Written by Jay Thomas
Most people go to the gym and either two things happen (neither of which are very effective): 1) they do the exact same workout they have been doing for the last two or more years or 2) they do a long, slow cardiovascular session on the bike, treadmill or elliptical. The good news is they are going to the gym on a regular basis, but they could pretty much do the workout in their sleep because their body has become so adapted to their workout. Half of those on the cardiovascular machines are reading the paper or a book and never really stressing their bodies. They believe they are doing a fat burning workout because the machine tells them if they are working at 50-60% of their max heart rate, then they will burn more fat. Physiologically they will be correct and use more of their fat for energy use, however this takes a long time and could be done in half the amount of time.
Change up your routine: You should change up your workout every 3-4 weeks; any change is better than no change. One thing you can do is change repetitions. Instead of always doing 3 sets of 10 reps, do 4 sets of 8 or 4 sets of 5 and go with a slightly heavier weight. Another good idea is to use bodyweight or dumbbells instead of staying with a machine where it only moves in one direction. If you like to split up your workout and do lower body one day and upper body the next day, then you could try to do a full body workout focusing on different movements with each workout.
Day 1:
- Bench Press
- Split Squat
- Planks or Bridges
- Pull Ups
- Ball Leg Curls
- Shoulder I’s, Y’s, W’s
Day 2:
- Push Ups
- Walking Lunges
- Side Planks
- Rotational Rows
- Single Leg Dead Lift
- Ball Roll Out
Interval training: Instead of doing a long cardiovascular session with your heart rate always around the same beat per minute, try to do some short intervals. Start slow and keep the intervals 15 to 30 seconds with a minute or two of recovery at a slower pace. If you normally walk on the treadmill at 0% incline and 3.2 speed, then try increasing the incline 3-4% for a short time and then lower it back down. You may need to try a slower speed in the beginning until you get comfortable with the increased incline. Start with 6-10 intervals in the beginning and add 1-2 per week. Sometimes you can get just as much done in a shorter time if you increase the intensity and then have time to do other things in the gym such as strength training or stretching after your session.