Trying to attend the gym more than once or twice a week…
Ideally, we would all like to make it to the gym 4-5 times a week training weights and cardio.
Unfortunately, a lot of us are living busy lifestyles in between seeing family and friends and working from home so it can be hard to even make it to the gym once never mind, multiple times.
Rather than getting frustrated with yourself or wanting to quit the gym completely, let’s focus on how we could maximise the two sessions you have each week. Not only that but just remember any workout is better than none!
To help you out we are going to be sharing with you some ways to get the most out of your gym visits and hopefully give you some inspiration to try and stay fit and healthy.
1. Do Full-Body Workouts
Your priority should be wanting to build muscle and strength to get more bang for your buck! You want to aim to work on each muscle group twice a week. For those who can get to the gym 4-5 times a week the best way to do it is to focus on specific body parts ie lower body, upper body, or legs, chest, back
So if you are one of those who can only do 1-2 times a week full-body workouts are the answer! training each muscle group twice will allow for maximum growth and also prevent any muscles from being neglected.
You’ll find we love full-body HIIT workouts here at Swift Fitness York taking advantage of the whole gym using top-of-the-range cardio & strength equipment.
Here is an in-depth blog about HIIT classes with Danny
2. Prioritise Functional Or Strength Training Over Pure Cardio
We have a full range of gym equipment with some good options for weight training including dumbbells up to 60kg in weight, squat racks, benches, Bravo cable machines specifically made for disabled and non-users and cardio machines including Cybex Arc trainers, treadmills, Concept rowers/ski and 2x life fitness step mills.
When you have limited time at the gym or if you’re not doing Danny’s full-body HIIT workout it makes sense to take advantage of machines or free weights that are going to work multiple muscles such as using the squat rack or chest press. Swapping cardio, which can be done at home or outside by running, weight training will help you make the most of your gym sessions.
Weight training can help build muscle and strength it also can improve bone density, improve mobility and most important it can reduce the risk of heart and circulatory diseases, so being able to lift heavy weights or progress onto harder exercises is the best way to progress with this type of training, nothing can beat a good range of quality gym equipment!
If you’re one of those who like the thought of weight training but can’t drag yourself away from the treadmill! Why not try functional training? This way you still benefit from using weights but still raise your heart rate and burn a ton of calories while improving your balance, posture and coordination across your full body.
We’ve always encouraged members to exercise so choose what you enjoy doing the most if that’s jogging on a treadmill or using other cardio equipment, like I mentioned above any workout is better than none!
3. Plan Some Home Workouts
If you’re still unable to drag yourself away from your work computer or home life but still want to keep active, plan some home sessions that can be worked around a busy day or afternoon. For example, If you follow us on Instagram swiftfitnessyork_sfy you will see Danny demonstrating some well-planned home workout routines he did during lockdown which you can follow at your own pace in your own living room, remember any movement is better than none, even squeezing in a few squats while you wait for the kettle to boil or a few press-ups between tv adverts are better than staying completely inactive if this is something you might want to incorporate into your training we can help you by designing a specific workout plan around you, work and home.
4. Get A Value For Money Gym Membership
Some gym memberships in York can really add up, especially the big corporate ones when they have pools and tennis courts etc. The last thing you want to be doing is pay a large sum of money for facilities you can only use once or twice a week! Here at Swift Fitness, we have memberships that suit all from teenagers, to students right up to 60 plus we also give local discounts for businesses and NHS which ensures you’re getting the most value out of your visits.
