3 Ways to Hack Your Fitness Routine
As much as you all love spending hours in the gym, I have some bad news for you. Your workouts are too long, inefficient, and frankly they’re just plain boring. Here are 3 tips you can use to trim that workout down into an efficient, productive and time-saving routine.
1. Use Full Bodied Workouts
Let’s face it, most of you reading this are computer geeks. Not bodybuilders. So what makes you think you can achieve the results you want by following a bodybuilder’s routine? I have news for you. Those bodybuilders didn’t achieve that physique because they had a great routine. If I had to guess I’d say they had a little help in the way of chemicals and genetics.
The body recovers from a workout much faster than you may think. The need for splitting up muscle groups into different days is just an old myth. In fact it slows your progress down because you are only hitting certain muscles once a week. Keep the workouts short and efficient by picking fewer exercises that hit more muscles. For example; squats over leg curls or push ups over triceps extensions.
2. Train movement patterns not muscle groups
As evolved as you may think you are, your body is primitively designed. In other words, your body doesn’t know what muscles do what. It just knows how to get from point A to point B. Your biceps will contract just the same doing a pull-up as they will doing a dumbbell curl. Cut your time in the gym down considerably by eliminating all of the “isolation movements”. Don’t take my word for it. Take a look at any competitive gymnast. Their entire training revolves around complex body weight movements. They don’t have time to waste doing leg extensions and biceps curls.
3. Take advantage of super sets, triple sets, and circuits
Another way to cut your time in the gym down considerably is to limit your rest periods between sets. This can be done by training non opposing movement patterns back to back like squats and pushups. While working one group of muscles the other is recovering. There really is no limit to the number of exercises you can string back to back. More than three and you have yourself a circuit. Not only does this method save you some time, it also makes the workout more cardiovascular in nature which doesn’t hurt when you’re trying to lose a couple lbs of body fat.
Why spend an hour in the gym when the same results or better can be achieved in half the time? Use the methods I described above to hack some unnecessary minutes from your gym life and free up some guilt free time to do whatever you like.
WRITER'S BIOGRAPHY
Jamie Nischan
Jamie Nischan owns and runs a successful fitness coaching business in Stamford CT. Through the use of posture correction and exercise he treats pain often associated with excessive use of computers. More about Jamie can be found at www.thebuffgeek.com.
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Comments
Ramesh | The Geek Stuff says on June 23rd, 2008 at 1:38 am
I’ll keep these in mind when I hit the gym regularly in the future. Currently I’m just happy with my daily 30 minutes outside running.
Ramesh
The Geek Stuff
Martin says on June 23rd, 2008 at 2:12 am
“If I had to guess I’d say they had a little help in the way of chemicals and genetics.”
You guess wrong. Ever heard of hard work?
Using a full body routine isn’t beneficial either, you should evolve to a proper split (at least day 1/2) after a while to progress – unless, of course, you want to go to the gym to waste some time.
Maybe start reading something basic like Hugo’s guides on bodybuilding.about.com. There are plenty of articles on bb.com as well.
martin
Tim Haughton says on June 23rd, 2008 at 2:34 am
I hear what you’re saying IT folks anhd fitness. Man I’ve seen some sights. But don’t confuse fitness building with body building. They’re only peripherally related. Putting on 50lbs of muscle without training cardiovascularly is almost as bad as putting on 50ilbs of fat.
I’d reccomend entering a local triathlon. Pick one about 2 to 3 months away. Then tell anyone who’ll listen that you’ve entered it.
The fear of looking like a complete fool will drive you to train. It did for me.
CosetTheTable says on June 23rd, 2008 at 9:00 am
By making sure you take time for non-muscle group specific exercises, you’ll make yourself better able to avoid injury too.
If you only concentrate on muscle groups, you’ll probably hit most of the major muscles. What you won’t get with weight machines is the little stabilization muscles that keep you from twisting your ankle on the uneven sidewalk or keep you from falling on your behind in the ice and snow.
Even free weights are much better for stabilization muscles (for obvious reasons). On the other hand, you’re more likely to hurt yourself if you don’t know what you’re doing…..
Art Gonzalez says on June 23rd, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Excellent recommendations. I would emphasize though the importance of proper hydration. A technique I was taught about a year ago is to drink six glasses of water (it’s difficult when you are starting!) first thing in the morning. Then wait about 45 minutes or an hour (while you are getting ready) to eat or drink anything else. Then continue drinking clean pure water the rest of the day as normal. This technique stimulates all the internal organs and brings them rapidly to prime condition. You will feel the difference in a few days. Also another tip is to take ice cold showers. It will feel you with super energy and also make you sleep better at night.
Art Gonzalez
Check my Squidoo Lens at: Quantum Knights
FitFiend says on June 23rd, 2008 at 4:02 pm
I’d have to say I agree with parts of this. But Martin is on point. Bodybuilders get big by lifting a specific way, and that includes lifting heavy, splitting days, and plenty of recovery time. That’s a fact…and that is because their goal is to get bigger.
Now, for your average person, or even athlete, functional training, which is what you described, is the way to go.
Again, it comes back to what your goals are. If you do want to get bigger, the above really won’t help you. But, if you want to be functional and fit, it’s definitely a good start. And of course, don’t forget the Kettlebells!
Find out more on all this good fun, fitness stuff at http://www.FitFiend.com.
Regular Exercise says on June 24th, 2008 at 4:57 am
Great Post Jamie!
I’ll be back for more…
axel g
Jamie Nischan says on June 24th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Note: Since building muscle is a matter of time under tension and intensity there is no reason why the tools Ive outlined above can not be used in a muscle building program. You’ll see I haven’t mentioned either of those in the article.
These are merely strategies that many people might otherwise overlook when it comes to their training.
@martin I see you’ve referenced a website that provides its members with detailed descriptions of the chemicals in question and how to use them.
hmm, hard work indeed.
waterprise2 says on June 25th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Or you could just do Power Yoga and/or Bikram Yoga and get everything in one workout–inside and out!
Chris says on June 25th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Interesting article.
Another simple way to keep your workouts as fun and efective as possible can be variety.
Changing your routine (resistance exercises and cardio exercise) every month will enhance your progress and motivation.
John Fit says on July 25th, 2008 at 9:55 am
The hardest thing for people these days is implementing a daily workout into their busy schedules… Having the right diet is huge!
Great article.
Get fit with JOHN FIT!