When people start on a new fitness journey they tend to throw themselves in at the deep end.  They spend hours every day at the gym getting their pump on or become a cardio bunny.  This lasts for about a week and then they start to drop off.  They don’t have the energy to keep going, life gets in the way and those many hours become few and then they stop altogether.  Does this sound familiar? Why does this tend to happen?

Maximizing Gym Time: Quality Over Quantity for Body Transformation

There are a few reasons.  We know that to get stronger, faster, fitter, leaner, etc we need to put the time in.  However, the idea that more is better is not true.  Only better is better and this may come as a surprise to you but often less is more when it comes to body transformation.  It may take all of 4-5 hours a week to get you great results and often that’s all we can afford to put in after life obligations.  So how can we make the most of the time we have in the gym?

The Importance of a Clear Exercise Plan for Consistent Progress

Firstly, Make sure you have a clear plan/program to follow.  Going into the gym and just picking and choosing different exercises because they look fun or are the latest fad on YouTube is just asking for problems.  This is because you will never be getting measurable results and consistent progress.  If you want to make a good go at reaching your goals you have to have a consistent approach.

Effective Exercise Strategies for Body Transformation

Second, if body transformation is your goal you must focus on the right type of exercise to set up the right environment within your body for change.  This means moving away from hours of cardio and over to the weights.  Yes, even women need to lift weights if they want to change their body shape.  And no, you aren’t going to get bulky girls.  2 – 3 FIRE (weight) sessions each week following a progressive program will go a long way toward your goals.

Effective Cardio Strategies for Fat Loss

The third thing to do is to perform the correct type of cardio to help trigger fat loss.  Again, this isn’t hours on the treadmill.  20 – 30 minutes of the correct type of cardio is all you need.  Intense Cardio Exercise is designed to get your heart rate up quickly, teach you to recover, and then repeat.  You will work hard for that period and do more good for your body than hours of steady-state cardio.

Understanding Marathon Training vs. Body Transformation Goals

On a side point, If it’s your goal to run a marathon then yes you must teach your body to be efficient for a long period but this type of training doesn’t help body transformations.

P.S. – Give this ICE session a go and see what Intense Cardio feels like.

As Many Rounds As Possible in 20 Minutes.

20 Mountain Climbers.

15 Squat Jumps.

10 Burpees.

5   Standing Long Jump.

Have Fun!!

This is part 3 of a series of blogs about habit change and goal setting, if you missed the earlier articles please find them below.