a big fan of pairing upper and lower exercises.
Here’s how:
A1: Lower Pull
A2: Upper Push
B1: Lower Push
B2: Upper Pull
An example of this would be:
A1: Romanian Deadlift
A2: Push-up
B1: Goblet Squat
B2: Chest Supported Row
Why is this a good option?
Well not only does this provide a balanced approach to training, but it also increases the metabolic effect of training.
When you do a lower body exercise, blood will travel to those muscles to provide oxygen and nutrients for energy.
When you then go straight into an upper body exercise, your heart must work harder to move blood back to the upper body for the same reason.
This helps to make the workout harder, burn some more calories, and save time in between exercises.
Bang for Your Buck Exercises
When you want to save time, using exercises that provide you plenty of bang for your buck are a good way to go.
Most exercises that use multiple joints and muscles fit into this category.
However, there are more niche and/or advanced exercises that can help with this too.
Deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats, Pull-ups, Tripod rows Rotational rows, Rotational landmine pressing, Single leg RDL’s, Bird-dog rows and Lateral lunges fit into this category.
Of course, there will be plenty more.
These are just some that I like to use with myself and clients.
But think of exercises that work multiple muscles, in different planes of movement, that work on multiple aspects of fitness.
Rest-pause Sets
Another way to save time and make your workout effective is to use rest-pause sets.
Rest pause sets allow you to reach closer to muscle failure in one set, without increasing overall volume (and therefore time spent).
Why does this matter?
Well, the last 5 reps of an exercise are where the most stimulus is provided for muscle growth.
The more time we spend here, the most opportunity there is for muscle growth.
Within reason, we can’t train to failure all the time as training to failure increases fatigue which can have a negative effect instead.
But for smaller muscle groups that recovery quickly and are safer to train to failure, rest-pause sets are a great option.
I would typically use these for arm and shoulder isolation exercises that are in stable positions (i.e., Cable exercises or machines).
Here a simple way to apply this method:
Cable bicep curl: Do 10 reps to failure. Rest 30s, and do however many sets it requires you to achieve another 10 reps. So set 2 may be 6 reps, and Set 3 may be 4 reps.
The rest period is up for debate, with some people using 20s, others 40s. I would go in the middle and use 30s.
Have a Plan
Lastly, have a plan.
It’s much easier to save time when you know what you’re doing.
Have a planned workout, with alternatives in mind in case equipment is being used.
Too many people waste time trying to make decisions once they’re in the gym.
You only have so many decisions you can make in a day, and chances are by the time you get in the gym you’re already suffering from decision fatigue.
Facilitate your own success and plan ahead.
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