Novice or veteran, there are always ways to be more productive in the gym.
Are you a busy bee? Does going to the gym give you anxiety because you don’t want to spend forever there? Losing motivation from dying headphones and lack of structure? Here are 7 tips that can help you make the most out of your time in the gym.
The best way to save time in the gym is by having an attack plan; know your workout before you walk into the gym. This can be written down in a notebook, on your phone, or through an app. If you’re a beginner gym-goer, bodybuilding.com has a great app that has a large amount of workout programs and allows you to track your workouts. The app only costs $12 a month. Having your workout ready to go alleviates stress and gives you a better estimate of how long the workout will take.
That being said, be prepared with a backup plan. Sometimes, everyone chooses to do leg day on the same day at the same time. Have a backup plan with alternative exercises or different ways to complete an exercise using a different machine. Having a backup plan will save you from panicking and just wanting to give up because the workout did not go according to the plan.
I’m sure we all heard this one before when we were in school. Laying out your clothes the night before spares you time in the morning. This lets you put together the perfect outfit and gives you time to find certain items lost in your closet if need be. Layout a pair of bottoms, a top, bra, socks, and shoes. Pack some extras in your bag if needed!
Packing your gym bag the night before will help, too. Pack your post gym supplements, your headphones, extra socks, shoes, bands, straps, whatever you may need! Put that bag by your front door or somewhere within direct eyesight in the morning. This makes it harder to forget in the morning and if you forgot to pack something the night before, make note of it and pack it the morning of before walking out that door.
How many times have you gotten to the gym and your headphones or watch die during your warmup? Bummer, right? Throw them on the charger before you go to bed and let them charge overnight. That way, you know they’re ready to go in the morning and you won’t have to stress over them dying on you.
Supersets occur when another exercise set is done in replacement of rest time. For example, you do 12 reps of wide lateral pull downs, rather than resting between each set you decide to do 12 reps of narrow grip pulls. This gets two exercises done at once, but remember not to overwork your body. Still give yourself time to breath and to regulate your heart rate.
Set a time limit
Set a time limit. If you give yourself an hour on the dot (or whatever your preferred time is) it will keep you focused on making sure you get all your exercises done. This is great when you’re working out in the morning because more often than not, you’re on a time crunch for work or school. This also help you stay focused on not doing too much or too little. Know that once you step foot in the gym it’s grind time because you do not have time to waste.