Making the Most of Your Time at the Gym

Ever heard this one before? "In order to get results you have to spend hours in the gym, otherwise you might as well not even bother going." The sad thing is that this is not true, but it has become one of the most believed fitness myths to date. The bottom line is that in order to get results you need to workout smarter and not necessarily longer. At the end of the day, it's all about quality and not about quantity.

If you find yourself pressed for time and can't fit in an hour's workout, don't stress. You can get a great workout in as little as 30 minutes. Yes, 30 minutes will do the trick and here's how:

Start off with a brief five-minute warm up on the treadmill, bicycle or any other cardio machine you wish to use. If you don't have a cardio machine, jumping jacks will work wonders on elevating your heart rate. Then move onto 20 minutes of circuit training. This can be in the form of machines, free weights or even body weight exercises. The trick with circuit training is to ensure you keep your heart rate elevated, so move swiftly from one exercise into the next without breaking for too long, or at all if you're fit enough.

The circuit style training will be effective if your goal is to keep fit or lose weight. And in 30 minutes you can complete a full body workout — just ensure that you change the type of exercises you do in order to focus on different areas at each session. If your goal is to gain muscle, then cardio and circuit training should not be your focus. Instead, try to focus on weight training exercises that work single or two muscle groups per day.

Finish off your workout with a good ol' stretch and you're good to go.

Author: Dimi Ingle
Copyright: Remedium. This article may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Remedium.