When you ask someone how long they usually spend in the gym, a typical response is at least an hour, sometimes two, just so they feel like they have really worked out.

Based on these kinds of typical responses, you can imagine how surprised many of these same people appear to be when I tell them that I only workout for 30 minutes a day, yet still get the kind of results that they do! Sometimes they will not believe a word I say.

The plain fact is there are a lot of people who have such busy schedules that finding more than 30 minutes to dedicate to a workout is just impossible. It’s not that they don’t want to do it; there just aren’t enough hours in the day to be in the gym for 1 to 2 hours at a time.

But is it really possible to do a workout in 30 minutes that will bring real results? The answer is a definite yes, but you will need a few simple strategies to make it happen.

Start with a plan written for everyday that you will be doing exercise on. Write down each exercise you will do and the weigh that you will use for each. Write down how many sets you will be doing for each exercise and how many repetitions you will be doing during each set. If you use road bikes to get to work then count this towards your cardio exercise as your heart rate will be increased.

Do split body part routines. So it could be arms and legs on Monday and Tuesday, stomach and back on Wednesday and Friday depending on your routine. So you are doing half the exercises at a more intense level, making a shorter work out time more effective.

Try not socialising too much at the gym. Try to be friendly, smile at people and say hello, but do not get distracted in full conversations. Remember, you only have so much time and 5 minutes spent talking rather than exercising is 5 minutes wasted. If you use headphones people will get the idea that you do not want to be distracted.

Always do your weight training and cardio training separately. On days you are not doing weight training, you can spend 30 minutes on the treadmill or on road bikes. This way you are still only working out for 30 minutes. You are trying to cut down time in the gym and you will stay longer if you do both.

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