How to Make the Most of Your Workouts
Limit your workouts to 30-40 minutes
Though the tendency of some people who want to get a lot out of their workouts is to spend a lot of time at the gym, the truth is that benefits start to diminish after 30 or 40 minutes. To go that long, you have to lower intensity. It's better to work out at a higher intensity for a shorter amount of time.
Building endurance
If you're just starting an exercise routine, it's best to take it slow. If you're running or cycling, for example, build up for at least a month. That means going at a rate at which you can talk easily without being out of breath. Once you have that base of endurance, keep increasing the intensity to step up the effectiveness of the workout.
Protein
Many people don't pay enough attention to getting the protein their muscles need to rebuild. If you don't, your workout isn't going to be as productive as it could be. Both cardio and strength workouts require protein. I recommend either whey or soy protein shakes.
Water
Be sure to hydrate throughout the day. It takes a couple of hours for your body to absorb the water, so you can't just drink right before exercise. Make it a habit to drink water regularly.
Carbohydrates
Although low-carb enthusiasts might say otherwise, carbs are the body's main source of fuel. You won't have the energy you need for intense workouts if you don't consume enough carbs, as well as the right kind. If you have a shake, be sure to include at least a banana, a great source of low fiber/high glycemic carbohydrates that you need for exercise.
Shake before and after workout
It's best to have a protein-carb shake just before and after working out. The pre-workout shake increases the flow of amino acids to your muscles during training, giving them the building blocks they need. The one after stimulates muscle growth. Also, eat a small protein-carb meal 60 to 90 minutes after a workout. A meal- replacement bar would also work.
Slow lifting
Many people contract their muscles slowly and then release more quickly. But if you lift slowly in both directions, you are maximizing each move. Lift and lower to a five-second count in each direction. And don't jerk the weight!
Heavier weight
When you're starting out, it's best to begin with lighter weights so you can focus on good form. Once you've gotten your form down, lift the heaviest weights you can while still keeping good form. Don't sacrifice form for heavy weights; it's nearly as ineffective as not lifting at all. If lifted correctly, with strict form, heavy weights will give you better results in a shorter amount of time. Don't buy into the common misconception that heavy weights are just for those who want to bulk up.
One set to failure
Instead of doing two to three sets, as many people do, maximize your effectiveness by doing just one set with heavy weights until you can no longer keep the proper form. Lifting to "failure" doesn't mean that you should lift the last few times with a wobbly or inefficient form.
Compound exercises
Instead of isolating your muscles with exercises such as the bicep curl, you can maximize the time you spend in a workout by doing exercises that work out multiple muscle groups at once. With just a few exercises, you could get a full-body workout. Another payoff is that your muscles are working together, as they do in the real world, rather than alone. Some great compound exercises include squats, deadlifts, good mornings, lunges, pushups, bench presses, military presses, rows, pull-ups and dips.
Balance lifting
Instead of doing exercises that have you sitting down, holding onto something or otherwise stabilized, it's more effective to do them standing up, or on one leg or a Swiss exercise ball. These types of exercises force you to balance yourself while lifting, which brings your core muscles into play. That gives you a stronger overall body and lets you lift more over time.
Find a cardio exercise you enjoy
If you hate to exercise you won't do it for very long. So pick an activity you find fun - running, walking, swimming, biking, hiking, rowing, Stairmaster, whatever. Once you're through the initial phase and are used to exercising, you'll actually start to look forward to it. Cardio and interval classes can be not only motivating but a blast.
Mix it up
Don't stick to the same routine for too long: Your body will adjust to the stress level, and the effectiveness of your workout will drop. For strength training, change your routine every few weeks. For cardio, it's best to cross-train rather than, say, run every time.
Good form
Form is important for every type of exercise, but especially for strength training and swimming. If you're strength training, start with lighter weights so you can work on your form. It's good to have an experienced spotter or trainer who knows good form to help you for the first month or so. Again, never sacrifice form for heavier weight. For swimming, get a coach to get you started on the right form.
Hills
If you run, bike or walk for cardio, you'll want to incorporate hills once you've been doing a month or two at an easy pace on flat ground. It will increase your strength and the benefit of your workout. Take it easy at first, but once you're used to hills, you can get a good pace going. Either use a hilly route or do repeats on one hill.
Circuits
One mistake that people make is doing multiple sets of the same exercise without rest between sets. This doesn't let your muscles recover and wastes your workout. Instead of doing a set, resting, and then doing a second set, it's more effective to move on to multiple exercises in a circuit, so that you don't rest between exercises but do rest each muscle group. This will give you a good cardio workout while you do your strength training.
The ideal workout plan
Taking all these tips into account, the ideal plan would be to alternate two to three days of high-intensity strength training with two to three days of high-intensity cardio. You can get by with four days of exercise if you work out at high intensity. The strength training would be 30 to 40 minutes of circuit training, with no rest or little rest between exercises within a circuit, and a short rest between circuits if you do more than one.
The circuit should work your entire body, using compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, pull-ups and good mornings, and either standing or using a Swiss ball so that you are working your core. You should use heavier weights, one set for each exercise, doing them slowly (5 second up, 5 seconds down), and to exhaustion, making sure to have good form on each exercise. Have a protein-carb shake before and after the workout, and a small protein-carb meal 60 to 90 minutes after the workout. As always, drinking plenty of water is vital.
The high-intensity cardio should be an activity you enjoy. You can do interval training, at a rate where you couldn't talk, with short rests between intervals. On some workouts, you would incorporate hills. Remember, high-intensity workouts are not for beginners. You should build up an endurance base before doing high-intensity cardio, and start the weights with lighter weights, stressing good form.
Ken Hunt is the owner of New York and Miami's Steel Gym, an AFI-certified trainer and a fitness expert with expert advice featured in The New York Times and other major media. He lectures on physical fitness here and abroad and is finishing a book, The Hunt for Fitness. Steel Gym, at 146 W. 23rd in Manhattan, has been named the No. 1 gym in New York by the American Fitness Institute for three straight years; awarded the New York Award for Physical Fitness Facilities for three straight years; named one of the Top 5 gyms in the U.S. by Muscle & Fitness Magazine; and given the Talk of the Town Award for Outstanding Customer Service for four straight years. Call (212) 352-9876. In Florida, Steel Gym is located at 5556 NE 4th CT. Call (305) 751-7591. You can email Ken at [email protected]; log on to www.SteelGym.com; on Facebook at SteelGymNYC and on Twitter @SteelGym