The gym I work at sells personal training in 50-minute sessions. Most workouts I write take between 45 and 60 minutes to complete, depending on rest and the rep count (3 sets of 6 or 8 takes less time than 3 sets of 10 or 12, given similar rest).
I like to tell people "I sell results, not time." This is true - if you lose weight/gain muscle/get stronger/look better as a result of the workouts, I'm doing my job. If you merely spend 50 minutes with me two or three times a week but don't get them, it doesn't matter that I gave you exactly the time you paid for.
As a client and a trainee, don't focus on your length of workout. The important thing is, was this workout the training you needed today for optimally reaching your goals? If that means a short, hard workout, great, it's short. If it means going a bit longer, great.
As a trainee, it's extremely easy to pad out a workout with extras you don't need because you expect the workout to go 60 minutes. Or to cut it short and remove exercises you need to do because you only budgeted an hour. Remember the focus is on results, not on the length of time it takes to get them.
Getting stronger, fitter, and healthier by sticking to the basics. It's not rocket science, it's doing the simple stuff the right way. Strength-Basics updates every Monday, plus extra posts during the week.
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This is sound advice. When I get a newbie who has some background in physical training, I'll give them as their first workout,
ReplyDeleteGoblet squats 15, presses 5, rows 10, hip hinges 10, run through as circuit twice. Use the same dumbbell for all 4 exercises, when the presses are comfortable, use a bigger dumbbell. Goal 10kg dumbbells.
Farmer's walk, 1-3 laps of gym, in each hand a dumbbell twice the weight of that for the other 4 exercises.
If they can do all that they're more than ready for barbell or kettlebell stuff.
They are often confused to be given just 5 exercises which take them 15 minutes to complete the first time they do it, up to 25 minutes if they went really heavy and rested a lot.
"It seems so easy."
"That's because we're starting light. Try it with a 20kg dumbbell and then tell me if it's easy."