What goes through your mind when you have a spare 20 minutes in your day? Do you even think about using that short of a period of time to workout? Or do you go grab a cup of coffee, respond to emails and texts, surf the web and realize your 20 minutes has slipped through your fingers? The idea of a short workout is a big turn off for a lot of people. You think you need an hour to really workout and get great results, maybe 45 minutes at a minimum. Wrong. You can get a great workout done in 20 minutes, if you could just Stop Wasting Time at the Gym!
Everyone has done it at some point. Some gym-goers are notorious time wasters. And hey, if you have a couple of hours and you enjoy hanging out at your gym, then you’re not doing too much harm. But ideally, you want to ensure you are making the most of every minute of your workout. It will benefit you physically and mentally if you FOCUS and get the biggest bang for your buck.
Top 10 Time Wasters at the Gym:
1. Bringing your cellphone. Especially if you only have 20 minutes to work out, but even if you have a full hour. Unless you are on call for some sort of emergency, you do. not. need. your. phone. I promise, your texts can wait. Nobody is on the edge of their seat for your tweet about that last set you just did. Leave the cell phone in the locker room.
2. Doing three exercises you could have combined into one. Here is what can make your workout a whole lot shorter without sacrificing any calorie burn or strength gain: COMPOUND EXERCISES. They are your friend. For example, instead of doing a seated overhead press then squats or lunges then bicep curls, you could do a squat with a bicep curl and turn it into an overhead press at the top of the squat. Same movements. Same exercises. Just all wrapped into one.
3. Resting too long. Rest is important, especially if you’re working out for strength or power gains. How long should you rest between sets? General rule of thumb: When training for strength or power, you want to aim for 2-5 minutes rest between sets. For hypertrophy (size), just 30-90 seconds. For endurance, rest periods are less than or equal to 30 seconds. Pay attention to your rest time! Check your watch or set a timer. For strength, you could definitely superset a lower body and an upper body, then rest, to save time. Training for power? Save that workout for when you have more time.
4. Making the gym your social club. The gym can definitely become a fun, social place for you. If you’re spending a good chunk of time there at regular times, you’re probably going to make some friends, or at least enjoy chit-chatting with other regulars or trainers. If you’re really interested in making friends, set up a date to meet in the cafe AFTER your workout. Every 3 minutes you spend discussing your weekend is 3 minutes of workout time wasted. Are you spending your gym membership money on making friends or getting a workout?
5. Paying attention to the ‘cardio zones’ label on the cardio machine. Fat loss heart rate zone? Technically, yes, if you’re working out at a lower heart rate for a long period of time, you are burning fat. BUT you will use more calories overall by working out at a higher intensity, or doing interval training. Don’t worry too much about whether your body is utilizing fat cells or carbohydrates to fuel your workout. By those labels’ rationale, you may as well sit on the couch for a couple of hours, since your body will definitely be utilizing fat stores to fuel all that hard-core sitting.
6. Going in without a plan. I’ve said it before: You need to have a plan going in to the gym. Every minute you spend between exercises, wondering, ‘Hmmm…what shall I do now?’ is a minute totally wasted. Even if you just write down on a scrap of paper the exercises you want to get done, you are already on your way to a more efficient workout.
7. Reading a magazine. I guarantee next time you’re at the gym, someone will be flicking through a magazine on the elliptical. How can you be focused on your workout if you’re reading? You probably don’t even notice how much slower you’re going when you’re wrapped up in catching up on gossip. I get that sometimes a cardio machine can be boring. But try a new playlist, an audio book even, or doing speed intervals to pass the time quicker. Otherwise you’re spending 45 minutes burning the same calories you could have burned in 20.
8. Using weights that are too light. Ladies, I am looking at you here, unfortunately. Do not be afraid of the weights. Despite what you’ve heard from a friend, read in a fitness magazine, or experienced in a group fitness class, doing a bench press with 5 pound weights is in 99% of cases a total waste of time. If you want to complete 10 repetitions of an exercise, the 10th repetition should be very difficult to complete. You use very light weights in a group fitness class because of the enormous number of repetitions. Remember, having a higher percentage of lean muscle means you will burn more fat at rest. And light weights are not going to build your muscle.
9. Sticking to your tried-and-true routine. Twice a week you run on the treadmill for the same distance, at the same incline and *surprise!* It always takes you the same amount of time. Twice a week you do strength training. The same exercises, in the same order, with *surprise!* the same weights you’ve always used. You need to challenge yourself! You need to switch up weights, or complexity, or speed, or types of exercises in order to actually see or feel any difference in your body. Our bodies are amazingly adaptable. Try changing your workout completely every 6 – 8 weeks. The result will surprise you!
10. Forgetting about form. Watching someone deadlift who has never learnt correct form is almost painful to watch (as well as painful in the long run for the deadlifter, too!). Any exercise you’re doing will be most efficient and beneficial if your form is correct. This is where the free personal training session most gyms offer when you sign up comes in handy. If you have no interest in personal training, use the session anyway! Give the trainer a list of exercises for which you’re not sure about form and ask them to instruct you for the correct form.
Can you really get a good workout in just 20 minutes? I know you can! Here are two 20 minute cardio workouts and two 30 minute strength training workouts. Or make your own plan (ahead of time!), focus on your form and your intensity level, use the correct weights and most of all, respect your own time. Stop wasting time at the gym and start maximizing your potential instead!
Have you fallen into any of these time-wasters at the gym? Or witnessed some other ways of wasting time during a workout? What do you do to try to make the most of your workout?
Hmmm. I’m going to disagree with #7. Some cardio machines are so mind-numbingly boring they REQUIRE reading material. I’d add being prepared for your workout before you get to the gym – I need to layout my clothes, set up my music playlist, etc the night before so I don’t waste part of my workout time at home looking for socks!
I get it, I do!! Sometimes you get stuck doing something boring for cardio because there’s no other option. If you *have* to have a magazine, okay, but try to check your form and speed at regular intervals to make sure you’re not slacking from being distracted.
Mind if I take a contradictory position? I actually have found that using my smartphone makes me MORE productive in the gym, since I use it to log my workouts & my app has a rest timer. I do actually surf instagram & facebook on my rests, but the app makes my phone vibrate when my 60 second break is up and I start the next set. So, I think it’s how you use technology sometimes – it can help!
Of course you can be contradictory! 🙂 I agree, smartphones can be super helpful *sometimes*. The ways you mention are great examples. As a trainer, I’ve just witnessed so many 5, 10, 15 minute ‘rest periods’ with someone furiously texting or surfing. If it’s used as a way to focus, great. Just too often it can become a major distraction.