Maximise your workouts by minimising them

By now you should know that I’ve adopted a more minimalist lifestyle over the past year or so, but minimalism actually slipped into my workout programmes long before that.
 
A few months ago, I started working with a new client and as always, ran him through my assessment. If a new client has a current training programme they’re using then I always like to take a look - as it as this adds another layer to getting to know them. What I found inspired this blog.

To be honest, the programme wasn’t bad, but there were simply too many. Only if you’re an athlete or competing in a body building competition do you honestly need more than 6 exercises per session – this client had between 10-13 exercises per session - without the warm-up.

From experience both with myself and my clients, I find the quality of the session deteriorates as the time increases, which is why I started minimising my workout and believe most need to minimise theirs too.

This client was spending roughly just over an hour in the gym followed by another 15-20 minutes showering etc. Now, he’s in and out in less than 55 minutes, saving himself around 20-30 minutes each session. Why does this matter? Well, time is a priceless commodity and even though it might not seem like a lot, especially considering the only time that most are active is when they’re at the gym, but so much can achieve with and extra 2-hours a week – cooking, playing with the kids, spending time with your partner.

Plus, as I said - I generally believe that the quality of the session worsens the longer they go on and those extra ‘active’ minutes can easily be made up by walking by being more active during the day i.e. walking to a bus/tube/train stop a little further away than your usual one.

Once you identify what’s essential in your workouts, and nailed down an effective warm-up, the rest is just faff.

Here are 3 ways to minimalise your workouts:

1. Identify the essential exercises in your routine – for most this will be 2-3 exercises i.e. squats, barbell hip thrusts and dumbbell walking lunges for leg-day.
2. Add bodyweight exercises into your warm-up, to help;
   1. activate the muscles you’re going to be using for your main exercises
   2. mobilise the body
   3. increase your heart rate
3. Add an extra set onto your essential exercises

This quick and easy adjustment will not only save you time, but as long as you’re putting in the effort, will maximise your results as the intensity and efficiency increases. Here’s how my client’s leg-day workout looked before and after:

Before
 
5 minutes of cardio 
Foam rolling
1. 3 x 10 Body squats 
2. 3 x 10 Barbell squats 
3. 3 x 12 Leg press  
4. 3 x 12 Barbell Stiff leg deadlifts 
5. 3 x 10 Dumbbell walking lunges 
6. 3  x 10 Hamstring curls (machine)
7. 3 x 10 Leg extension (machine)
8. 3 x 10 Sled pushes 
9. 3 x 10 Jump squats 
10. Core work
11. Core Work ​

After 
 
Foam roll 
Mobility Circuit (see more here)
 
Circuit 
1.30sec bodyweight squats 
2.30sec bodyweight walking lunges 
3.30sec side plank (left)
4.30sec side plank (right)
Repeat twice without rest 
 
4 x 10 barbell hip thrusts 
4 x 10 barbell back squat (last set is a super-set with 15 bodyweight squats)
4 x 10 dumbbell/kettlebell walking lunges 
 
300m rower sprint

• 1-minute warm-up – sprint – 2 minutes easy cool down

 
Stretch off. ​

I’d love to know if this helps – please feel free to pop one of your current workouts below and I’ll help you minimise it.
 
Speak soon,
 
JC.