Workout Duration vs. Intensity

When I first started working out, I used to be at the gym forever.

A workout was never part of the evening, it was the entire evening.

Then one day, I was having a casual conversation with a trainer at my gym and he asked me why I felt like I had to be at the gym for so long. I’m sure I mumbled something inaudible about burning more calories.

“You don’t need to be in here for any more than an hour really” he suggested, “it’s not about how long you’re here – it’s what you do with the time you have”.

Oh god, I realized, he was right.

Prior to this, I would have two hour workouts. Because they were so long, I would never exhaust all effort on a set because I knew I would need to reserve some energy for later. So there I was, kind of working out – kind of mulling about, for most of my workouts

I look back now and see that there is just no damn logic in that.

My workout today was 45 minutes. It was 45 minutes of blood, sweat, and tears (mostly sweat). I kept my heart rate up the whole time. I felt into it! I told myself if I only had 45 minutes that it was going to be one hell of 3/4’s of an hour.

Obviously along the way I have learned something very important about building a better body: intensity is the most important factor in the gym. Be all in. Go hard. Give it everything you’ve got. Don’t hang around skulking in the gym for hours!

Get in, fuck shit up, and get out!

Who has the time for a two hour workout anyways? (if you do I want your life, I’m exhausted)

All jokes aside, almost anybody can make the time for a 45 minute workout. Don’t think of it as something demanding on your schedule. Think about it as 45 minutes of “you” time.

That’s all you need, after all 🙂