More isn’t always better.
People have to get over the mentality that if they work out for longer they are going to get in shape quicker.
Because it simply doesn’t work that way!
If you want great results, your workouts shouldn’t last more than an hour.
It is about being efficient in the gym and optimizing the time you spend there because the hormones that our bodies produce work to our advantage when we keep our workouts under 60 minutes and can actually hinder our progress when we go over.
When you start training, your body will boost testosterone levels significantly and around 30 minutes into your workout, testosterone levels in your body will peak. By about 45 minutes, your testosterone levels are returning back to normal.
So if your workouts go over 60 minutes in length, you hormones are no longer helping you build muscle and burn fat. Your body is instead producing more cortisol, which breaks down muscle tissue, reduces protein synthesis, and increases body fat storage.
Your body begins to fight against all of the hard work you are doing!
Plus let’s face it…We lose focus!
You can’t push yourself to go all out for very long!
So instead of lifting heavy one set and wandering around the gym for five minutes “resting,” why not stay focused and get some high quality work done while your hormone levels are helping you build?
Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your workout while keeping it to under an hour.
The best way to get the most out of a 30-45 minute workout is to use compound movements, lift heavy, challenging weights, mix up your rep tempo and vary your rest periods.
By lifting heavier with compound movements, you will maximize your testosterone response and help your body better synthesize protein to build muscle.
AKA you will build more fat burning muscle tissue and look leaner!
And to get even more out of every rep, play with your tempo especially on the eccentric portion of your lifts (when the muscle lengthens).
For example, take 5 seconds to lower down into the squat.
That eccentric portion of a lift is where you can cause the most muscle damage.
Research suggests that more protein synthesis happens after lifts with an emphasis on eccentric training.
So focusing on the eccentric lift will cause bigger and better strength gains while spending LESS TIME IN THE GYM!
Also, while so many of the muscled guys and gals around the gym spend just as much time lifting as they do resting, long rest intervals may not be the best way to maximize your growth hormone response, a hormone that increases protein synthesis and muscle mass.
Short rest intervals have been shown to create a strong growth hormone and testosterone response. Short rest intervals actually increase growth hormone levels higher than longer rest intervals.
However, that doesn’t mean you should just bust through every workout with as little rest as possible.
High intensity exercise does raise cortisol levels and longer rest intervals do allow for more complete recovery, which can allow you to be able to work harder on each round.
Make sure to VARY your rest intervals. Use rest when it’s needed and shorten it when your goals don’t require it!
So stop wasting your time in the gym doing non-efficient workouts. Don’t worry that you need at least two hours to get any real work done and get yourself closer to your goals.
Work SMARTER not LONGER!
You shouldn’t ever need more than an hour in the gym!
So next time you think, “I don’t have time to go to the gym.” THINK AGAIN!
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