When was the last time you reviewed your gym routine and made changes to it?  Do you stick to the same routine because it has become easy? Can you honestly say at the end of your session that you have worked as hard as you possibly could and have derived the maximum benefit from the time spent in the gym?  

Your body quickly adapts to a fitness programme.  You should review your gym routine at least  every 6 weeks to continue to derive benefits from your workouts.   Continue to stick to the same routine and you will soon stop progressing towards your fitness goals.  Other dangers of sticking to the same routine include boredom and loss of motivation.  By continually following the same programme you increase the risk of injury as you will be overworking some muscle groups while completely ignoring others.

If you are making time in your hectic schedule to visit the gym doesn’t it makes sense to maximise the return on the time investment you are making?

Some tips for you:

Have a training plan - decide how many visits to the gym you intend to make each week, write them in your diary and do your best to keep them.  [NB: be realistic when deciding on the number of visits you plan to make.  If you set yourself unrealistic targets, you will quickly become disillusioned when you fail to meet them.]

Aim to vary your routine - the trick is to keep your body guessing!  So……..

Break things up a bit:  if you always use the same cv machines in the same order, spending the same time on each machine, try one or a combination of the following:

  • change the order in which you use the machines;

  • spend longer on one machine and less time on another;

  • introduce some fast interval sessions - so say you currently spend 20 minutes on the treadmill, reduce the time from 20 minutes to 10 minutes but instead of 20 minutes at a steady pace which no longer challenges you, try a routine which comprises 5 x 2 minute reps with a minute of running fast followed by a minute at a steady recovery pace;

  • do a mini triathlon - select 3 pieces of cv equipment, decide on your target distance for each piece of equipment and each time you train try to improve on your time for completing your triathlon session;

Replace a gym session with an exercise classReplace one of your weekly gym sessions with an exercise class:  -  this will give you the opportunity to try something new and you will have an instructor on hand to “encourage” you and push you to work harder than you would if working out on your own.  Find out what’s on offer at your gym.  Perhaps a spinning class (excellent for improving aerobic fitness, fat burning and toning your legs and bum) or maybe a kickboxing or circuit training class?   

Introduce some resistance training into your gym sessionIntroduce some resistance training into your gym sessions:-   not only will weight training give you a more toned physique (provided you train regularly enough at a sufficient intensity), you will also increase your metabolic rate so you will burn more calories even at rest (helping you towards achieving your weight loss goals) and benefit from stronger bones reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.  For tips and advice about how to train with weights safely, why not treat yourself to a fitnessvideopodcast? We demonstrate a whole range of exercises, explain which muscles a particular exercise is aimed at and deliver all the teaching points you need to ensure you perform the exercises safely and effectively. [Downloads will be available very soon.]

Cross Train:  perhaps you only ever run or maybe you always cycle?  Introduce a range of disciplines into your workouts - by using different pieces of equipment you will work and strengthen different muscle groups increasing overall body strength and, by varying the equipment you use, you will reduce your chances of suffering an injury as a result of overusing one particular muscle group. 

Don’t Forget the Swimming PoolDon’t forget the swimming pool - ok so a few lengths swum slowly will not achieve much but a targeted swim session is great both for increasing aerobic fitness and toning up your muscles - arms, legs and core muscles will all get an excellent workout.  Does your gym provide floats? If so, try swimming a length or 2, holding the float in front of you and just kicking your legs - this is tough but is guaranteed to tone up your thighs and bum.  Alternatively an aqua aerobic class can provide an effective & fun workout.          

Keep a training diary - keep a record of each workout you do.  Review your diary regularly and keep pushing yourself to improve on your times or to increase the weight you are lifting and/or the number of reps you are completing. 

We hope we have given you a few ideas for things to try which will make your gym sessions more enjoyable and effective and help you stay motivated to achieve your fitness goals.  Remember every 6 weeks (or sooner if you find your programme is becoming too easy) review your programme, change things around and keep challenging yourself to work harder.

Subscribers to our fitnessvideopodcast service will soon be able to contact us via the members’ section of the site for advice on improving their current training programme.  Our subscription service will be launched shortly but in the meantime please contact us via info@fitnessvideopodcasts.com if you would like some advice on revising your training programme.

Perhaps the credit crunch has forced you to give up your gym membership or maybe you just don’t like training at the gym?  See our article entitled “Do I have to go to the gym to get fit?” in which we give you some tips on alternatives to a gym based training programme.