Big Muscles, Big Burn: Increase the Efficiency of Your Workouts

Today's blog comes from one our PROMATx Health Club's personal trainer, Joseph Mattingly. Read on as he talks about getting the biggest bang for your buck in the gym!!

As a personal trainer, every day I see people wasting time in the gym and being overall inefficient with their time spent working out. For many people, squeezing time at the gym into their busy schedule is one of the biggest obstacles to weight-loss and overall fitness success. For the masses who have this problem, the following is a guide to achieving your fitness goals within a limited time frame. In this post is a suggested workout outline with tips, selected from anecdotal and scientific evidence, on how to achieve your fitness goals with limited time spent in the gym. I understand that there are different body types, workout preferences, and that equipment is not always available for use, therefore I have provided alternatives to each of the preferred lifts.

Getting Started

As soon as you walk into the gym, head to the cardio area and get in a quick 5-8 minute warm-up to prepare yourself mentally and physically for the fast paced, intense workout to come. This workout is ideally done 3 times a week for maximum benefit, with a day in between for muscle recovery. If you have the time, feel free to get some cardio and core work done on your recovery days. I would suggest 20-30 minutes of interval-style cardio and 4-6 sets of core work. Stretching afterwards is highly encouraged, especially for those who already have creaky joints, bad backs, shoulders etc.

The workout - “Big Muscles”

This workout is composed entirely of compound exercises involving multiple muscle groups being recruited at the same time. This allows for maximal efficiency, muscle recruitment and caloric burn. All of this combines to speed up your metabolism, both during and after the workout. You should never rest more than 90 seconds between sets or exercises, and preferably keep the rest periods to 60 seconds.

 

Circuit 1, done 2-3 times, preferably in this order 

1. Bench Press - Barbell or Dumbbell.................................8-12 reps
2. One Arm Rows – Dumbbell.........................................12-15 reps
3. Squats or Leg Press.................................................15-20 reps
4. Plank or Bicycle Crunches..........................................To failure

Circuit 2, done 2-3 times

1. Shoulder Press (seated or standing) - Barbell or Dumbbells..........12–15 reps 
2. Pulldowns or Pullups.......................................................10-12 reps 
3. Lunges or Straight Leg Deadlifts.........................................15-20 reps or steps
4. Leg Lifts or Cable/Dumbbell Twists.....................................To failure

If done with the appropriate intensity and focus, these two circuits should recruit virtually every major muscle in your body AND increase your metabolism and lean body mass. The 16 to 24 sets should be plenty of volume and should take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on your pace. Done correctly and frequently, along with an appropriate diet and hydration, you should be on your way to a better body with less time spent at the gym.

Give this workout a try. If you still have questions or are unsure on how to perform some of these exercises, be sure to stop by PROMATx and talk with a fitness professional. Remember, we are your body transformation specialists!!