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We love working out any time of year, but there’s something extra special about it in the spring. The weather’s getting nicer, the days are getting longer and brighter, and the feeling of rebirth, regrowth, and renewal are in the air. This happens to make spring a great time of year to re-examine your workout regimen. Check out our pointers below!
5 Pointers for Making a More Effective & Efficient Workout Routine!
1. Plan your workouts in advance.
Much like meal prep, pre-planning your workouts saves time, helps you design an appropriate and well-rounded plan, and most importantly keeps you accountable when your willpower is a bit slacking (happens to the best of us, team). So, choose a day to either A) design and write down what your workouts are going to be that week, B) decide when you’re going to do these workouts or C) both.
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2. Don’t waste time stretching before a workout.
Static stretching before a workout is ineffective at best and harmful at worst, so skip it. Instead, focus on dynamic movements (like jump rope, leg swings, arm circles, or easy cycling) which will loosen up connective tissues and get your heart rate slightly elevated. This way, you won’t waste time during the actual workout preparing your body for exertion but will be able to approach the session with the right intensity from the start.
3. Try doing supersets during resistance sessions.
Supersetting is a way of getting a lot more work done in a shorter time frame by performing one set of one movement followed by another set of a different movement during what would otherwise be a rest period.
For example, a superset written like this:
A1. 5×5 back squats
A2. 5×8 pull ups
would be done like this:
1. Perform 5 back squats.
2. Perform 8 pull-ups.
3. Rest 2 minutes, then repeat this sequence 5 times total.
Supersets may not always be appropriate (depending on you, the movements you’re doing, or even the goal of your session), so talk to a personal trainer for specific guidance.
4. Time your cool down sessions.
Like your warm-up, your cool down session is an important part of your training session. But a cool down can easily turn into 30 minutes of sitting around chatting. This isn’t bad per se, but if you’re pressed for time, try putting 10 minutes on your watch and running through some mobility drills (now would also be a time for static stretches, if appropriate) and accessory muscle work. Ten focused minutes is usually more effective than a half hour of goofing around.
5. Protect and honor your active recovery days.
We’d be remiss not to talk about rest days if we’re having a conversation about improving your exercise efficiency since these days are essential for optimizing your between-workout recovery and overall gains (both physical and performance). So, be sure to plan some active recovery activities on days when you’re not hitting it hard in your training. Think: long walks, hikes, easy swims or cycles, yoga, Tai Chi, etc.
