Speeding up workouts.

jimbo2180

Hi guys and gals.


I've got a dilemma. I go to the gym with my step dad. We work out separately but after an hour he's pretty much done and wants to go home (he isn't following a routine at all, I've tried to help him) . Im following a routine thats currently taking about an hour to complete followed by 20-30 mins of cardio after. Is there a way to speed up my workout without sacrificing anything?? My step dad is my ride to and from the gym, and he gets crabby when he has to wait around.

JenMc14

What is your routine? I can't really give advice on how to "speed it up" without knowing what it is you do.

bumblebums

If you do your cardio and weights on different days (I'm assuming you are doing both on the same day), it won't take as long.

Are you following a specific program (like Starting Strength or StrongLifts) or making up your own? The nice thing about compound lifts is that they are pretty time-efficient. You do three to four lifts per workout.

LolBroScience

Would need to know your routine.Depending on the lifts though, you can superset or giant set some of the lifts to cut down on rest time.

Shawshankcan

1. Lift
2. Go home
3. Run outside
4. Profit.

bumblebums

Would need to know your routine.Depending on the lifts though, you can superset or giant set some of the lifts to cut down on rest time.

Good point--I'll alternate dumbbell rows and bench presses when I need to save time, for example.

Vonwarr

What I do in situations like that is cut the rest times between sets significantly.

30s rest times and moderately heavy weights will be a cardio workout all on it's own. If you can do an hour of exercise with only 30s between sets, you'll be drenched. If not, your weights are too light... or, you're in much better shape than me.

How far is it to your gym? Could you jog or bike there? Alternatively, go jogging outside after getting home?

jonnythan

Don't bother with the cardio. If you have limited time, use it all on the weights.

Do something outside the gym for cardio. Run, play tennis, go bike riding, whatever.

jimbo2180

I've put together my own routine, 3 days a week. Chest and Arms, Shoulder and Back, Legs and Core.

Day One:

Chest:

* Machine Chest Press
* Machine Pectoral Fly
* Dumbbell Chest Press
* Dumbbell Chest Fly
* Incline Dumbbell Chest Press
* Incline Dumbbell Flys

Arms:

* Machine Arm Curl
* Bicep Curl
* Barbell Curl
* Triceps Extensions
* Dips

Day Two:

Abs / Core

* Russian Twists
* Leg Raises
* Hanging Leg Raises
* Woodchops
* Twists

Legs:

* Machine Leg Press
* Quad Extensions
* Dumbbell Squats

Day Three:

Shoulders - 3 Paired rounds.

1. Close Grip Shrugs
2. Standing Shoulder Press

1. Seated Upright Row
2. Underhand Shoulder Press


Back

* Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
* Seated Cable Row
* Bent Over Dumbbell Row
* One Arm Dumbbell Row

______________________________________________________________

I can only do 3 days a week at the gym. My step-dad wont go anymore than that. The gym is a good 10-15 mins in the car. Its too far to bike. It goes a long a busy dual carriage way where bikes aren't really allowed.

My workout is a little bit meh... In the gym I struggle to get near any of the squat racks or bars. Groups of guys hog them for easily over an hour. I just haven't got the time to wait. so i try to make the best of what i've got there.

30 secs rest time and moving cardio to another day entirely sounds like a good idea

Any suggestions for my workout would be epic.

jonnythan

I've put together my own routine

Any suggestions for my workout would be epic.

My suggestion is that you shouldn't be putting together your own routine of exercises when there are a ton of quality beginner programs out there.

You're doing a lot of repetition of very similar exercises. You're doing way too many exercises. You're doing a poor split.

There's a reason these beginner routines exist. You should be looking at something like Stronglifts.

redhead1910

Do your weights at the gym and then do cardio at home. You can easily go run outside or take a bike ride or something. Problem solved.

JenMc14

Something like Wendler 5/3/1 might be good for you. You focus on one big lift a workout with some accessory work. You could be done in 30 - 40 minutes, then do 15-20 minutes of more intense and/or interval cardio after.

It does seem you are doing far too many exercises. If you're set on your split, I'd ditch the machine exerices first. You could also up your weights and go for fewer reps.

bumblebums

I see. Too bad your free weights equipment isn't easier to get to. Is that true of dumbbells, too?

I bet the chin-up bar is free. (It always is at all the gyms I've used.) Chin-ups will take care of your biceps, shoulders, lats, and believe it or not also abs. So you can ditch your lat pull-downs and ab workouts in favor of a good chin-up set. If you can do them with a weight attached to your waist, all the better.

In my opinion, here are the best exercises among the ones you're doing:

Dumbbell bench press
Dips
Bent over dumbbell row
Standing shoulder press
Dumbbell squats

Add chin-ups and maybe dumbbell deadlifts, and you will have the basics covered. You don't need to do all of them on the same day, either.

jimbo2180

Looking at it now I can see the workout wasn't amazing :P . Literally all i can freely get access to is Machines (which i hate using), Dumbbells ranging from 6kg - 36kg, an adjustable bench, a pull up bar and medicine balls.

Smith Machine, squat rack and barbells are always taken and always have a queue. Its a really busy gym >.<

I've taken a look at the Stronglifts 5x5 and it looks awesome, and quick too by the looks of things. Paired with Dips and chin-ups i should be sorted.

Thanks guys!