How long in the gym?

Welcome to my humorous take on how long you should spend in the gym! Everyone knows we’re supposed to move our delicious body parts, but sometimes it can be tough figuring out how long is too little or too much. Well never fear my delectable readers, because I’m here with all the swole-tastic answers!

The Conventional Wisdom

We’ve all heard it before: “You need at least 30 minutes of exercise a day!” But let’s be real – that advice is about as helpful as a pair of glasses without lenses. What kind of activity? Why only 30 minutes? These guidelines are so vague and unhelpful, they might as well be telling us to do jumping jacks on one foot while holding our breath.

The truth is, there isn’t really a set amount of time anyone needs to spend exercising per day or week. It totally depends on your goals and body type. So instead of blindly following some outdated guidelines from the 90’s (that would still rock frosted tips), let’s look at some actual science-y stuff.

Different Types Of Exercise

First off: not all exercises are created equal when it comes to time spent doing them. Obviously running for an hour will have different benefits than lifting weights for an hour- mainly toned legs compared against bulging biceps.

Cardio

Cardiovascular exercise targets endurance and gets those heart muscles pumping harder than someone who just found out their ex unfriended them on Facebook (cry session later). This category includes things like running/cycling/elliptical machines – anything that keeps your heart rate up over an extended period of time.

Looking for major cardiovascular health gains means spending more significant amounts of time engaged in these activities such as jogging outside until someone mistakes you for forest gump himself!

But if you’re just trying to maintain good overall health, 3-4 times a week of 20 minutes HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is the way to go. It’s short, it’s intense, and your body burns calories long after you’re done. So instead of torturing yourself on a treadmill for an hour every day, try sprinting in place for 30 seconds then rest as if someone has placed raw electric wires underfoot.

Strength Training

Strength training targets building muscular strength through resistance exercises like bench press or barbell curls – anything that makes you feel like Atlas himself!

This type of workout shouldn’t be ignored as skinny arms do not belong with those snake leggings! Muscles help us perform daily tasks easily and efficiently lifting groceries becomes almost effortless.

Many fitness experts recommend spending at least an hour per session on strength training because muscle growth is slow and steady – think turtles racing against hare but without any sleep! Your muscles need time under tension to grow stronger, which means more sets opposed to sitting down all day and just worrying about your bicep definition. Also bear in mind that between strength days one should rest: overtraining muscles can also cause injury.

Listen To Your Body!

One size does NOT fit all when it comes to exercise routines so make sure “listening” or “feeling” things out before making drastic changes aginat professional advice . Our bodies are complicated little machines full of unique quirks and needs- kind-of-like cafe hoppers.

Here are some signs from within that may indicate we’re doing too much:

  • Painful joints
  • Fatigue beyond the norm
  • Abnormally high resting heart rate (which you won’t know unless tracking progress)
  • Having trouble falling asleep
  • Nausea/excessive sweating/dizziness while working out

On top these issues consult a medical expert because serious conditions must not wait until they become controllable only by medication or surgery alone: being proactive will always trump being lazy!

Finding Your Sweet Spot (Please avoid the candy)

Now that we know more about the different types of exercise out there and what to listen for from our bodies, it’s time to find your sweet spot in terms of workout duration. Let’s face it: any sort of physical activity beats sitting down all day so we can do ANYTHING- sounds like someone’s pulling an excuse card.

  • If you’re just starting off on a fitness journey 30 minutes may be enough at first before pushing too hard and hurting muscles.
  • Experienced gym goers can spend anything from 45 mins to over an hour depending on their goals.
  • People dealing with short attention spans or lack-of-time should try 4-6 mini workouts per week each lasting about 15 minutes consisting mainly of HIIT exercises
  • Remember, muscle recovery is as important as building them up so make sure to take ample rest period between working out body parts.

Ultimately the best advice we can give is ‘listening’ – if you feel great after a workout, keep going until exhaustion hits you harder than Drake lyrics.

Some Tips:

Here are some additional tips for those looking to optimize their gym time:

  1. Go early during low trafic hours – trust us, fighting for equipment on New Year’s Day isn’t worth it!
  2. Stick must-repeat playlist because otherwise boredom becomes high-school reunion: only attended by peers one wants no part in.
  3. Focus lighting weights in proper form instead lifting heavier weights incorrectly . Protip: Rome might’ve been built overnight but Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wasn’t built with bad posture either!

Conclusion

And there you have it my delectable readers! There really isn’t a set amount of time anyone needs but focusing in small increments like 20 min cardio sprints twice weekly + strength training sessions lasting over an hour on other days can help achieve optimal results. And let’s not forget about listening to our unique body signs and remembering that Rome wasn’t built in a day nor was The Rock sculpted overnight (not without many steroids!)

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