If you don’t have an hour a day to devote to exercise, why bother at all? Sounds silly, of course, but believing you just don’t have enough time to work out is one of the main reasons people stay sedentary. Just the other day, someone asked how long my workouts typically last. When I told him “about an hour,” he looked disappointed and said he’d hoped it was closer to five so he didn’t have to feel guilty about not exercising.
Fitting in an hour a day may not work for you—and that’s fine. If you can manage to make it to the gym three days a week, you’re in good shape. Time might be tight, but there are some things you can do to make exercise more efficient so you can get in and out with a great workout behind you.
Compound movements
Compound movement means you’re engaging more than one muscle group during an exercise. It can be time efficient and effective because large muscles in the body are stimulated along with smaller ones. Here are several compound exercises (and the muscle groups they engage) you can use for a total-body workout:
Exercise: squats
Muscles worked: quadriceps, glutes, adductor, hamstrings, abs
Exercise: dead lifts
Muscles worked: quadriceps, glutes, trapezoids, back, abs
Exercise: pull ups (weight assisted is OK)
Muscles worked: lats (back muscles), trapezoids, biceps
Exercise: bench press
Muscles worked: chest, triceps, delts (front shoulder)
Exercise: shoulder press
Muscles worked: shoulders, upper chest, triceps
Exercise: dips
Muscles worked: chest, triceps, rear delts (shoulders)
Aim to complete 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps of each exercise and then move onto the next.
Machine circuit workout
Most gyms have pin-loaded machines set up in a sequence, ready for an ordered workout. Start with lower body machines and work your way to smaller muscle group machines. If you’re visiting the gym at a busy time of the day, it’s best to do all three sets (with 12 reps) on a machine before moving to the next one. If it’s not busy, try doing one set on a machine, moving to the next and repeating for two more rounds. If you find you have to work out of order because a machine is occupied, no worries! Just make your way back to it.
Tips for a more efficient workout:
- No cell phones! Keep your phone on silent and don’t browse social media sites, which can be distracting and a waste of time.
- Have a plan before you set foot in the gym. Write down a workout down and stick with it.
- Eat a preworkout snack. Make sure to eat something healthy to ensure you have energy to accomplish your workout. A banana or apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter is ideal.
- Have a preworkout drink. Sip something specifically designed to support energy, focus and recovery. One of my favorites is FitMiss Ignite Women’s Pre-Workout and Energy Booster.