Maximize Your Gym Time: 5 Simple Strategies

Most of you don’t know me. I was born in communist Romania. At the age of 18, I became a World Wrestling Champion, and at 23, I defected to the United States. I have owned Results Personal Training in Sherman Oaks for 20 years, and as you know, I opened Results Studio City six months ago. I am very grateful that you have chosen us as your health and wellness hub.

My passion for health and wellness goes beyond the gym and work hours. After observing our members’ workouts, I thought I’d put something together for those who need help with their workout routines. This doesn’t mean that what you’re doing is wrong. It simply means you can incorporate any of this information if you find it helpful.

If you’d like, I can give you five tips for creating the best training session possible:

1. Warm up. I know most of us are pressed for time, but just three minutes on the bike, treadmill, or elliptical can prevent injuries and help your body have a better workout. Trust me — no one plans to get hurt. That’s why a three- to five-minute warm-up can go a long way.
2. Be efficient. Often, we don’t have a full hour to exercise, which is why efficiency plays a big role. Pair opposite muscle groups together. For example, do chest and back exercises back-to-back. Instead of sitting idle while one muscle group recovers, work the opposite muscle group. Try combinations like chest/back, legs/arms, and shoulders/core. This approach keeps your heart rate elevated and improves your cardiovascular fitness as well.
3. Stay with it. Unless you’re on a specialized training program, keep moving as long as you can when you’re at the gym. Whether you’re training chest, legs, or arms, I recommend going slightly lighter but increasing your repetitions. Aim for 15 to 20 reps per set to build muscle and burn fat. If you reach 15 reps without struggling, go a bit heavier. If you start struggling at 10 reps, lighten the weight slightly. The goal is to keep your body continuously moving for as long as possible.
4. Compound exercises. Working your legs while doing curls increases the difficulty and places a higher demand on the body. Try squats with shoulder presses or chest exercises combined with core work. Any movement that engages multiple muscle groups at once will increase intensity and burn more calories.
5. Just move. I used to think that if I didn’t have a full hour to work out, it wasn’t worth it. Now, I know that even 20 to 30 minutes of movement benefits the body. When I only have 30 minutes or less to exercise, I jump on the bike or rowing machine and stay on it the entire time. This ensures I keep moving and eliminates any downtime that might come with a traditional workout routine.

Thank you, and looking forward to seeing you at the gym. Be safe and rock on!