Get the most of out of your time at the gym

One mistake that people make at the gym is convincing themselves that time equals effort.

“But I worked out for an hour,” you tell youself, and while it may be true that you’re there from, say, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., that doesn’t mean you worked out for an hour.

How much of that time is chatting with people you see, getting water, running to the bathroom, checking your email, and then how much is left for, you know, exercise?

I’m an advocate for getting in a relatively quick workout. You don’t need to spend the afternoon or evening at the gym to get done what you need to get done.

But at the same time, if you’re giving yourself a set amount of time, an hour, 45 minutes, whatever, you need to work during that time.

I make it a point to be in near-constant motion for the entire time that I’m at the gym. Let’s say my focus is on doing some upper-body dumbbell work, like, say, sets of arm curls. I do my set of arm curls, then do a super set with military presses, then work in some side raises, put the dumbbells down and do some running in place, and finish up with a set of ab twists.

Repeat, rinse, et cetera.

The only time you see me at the gym not doing something that resembles exercise is when I’m walking from one part of the gym to the other.

When I’m at the gym from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and I say I worked out for an hour, then, I worked out for an hour.

– Column by Chris Graham