Is your schedule packed? Do you wish you could get more done in the time you have available? People are always looking for ways to get more done in less time and that holds true in the exercise world, too. I often get asked for ideas for effective workouts with the least amount of time invested. At Next Level Fitness, our program is based on providing the most effective workouts that also save you time. If you’re working out on your own, here are a few ideas.
HIIT—high intensity interval training—gets results faster in a shorter session.
Everyone wants to see results and HIIT provides them. It’s all about modifying intensity. No matter what type of workout you’re doing, if you go from top speed or intensity for a few minutes, getting your heart beating hard and then take a few minutes of recovery and alternate back to top speed, you’ll be doing a HIIT workout. This type of interval training works whether you’re lifting weights, running or doing any other type of training. It burns more calorie, getting faster strength and cardio results, too.
Do a full body workout for efficiency.
It only makes sense that the more muscles you work at one time, the quicker you’ll get done. If you’re working specific muscle groups on certain days, such as leg day or arm day, consider switching to a full body workout. Exercises like planks or push-ups involve multiple muscle groups and can be modified to include muscles missed in the traditional style. You’ll burn more calories and work more muscle groups with a full body workout.
Compound exercises and more intensity also work more muscles and burn more calories.
Just like a full body workout, compound exercises doesn’t focus on isolating one muscle group but includes several joints and muscle groups. Squats are a good example of compound exercises. It works core, hamstring, glutes, quadriceps and calves. Compound exercises are normally part of a full body workout, since they work multiple muscle groups at once. When you increase intensity, you also get more benefit in less time.
- Consider using weights. While you don’t want to do strength training every day, incorporating weights into your workout can cut your time, especially if you do the exercise in HIIT fashion.
- Planning ahead can help save valuable time. If you have your exercises listed with tracking information, you don’t have to think about what to do next.
- You can break it down to a few sessions. Getting some exercise in is always better than no exercise. Studies show you get as much benefit from 3 ten minute sessions, as do from a straight 30 minutes.
- Do supersets. Supersets are a circuit of exercises done consecutively, rather than doing several sets of one and going to the next. You do a set of four to five different exercises in a row for a set, take a break and repeat.
For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness