Have you ever heard the saying, less is more? Or, it’s not about the ‘amount’ of something but the ‘quality’ of it. Well the same can be applied to your training. So how do you get the most out of your sessions without spending hours grinding away?

This is done in the movements or lifts we pick. Movements that use more than 1 joint over a range of motion are best. You may have heard these referred to as compound movements, and by far give us the best bang buck. By doing these our body is forced to recruit more muscles, stabilize itself and studies show, burn more calories. Some common examples of these movements are the bench press, a squat, deadlifts even the dreaded air bike are all compound movements.

All sessions should incorporate these movements and you want to ensure that you hold yourself to a standard. Remember the key to getting the most out of these movements is to perform them in a full range of motion and cutting corners when those reps get difficult.

Lastly intensity. Depending on the intent of your session the key to bringing everything together is intensity. Whether it is a strength session or a continuous cardio session, intensity needs to match the intent of what you are trying to achieve.

With a little bit of planning behind what you’re doing you don’t have to spend hours a day in the gym to get the results you’re after. Remember, pick compound movements, hold yourself to a high standard get that intensity right and you will be surprised how effective you can make your workout and the results to follow.