How many of you are wasting your time exercising?

Written by Rachael Corcoran

You don't have enough time?

It seems to be a common complaint amongst much of the adult population, that we don’t have enough time.
It is true, time is a precious commodity for us all.  It is also true we all have the same 24 hours in which to work, play and get in some exercise.  In part, time management therefore has to involve making the best use of the time we spend on a given activity.
So my question to you is:
“Are you investing your valuable time going through the motions, but not actually exercising properly?”
If your answer is “yes”, then there are a few things you can do to ‘up the ante’.

1.    START WITH INTENTION

Begin each exercise session knowing what you want to achieve and train to that end.  There might be room occasionally for an “I’ll see how I feel” approach, however doing this each time you exercise, will mean gains in strength, speed or endurance will be limited.

Ian Thorpe (the odd toke on a pipe aside), is one of the best swimmers to grace the world stage.  One of the ways he approached each session with intention, was to train as if he was swimming times 2 seconds faster than his current PB.  He didn’t train to his current ability, he trained beyond it.

Why not go into your next session with the intention of lifting 2 more reps of the same weight, doing a super-set when you would not previously have done so, or move your cardio level up to an 8 from a 7 (if you are utilising Rate of Perceived Exertion).

2.    OBTAIN ADEQUATE INSTRUCTION

Consider the damage you might do to yourself, or the additional time it might take you to experience improvement, if you employ the DIY approach to your exercise.  If you are paying a regular fee for a gym membership, you might like to take into account not only the amount of your time you might be wasting, but also your money, if you are doing an exercise incorrectly, not changing your programme regularly enough or failing to have your progress monitored.  Many trainers are open to providing personalised programmes on a 6 weekly basis – they will show you how to do the exercise with correct technique, and provide appropriate information regarding tempo and rest times, all of which combine to ensure good use of training time.
Remember, it is no co-incidence that excellent athletes all have quality coaches or trainers.

3.    UP THE INTENSITY

Twenty minutes of high intensity interval cardio increases your aerobic capacity (VO2max) dramatically, maintains lean muscle mass, boosts your metabolism during and after exercise, and burns more fat calories than 30-45 minutes of low intensity cardio.  Given that these are generally the benefits most people doing cardio activity are seeking, why train for a longer duration, when you can cut out your exercise in a lesser time.

Increased intensity can also work in a weight training environment.  There are obviously variations within methods employed, and always differing opinions on when and how often to insert High Intensity Weight Training into your programme.  Therefore, it might be useful to start with only adding in a High Intensity Schedule when you feel you have reached a plateau.  (I do however, recommend getting some professional help.  If you are looking to include this form of training, as it is generally not something that a relative newcomer to the weights scene should be looking at without assistance).

The fundamentals of this style of training are, the exercise should be brief, infrequent and intense, usually utilising only one exercise per body part, often only a single set (always remember to warm up), but always with a high emphasis on cadence of the movements and recovery of the muscle group exercised.

So some example of a HIT style of weight training (for a barbell curl) might be:

i.    A 3 second lift (positive phase), 1 second hold at top while the muscle is at full contraction, a 4 second lower (negative phase) and a 1 second hold, all of which equates to one rep

ii.    Utilising a training buddy to assist with the positive phase of the movement, and you performing a super-slow, controlled release (possibly 20 seconds) for the negative phase

iii.    Utilising a training buddy to assist with the positive phase, and you performing holds at various points of the negative phase of the movement, each almost to failure.

So, in summary, there are ways of training with purpose, so as not to waste our precious time resource.  All it really requires is a small amount of planning and a positive attitude!

 

Rachael Corcoran is the director of leading Health Coaching company kHiSSt Health Coaching.
For more information on what Health Coaching is about, or if you wish to become a coach please visit www.healthcoaching.co.nz