Get The Most Out of Your Workout
Posted on 14 November 2009
This is a guest post from Rafi Bar-Lev, a former combat medic and founder of the community fitness site, Passionate Fitness. Check it out! Thanks to Rafi for the contribution and please check out his website, packed with great stuff!
How to Get The Most Out of Your Workout
With only 24 hours in a day, it can be really hard to find the time to work out. That’s why when you actually do make the time to work out, you want to make every second count. Here are 5 tips to help you get the most out of your workout.
1. Try Interval Training Instead of Cardio. Experts have found interval training to be at least if not more effective than long distance cardio. Instead of spending an hour running, try doing 8 sets of 30 second sprints with a minute of rest in between each set. Not only will you save time, you’ll get better results.
“You get the workout done in half the time. And second, you get more results in less time, plus you can do more work” – Craig Ballantyne
2. Do Different Exercises During Rest. To save time at the gym, do different exercises during your rest periods. That means that instead of bench pressing, waiting a minute, bench pressing again and repeating, you should bench press, then go on to do curls, return to bench press, and repeat. This will save you a lot of time and get you through your workouts faster.
“Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become”
3. Skip The Pre-Workout Sauna. You know who you are, guy or girl who spends 2 hours in the sauna chatting with friends and 20 minutes working out. Yes, the sauna is effective in warming up your muscles, but when crunched for time, you better skip it. Just make sure to do 5 minutes of the bike before you start your workout to warm up.
4. Push Yourself Hard. People who push themselves harder during their workouts see better results. Try to make that extra rep during your workout and watch your progress increase. Just make sure not to push yourself too hard and to be careful to avoid getting injured.
“I CAN is 100% more important than IQ”
5. Have a Workout Plan. To avoid wasting time, make sure you know beforehand exactly what your workout for the day is going to be, meaning which exercises you’re going to be doing and in which order. This will help you save time wandering around aimlessly thinking about what you’re going to do next.
“Those who plan do better than those who do not plan even though they rarely stick to their plan.” – Winston Churchill
So what are you waiting for? Go out there and make the most out of your workout!
Comment by Grok
14 November 2009
Simple time-savers. Good stuff Rafi.
Keep up the good work, it’ll pay off.
Comment by Tobi
14 November 2009
Thanks Chris, good post! The best way to enhance your workout, I found, is to combine two or more exercises in one go, like your bench-press example. It gives your muscles the time to rest, but at the same time you can push yourself harder and sweat more. I used to spend up to three hours in the gym, incl. cardio. Now I am down to 30 mins and I am much stronger than I used to be. Work hard, play hard and then give yourself the time to relax sufficiently.
Btw, really good quotes!
Comment by Greg
14 November 2009
Variety breeds efficiency when it comes to workouts. Excellent suggestion.
Comment by Michael - Fat Loss Tips
14 November 2009
Rafi… good post.
I like #2 the most. I’ve altered my own workouts to have 30 second rest periods between sets only. No more time wasting and letting negative thoughts enter my mind. The only thing that matters is when 30 seconds is up!
Mike
Comment by fitnessbuff1
14 November 2009
I think mixing up your fitness routine occasionally is key too. So if you love running take a day off and try a zumba class or pilates class. You never know, you might even like it better then running.
Comment by Rafi Bar-Lev at Passionate Fitness
14 November 2009
Thanks for the praise guys! Grok – Thanks man, and hope you’re right.
Mike – When you have ZERO rest in between sets and cycle between workouts not only does it save time it actually adds a whole new level of pain…I mean intensity ( 
) to your workouts, aside of just saving time.
-Rafi
Comment by Liam | EverythingZing.com
17 November 2009
Another great list Chris! I am a huge fan of planning workouts rather than guessing your way through it. I also like to time my sets and rest periods, and set myself rep targets within the time slot. Nothing like a deadline to make you push yourself that little bit harder!
Comment by Rick
22 November 2009
I agree with most of what you listed, but think that #2 and #4 may be incompatible in some cases.
If you are doing a very intense set of something like squats or deadlifts, chances are you are going to have trouble just standing up afterward, let alone doing another workout. The only way I could see doing something else after a set of these would be to reduce intensity, but that is something you definitely don’t want to do (per your #4).
I don’t think the idea should be abandoned altogether however. With upper body workouts, less muscles are used and thus there is less overall exaustion after a set. Here is where a “superset” is effective IMHO. I like to do a set of bench press followed immediately by bent-over rows, or shoulder presses followed by upright rows. So you are basically hitting the “push” muscles, and immediately afterward the “pull” muscles. After one of those supersets, you will definitely need a break if you are doing it right.
Love the site!
Comment by Jared | SpiritualZen.net
25 November 2009
These are some great simple suggestions. I have actually been doing the interval for cardio on treadmill and getting good results. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) – Set treadmill on sort of brisk walk, about 4. Walk for 2 minutes. Increase up to about 5.5 or 6 for 30 seconds. Back down to 4 for 1 minute. Then continue this increasing the speed of your running by .5 each time. Pretty soon you’re sprinting in between walks. I do this for about 20 minutes. Then walk cool down for another 5-10 or so. Then other 20 – 30 minutes of workout (before cardio actually) I’m rotating on lifts hitting triceps/biceps/shoulders one day, then back/chest/abs the next. Can get a great workout in less then an hour.
Comment by Timothy MacDonald
4 December 2009
These are all great suggestions, from beginners to the experienced. Short to no rest is definitely great for pushing your muscles and helping with your cardiovascular. I find doing a full body workout and only taking 10-15 deep breaths between sets have cut down my workout time but increased my strength and muscle mass.