Let’s
be honest: in the dead of winter, the last thing anyone wants to do
after a long day at the office is head back out into the cold to spend
hours at the gym. When there are only a few hours of sunlight and it’s a
couple degrees below freezing, getting in a long workout sometimes
isn’t an option.
If
you want to get – and stay – in shape for summer, but can’t sacrifice
hours to the treadmill, you have to make the most out of your time.
Which means training smarter, and harder.
Work Several Muscle Groups At One Time
“Choose
big bang for your buck exercises which will maximise the use of several
larger muscle groups at one time, speeding up the process of strength
and development” says Dylan Jones, Personal Trainer and Co-Founder of P4body.co.uk.
“This
will allow you to lift more weight and promote greater recruitment of
muscle fibres. Combination exercises are a great way of achieving this.
Try renegade rows, muscle-ups and scorpion press ups for maximum use of
your body and its energy systems.”
Concentrate On Dynamic HIIT Exercises
Jones
adds, “Keep workouts short and effective by selecting four intense,
dynamic exercises and perform them as a circuit of 40 seconds of work,
and 20 seconds of rest, for each one. Then repeat this up to four times
with a short 60-second rest in between each circuit. As well as ramping
up the metabolism, these HIIT circuits will improve cardiovascular
fitness and can be combined with alternate day resistance training for
maximum effect.”
Brian Flynn, Personal Trainer and Owner of Body Unique
says, “When your goal is fat loss and you’re really strapped for time,
you have to crank up your metabolism with either cardio or a quick lift.
But, why not do both? You can kill two birds with one stone by
organising several, multi-joint strength exercises in a circuit format,
with minimal rest.”
Increase The Intensity
“Remember,
you are trying to create a metabolic disturbance in a short period of
time, which means intensity is going to dictate the effectiveness of
your workout. So push yourself,” says Flynn.
“A
20-30 minute workout should look something like: jump squat, chin-up,
sandbag or kettlebell rotational lunge, dumbbell bench press, kettlebell
swing, ab wheel or TRX rollout, groin stretch.”
Celebrity personal trainer, Larysa DiDio
adds, “The key is to challenge yourself by pushing harder. A circuit
weight training workout that includes total body exercises, with little
rest in between, will boost your muscle mass and burn calories at the
same time. If you’re just doing cardio, try sprinting, on whatever piece
of equipment you’re on, for 30 seconds to a minute. Then rest for
double the amount of time. Repeat this three-to-five times.”
One
way to do this is to “reduce your rest time,” recommends Jones. “Unless
you are at the more pro end of a serious bodybuilding plan, you are
probably able to shave off a few seconds from each rest period,
totalling up to minutes in any one session. Don’t let it drag. Set a
timer, grab some water and get ready to move into your next exercise.”
Work Out Whenever You Get A Chance
“Studies
have shown that bursts of 10-minute exercises throughout the day are
just as (or even more) effective at improving your health and boosting
your metabolism, as hours of working out,” says DiDio.
“A
key to keeping yourself the strongest and healthiest possible is to do a
variety of exercises in that 10 minute period of time. Include weight
training, Pilates, core and even power yoga to get the full benefits of
all exercises.”
Jones
adds, “Stick to a plan. Keeping workouts short and precise will need
careful planning to ensure you get the maximum out of the time you put
in. Figure out how much time you realistically have per day and choose
exercises that best fit your goal. Write them down before you get
started; this will not only speed up the process but will also keep you
focused and motivated.”
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