There are a variety of ways to whittle down your gym time without sacrificing the hard work that yields the gains you want from a workout. Try these tips to save time.

Instead of going 3×10 on some exercises, try 2×12 or 14.  The rest between reps will be limited to one pause.
Know exactly what you want to do before you ever start working out.  This will prevent you from adding more exercises late and save time on deliberating what you should do.
Alternate muscle groups between exercises.  For example, if you move from chest to back then you won’t require …read more

A BMI or Body Mass Index test computes a measurement of your body composition based on your raw height and weight.  The advantage of this test is you get a quick general indicator of how fat you are compared to a standard height and weight calculation.  This allows you to easily scan a table of heights and weights and see whether or not you are classified as obese.
The problem with the BMI is it takes the individual out of the equation.  A person heavy on muscle has a good chance of registering as grossly obese because of their raw weight.  …read more

Now that you’re exercising on a regular basis, you are on the fast track to fitness.  Once you are 3 or 4 months into a consistent and legitimate (you’re really exercising when you workout) exercise, you will start to get a good feel for exercises, reps, rest and your coordination for movements.  However, there are still some things you will need to learn as you continue forward.  This is why having an honest evaluation of your workout from a third party is huge in your development.
Ideally you will have a trainer (or maybe even two trainers) give you an opinion …read more

TV time doesn’t have to mean your relaxing or slacking off from your workout. You can actually use your favorite shows as a catalyst for getting into shape with the right exercises and enough time. For every 30 minute show, you can expect about 6-8 minutes of commercials. Outside of commercial time, you can also try some exercises that will not significantly detract from your view.
During commercials, you’re able to do anything without missing the show. Here are 5 exercises to rotate in during commercials:

squat thrusts
sit-ups
jumping jacks
push-ups
leg raises

When you’re watching the show, try these 5 with …read more

Nobody wants to miss the big game, but steer clear of shutting down for Super Bowl Sunday.  With pregame shows starting in the morning, it’s easy to let your whole day consist of nothing besides sitting and eating.  Instead of playing the role of couch potato, use the excitement of Super Bowl Sunday to spur a great workout.
Sometime before 4:30 pm Eastern (preferably in the morning), try an all out workout like this:
25 minutes high intensity treadmill
15 minutes abs
35 minutes weights
15 minutes stair stepper
Once you’re done, you can watch the Super Bowl alert and with no guilt about your workout.  …read more

Muscular pectorals are difficult for most men to develop, but this blog contains a few tips to provide significant improvement in the upper chest.
First, just as in abs, if you want to get rid of fat, you need to incorporate a rigorous cardio/fat burning routine.  You can lift weights for a long time, but the fat will come off only when you get some serious cardio in.
Another huge tip is to squeeze your pecs when you contract for different chest exercises.  Concentrate on using only the muscle in your chest for exercises like bench press, dumbell flies, push-ups, and other …read more

Every now and then, it’s actually helpful to slack off.  After you’ve put together several weeks of strong and consistent workouts, you can benefit from letting your body ease down into a relaxed state.  Yes, you might lose some of your edge, but the rest and recovery for your body will make up for a slight strength loss – if any.
During your week off – whether on purpose or if you really are slacking – try to limit your eating to a less active lifestyle.  This means less calories so you don’t gain weight.  Also, try and really relax your …read more

Coordination is something most of us take for granted but it is very important in our daily lives and any sporting games.  Coordination is basically how well your brain and your limbs collaborate.  For example, the ability to hit a baseball with a bat when a ball is coming towards you is a good example of coordination.
The best way to improve coordination is through experiencing different sports and activities.  Also helpful is training with uneven movements and complex exercises.  Conversely, this implicates continuous, unthoughtful exercises like the treadmill, stairstepper, or 1 lift weight lifting as unhelpful to improving your coordination.
Try …read more

One day you’re at the top of your fitness mountain.  Two months later, you can be as out of shape as you’ve ever been.  There you are, eating another snack in front of your TV, when it hits you: It’s time to get back in shape.  But what’s the time line like on reaching your pinnacle again?
This answer depends on how far you let yourself go.  Generally, if you’ve just dropped your workout but not diet, you’re staring at 2-3 months of hard work to get to where you were.  If you’ve put on some weight from eating and lack …read more

Exerciser beware: sometimes working out isn’t enough for a great body.  Remember you need a combination of elements to be a success.  If you’re finding a better body still distant after a few months of working out, there might be somethings holding you back you don’t know about.
Improper nutrition – You can’t work your body to death and then not feed it.  If you’re neglecting nutrients, your body can’t recover and produce the benefits.
Insufficient rest – Sleep goes hand in hand with nutrition.
Not enough time – If you haven’t logged enough days or enough time during your workouts, you won’t …read more