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It's not always what your're doing but what your're not doing that counts.  Here are 7-musts for maximizing your time in the gym.

 1) KNOW YOUR WHEN & WHERE

We know what behaviors will get us to the finish line; we just struggle mightily to sustain those behaviors over the long run. We know what works; we just need to make sure it's getting done on a consistent basis.

This is why having a time and place where you regularly train is very important. If you make it a priority suddenly that time that eluded you before will appear. If you say I will try to make it the gym today, chances are it won't happen. If you commit to working out today there is no backing down. Nobody said your workouts have to last two hours. You can get plenty done in 20 minutes if you have a plan, which leads me to the next rule.

2) HAVE A PLAN

It's been said a million times over but for good reason: fail to plan, plan to fail. Random workouts yield random results. If you are just beginning to exercise, yes doing something is better than nothing, and yes you will initially get better by doing just about anything. This quickly changes as you become better conditioned and this is why it is imperative you have a plan when you go to the gym ahead of time.

Here is a simple 2 day a week strength template you could easily implement.

DAY 1
1A) Squat movement
1B) Upper body vertical pull
2A) Hip dominant exercise
2B) Upper body vertical press
3A) Core exercise
3B) Upper back exercise

DAY 2
1A) Hip Hinge movement
1B) Upper body horizontal press
2A) Lunge exercise
2B) Upper body horizontal pull
3A) Core exercise
3B) Core exercise/shoulder exercise

*Perform 2 times per week on non-consecutive days for 6 weeks. Weeks 1-3 perform 3 sets of 10, with the goal of increasing weight every week, week's 4-6 drop reps to 8 with the same goal of increasing weight every week.

3) WARM-UP

Lynch John Bootsrapper

By now we should all know the value of a good warm-up but let's review just to be certain.
Why we warm-up?

Increase circulation and blood flow
•Increase core body temperature
•Lubricate joints
Increase neural drive (wake up the nervous system)
•Increase joint mobility and connective tissue flexibility
•Activate key stabilizer muscles
•Mental preparation
•All leads too....
•Increased performance
•Mental alertness
•Less pain
•Less injury
•Movement efficiency
•Better outcomes

Take 5-10 minutes and get your body prepared for the workout ahead.

4) 80/20 RULE

The Pareto principle states that roughly 80% of outcomes can be attributed to 20% of the causes for a given event. This means that 80% of the results you get from training come from 20% of what you do.

Stop focusing on 50 different exercises and find a couple heavy hitters that have proven time and time again to work. Variety is good but improvements are better. Exercises like pull-ups, squats, cleans, deadlifts, lunges, heavy carries and overhead pressing have been around for a reason; they get the job done every time.

If you had twenty minutes to train what would you do?
This is the question you need to ask yourself as these are the exercises you need to prioritize in training. The heavy hitters are responsible for 80% of your results.

5) GET OFF YOUR CAN

You tell me you want to burn maximal calories, you want to build functional transferable strength, and you want to look better naked? Then why oh why are you sitting on your butt?

Tis the greatest mystery of all.

Are we so lazy that we actually need to sit while we exercise? Don't they contradict each other? You probably sat at work or school, sat on your ride to the gym will sit on your ride home and at some point tonight will be sting on the couch. There is a time to relax and training time is not it. Get up and stay up. Training time is not lazy time. 

If your rear end's primary function is a seat cushion it's time to reevaluate some things in your life.

6) WEIGHTS FIRST, CARDIO SECOND

If you feel the need for long sessions on your favorite piece of cardio equipment please wait until after you have lifted. Resistance training by nature is highly technical and is best performed when the body is fresh and when fatigue is not greatly affecting technique.

While typical modes of aerobic exercise are less technical and cyclical in nature, meaning they are a repetitive motion with very little thought involved with less risk for massive technical breakdown during fatigue.

Additionally fatigue masks performance and the purpose of resistance training is to build strength. Accumulating fatigue before lifting will significantly reduce your strength level which is a great way to ruin the day.

If you are pressed for time simply combine resistance training with cardio. Remember cardio is just a word not a specific mode of exercise. Anything can be made into a "cardio," or aerobically intensive exercise. What is cardio? Elevated heart rate for extended periods of time, right? Okay then here you go:

1A) DB Goblet squat x10

Minimal rest

1B) Front plank w/ leg curl x10 ea.

Minimal rest

1C) Inverted row x10

Rest 60 sec, repeat 3-5 times

2A) Single-arm DB push press x5 ea.

Minimal rest

2B) DB Romanian Deadlift x10

Minimal rest

2C) Mountain climbers x15 ea.

Rest 60 sec, repeat 3-5 times

*Remember it doesn't work with baby weights ;)

7) TRACK

Composition

  If you're not tracking you can't assess and evaluate progress. If you're not assessing you might as well be  guessing.  Last time I checked the purpose of training was to get better. Tracking workouts allows you to constantly  evaluate  whether progress is being made or if a change is needed. Tracking can also provide extra motivation,  incentive, and accountability. Nowadays you don't even need a clipboard or notebook to track as there are pleanty apps that will make tracking easy for you.

  There you have it seven tried and true ways to get a lot more out of your workouts than you are currently getting.

  •   When & Where
  •   Commit to the plan
  •   Warm-ups are mandatory
  •   80/20 rule
  •   Get off your butt
  •   Strength before cardio
  •   Track what the heck you're doing

  Apply and evaluate for yourself, I'm confident you will be a fan.