On the Clock: A More Efficient and Effective Workout at the Push of a Button
September, 2024
Hello BHC family!
As the summer comes to an end and the kiddos go back to school, this is a time for many gym goers to find their workout rhythm again. For many of us it can be a struggle to find the time to get to the gym. Well, my BHC Fam, maybe I can help by sharing a few trade secrets to help make your workouts more efficient and effective to help with your consistency.
Let’s start by talking about the difference between a “Task Priority” workout and a “Time Priority” workout.
A Task Priority workout is one where your goal is a certain amount of reps or a single distance. Some examples would be Back Squat x 5 reps, Dumbbell Chest-Press x 10 reps or 500 Meters on the Concept II Rower.
A Time Priority workout is how many reps you can do, or how far you can go in a set amount of time. Examples of a Time Priority workout would be 45 seconds of Kettlebell Swings, 60 seconds of TRX Rows or 2 minutes of rowing. The goal is to get as many reps or as far as possible in that time.
Since most strength training workouts are Task Priority (Reps and Sets), that is what we’ll focus on in this letter. One of the elements of your program should be rest periods. How long should you rest in between sets? Well, that depends on a lot of factors. One thing I can tell you is that not having a plan for rest periods can turn a 30-minute workout into a 60-minute Instagram-scrolling, friend-texting, inefficient and possibly ineffective workout. Here are some examples on how to avoid that…
Our first example is going to be a 5 x 5 Back Squat at 70-80% of your 1 rep max.
This means we’re doing 5 working sets of 5 reps each and focusing on power and absolute strength. For this example we’ll do a set every 3-minutes allowing our body to recover appropriately for the next set. After an efficient warm-up to your working weight, press the Start button on the Stopwatch option on your phone and complete 1 set of 5 reps on the 0:00, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 and 12:00 minute marks. Once you complete your 5 reps you’ll rest for the remainder of the 3-minute interval. Including a few warm-up sets, you’ll be done with your Back Squat work in about 15 minutes.
Second example is 4 sets x 8-12 reps on the Chest Press machine where our goal is Muscle Hypertrophy (bodybuilding).
For this goal we only want to rest approximately 1 minute between sets for maximum muscle fiber recruitment. Once you’re ready to go, press that Start button on the Stopwatch option and do your first set. When completed check the time, rest exactly 1-Minute and start your second set on that mark. Stick to that plan for all sets and your Chest Press work is done in less than 10 minutes.
This last example is for those who like to do circuits of multiple exercises with the goal of muscular endurance, toning, and metabolic conditioning.
We call this E.M.O.M. (Every Minute On the Minute).
The example workout is:
15 Push-Ups
15 Kettlebell Goblet Squats
15 TRX Rows
15 Kettlebell Swings
This could also be done with a Stopwatch, but to make it more fun I recommend downloading a free Timer App to your phone (my favorite is SmartWOD). You’ll use the EMOM option and make sure it’s set to Every: 1:00 for 20 Minutes. At the start of the first minute you’ll complete 15 Push-Ups and then rest for the remainder of the minute. At the start of the second minute you’ll complete the Squats, 3rd minute TRX Rows, and 4th minute Swings. Complete this pattern for 5 rounds and in 20 minutes you’ll have 75 reps of each exercise. Now THAT is an efficient workout (adjust reps or rounds up/down to your fitness level).
Make the most of your time in the Club and give this training tip a try. I hope to be seeing lots of clocks ticking on the gym floor. If you have any questions about Time Domains or exercise programming please contact me at kyle@ballardhealthclub.com .
Your’s in efficient and effective workouts,
Kyle Hyde
Fitness Director