Do you want to get fit but have a hard time getting to the gym? Well, a lot of people skip their gym sessions because they don’t have the time to do it. Yes, going to the gym has a lot of benefits such as improving your mood and reducing stress. However, many people can’t spare a few hours to do it because of chores and errands.
Packing a bag, going to the gym and getting started on your workouts takes a lot of time. However, with the right techniques, you can get an effective workout in the shortest amount of time. Here are some of the best tips on how to get fit fast.
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Superset Exercises
Supersets are the oldest exercises in the book since they work. You can perform 2 exercises back-to-back and get your workout completed in a shorter time. Also, you should be able to increase the number of calories burned. If you want to maintain a high intensity and get the most benefits out of back-to-back exercises, you should alternate between lower and upper body movements. That way, as one muscle group recovers, the other one is working.
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Time Your Rest Periods
There are so many distractions in the gym such as TV, cell phones and friends that will make it hard to stay on task. According to Thomas Paddock of Home Gym Review, it’s a good idea to bring a timer the next time you go to the gym and time your rest periods. You should limit your rest periods to 90 seconds or less. However, you can adjust the rest periods depending on your specific goals. It’s important to choose the best rest time and stick to it. When the timer goes off, you need to get back to your workouts without any excuses.
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Keep It Moving
When you are resting, you don’t have to sit idly on a machine. Some of the most neglected exercises include foam rolling, stretching and supersets. Therefore, you can do these during your rest periods. When stretching, you should target areas that are not part of your current workout. For instance, when doing an upper body workout routine, you should stretch your hamstrings and hip flexors during the rest periods. If there is adequate space to roll out, you should definitely consider foam rolling in between sets.
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Try High-Intensity Interval Training
Interval training has become very popular over the years. Sandeep Bhandari from Ask Any Difference informed us that the Tabata protocol is quite popular where people work out for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds in between the sets. Yes, these workouts might be shorter, they are not easy. By increasing the intensity, they can boost cardiovascular health.
If you want to get started with interval training, start incorporating some short and intense bursts in your regular cardio session. You can push the pace for 20-30 seconds before resting for the same amount of time at a lower intensity. You can repeat the sequence 3-4 times and increase it as you become comfortable with high-intensity workouts.
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Plan Your Workout Ahead Of Time
After a set, one of the biggest distractions is wondering what to do next. Failure to plan your workout sessions will kill the efficiency of your sets. Therefore, you need to write down your workouts in advance, suggests Maria of Bespoke Fitness Buddy. You can take a screenshot with your phone for better efficiency. If your workout routine requires special equipment, you need to get them beforehand to allow faster transition between sets.
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Have A Backup Plan
If you have written down your workout routine but find that all the machines are taken, you should have a backup plan in place. If you visit a busy gym, you will find that it’s hard to get a machine when you need it. Rather than waiting for another gym member to finish using the machine, you should have a backup plan ready for every exercise.
Remember, not all workout machines will guarantee results. If the squat racks are busy, you should use dumbbell goblet squats or try walking lunges. Both of these exercises use the same muscle groups in different ways. You need to keep moving rather than waiting around.
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Warm Down
A lot of people don’t warm down after their sets and this can end up resulting in far worse pain than they would otherwise need to be concerned with. Make sure to stretch and even use a suitable cream or balm afterwards to help prevent stiffness and injury.
Conclusion
Workouts don’t have to take a lot of time to be effective. If you have the right methods in place, it should be easy to get through your workouts within the shortest time possible and enjoy all the benefits.
