| We don’t know about you, but when we hit the | | | | Plan Before Going In |
| gym, we waste a helluva lot of time doing all sorts of | | | | It’s good to work your body in an instinctive way, |
| things that don’t vaguely resemble anything | | | | but leave instinct for the fine points of each workout, |
| productive. We wander over to the drinking fountain 5 | | | | and not the plan for the day. Have an idea, either by |
| too many times, chat with our buddies for 20 minutes | | | | way of using a log or just making a mental note, of |
| prior to starting, and sit on a bench and gaze around | | | | what you’re going to do on any given day so that |
| the gym at the hotties for 5 extra minutes per body | | | | you go in prepared to walk right to the area and get |
| part. Is all this necessary? Well, it depends how you | | | | busy. No one said you can’t change elements of |
| look at it. We personally think that drooling over eye | | | | your workout based on how you feel on that day, but |
| candy is never a waste of time. And, if you are | | | | having a plan allows you to get down to business fast |
| unemployed and don’t have much but the gym | | | | and prevent wasted time deciding which exercises |
| going on, it probably doesn’t matter from a time | | | | you’ll do. |
| management standpoint, whereas it would matter if | | | | Use a Training Partner to Keep You on Track |
| you worked a full day and needed to get in and out of | | | | A training partner can keep you on track by keeping |
| the gym in order to have personal time in the evening | | | | you focused, motivated, and on a set rest time |
| with family. | | | | between sets schedule. Focus is important because it |
| But productivity doesn’t just speak to time | | | | allows you the intensity you need to build mass and |
| constraints, it speaks to overall effectiveness and how | | | | put your mind in your muscle. Motivation is also an |
| much you can accomplish during any single period of | | | | element that cannot be overlooked because it keeps |
| time, and that’s the real point. How can you | | | | you coming back and excited about your workout. |
| maximize the time you spend in the gym to make | | | | The more enthusiastic you become about things, the |
| nearly everything you do productive and meaningful? | | | | more care you’ll take planning and executing |
| We have 10 tips that might help! | | | | workouts. And who can beat a built-in spotter or |
| Workout Log | | | | someone who keeps your rest times timed perfectly? |
| Workout logs may seem tedious and old-fashioned, | | | | Incorporate Cardio Into Workout Itself |
| but there are no shortcuts to keeping track of what | | | | Cardio workouts are usually something a person does |
| you’re doing. A workout log can also tell you if you | | | | either before, but usually at the end, of a workout. |
| are generally productive or not when in the gym, | | | | While getting on a bike can be a nice relief to stretch |
| based on seeing your rest times in black and white | | | | out tight muscles and get pooled blood out of the legs, |
| and your progress in a body composition test. | | | | it can be the one thing we all sacrifice when time is a |
| Assessing productivity is a good start because it | | | | factor. If time is tight, rather than risk not getting your |
| allows you to see which elements of your program | | | | cardio workout in for that day, why not incorporate it |
| are effective and which are not. Plus, you have a | | | | into your actual workout, and get out of the gym twice |
| well-detailed map of exactly what you’ve been | | | | as fast? Circuit training isn’t just for the |
| doing in past weeks so that you can determine where | | | | inexperienced trainee; it can actually be a great way to |
| to take the next phase of your workouts. Ultimately, | | | | learn to build endurance while maintaining strength. And |
| this is highly productive because it allows you to pare | | | | while, mentally, you may not feel as though you’re |
| down until you find what is both effective and | | | | doing quite as much, or being as intense, it’s merely |
| productive. There are plenty of pre-printed workout | | | | the difference between drawing intensity from weight |
| logs available or you might find a format you like online. | | | | hoisted, and drawing intensity from pace and |
| When Resting in Between Heavy Sets of Legs, Do | | | | endurance. |
| Abs | | | | Stretch in Between Sets |
| This is a great trick of the trade because it shaves off | | | | The debate about stretching before or after a |
| at least 15 minutes that you normally devote to | | | | workout rages on to this day. We’ve always felt |
| working abs or calves at the end of your workout. Not | | | | that stretching after being warmed up is much safer, |
| only does this same time, but it also lets you work abs | | | | but there’s no reason to tack on extra time at the |
| or calves prior to being more physically exhausted and | | | | end of your grueling workout getting some stretching |
| mentally distracted. We recommend that you work a | | | | in. Why not stretch during those 1-2 minute rest periods |
| body part like abdominals in between sets of unrelated | | | | instead? Over time, it can truly help increase your |
| body parts, like legs, whereas we recommend you | | | | range of motion, and in the interim, can help you rid |
| work a body part like calves in between heavy sets | | | | your body of the build up of lactic acid and pooled |
| of back or chest. This allows you to completely rest | | | | blood that accumulates during a heavy set. Stretching |
| the surrounding areas of the major body part you are | | | | in between will make you more comfortable and |
| working, so you don’t further exhaust yourself or | | | | productive during your next set, as well as providing a |
| compromise your primary workout. | | | | means to recover faster the next time. |
| Gather Tools You Need Ahead of Time | | | | Tight Schedule? Do Half Body Circuit Workouts During |
| Prior to starting to work on a particular body part, | | | | Busy Weeks |
| gather dumbbells, plan out paths to machines and | | | | Think circuits are for sissies and newbies? Think again! |
| generally equip yourself in one particular area of the | | | | Not only are they great time savers, they can also |
| gym. Generally, gyms are planned out this way, so that | | | | jumpstart your workouts again by confusing the body |
| convenience and easy access to the same family of | | | | into a much-needed change of rhythm. During a busy |
| machines is possible. But if you’re going to superset | | | | week, try doing upper body Monday, lower body |
| or do giant sets or a circuit, it’s important to plan | | | | Tuesday, rest on Wednesday and then repeat it on |
| before starting. This is particularly true when you are | | | | Thursday and Friday and take the weekend off. |
| taking little rest between sets and are training, | | | | Chances are, after a busy workweek, a good lazy |
| unrelated, body parts in between. For instance, if you | | | | weekend is in order. You can also do your upper and |
| are doing legs and planning on doing sets of crunches | | | | lower body splits on the weekend, back to back, and |
| in between, grab a workout mat and set it by the | | | | do a full body circuit on a Wednesday during a really |
| squat rack so you can drop and do 50. Planning on | | | | busy week. This may sound like it isn’t enough, but |
| doing biceps in between sets of squats? Bring straight | | | | if you move at an intense pace, keep your weights up, |
| bars and dumbbells over to the squat rack. | | | | and use plenty of superset type work, you can get a |
| Headphones | | | | lot accomplished in a little time. Sometimes, less is |
| Headphones—with or without music flowing through | | | | more. |
| them—send a clear message to other gym | | | | Work Out at Times When the Gym is Least Crowded |
| members to leave you alone during workouts. This | | | | This is a great efficiency tool because you can move |
| allows you to get on with your business without | | | | freely between machines without risking that there will |
| interruption. Many professional athletes and celebrities | | | | be a line or that you’ll have to stumble over bodies |
| have done this to keep autograph hounds at bay, and | | | | to get to your next exercise. Whether it’s an hour |
| get their workouts in without a disruption of the flow of | | | | before close, or its 5am, choosing these unpopular time |
| things. Choose something upbeat and motivational if | | | | slots can be rewarding in terms of getting the work |
| you are, in fact, playing music. If they’re just props, | | | | done with fewer distractions. |
| make sure the cord is tucked in so no one guesses | | | | Source: BodybuildingToday. |
| your ruse! | | | | |
