There are morning people, and not-so morning people. If you are not, or when family or work responsibilities require an evening training session at the club, you are well aware of ‘peak time’. In most facilities this can range from 5pm until 9pm, and can make for a frustrating workout if you don’t think outside the square a little.
For a time, early on, this frustration was the case for me. Arriving at the club at 7pm, the first order of business was locating a parking spot (can’t help ya’ with that one). This in itself was an ominous sign that it was going to be a busy evening on the gym floor. Like everyone I was about to join, I wasn’t particularly enthralled with the idea of jockeying for pieces of equipment that my training journal dictated I use that evening, but what else could I…or anyone else, do?
Over the course of months I began removing some of the dictatorial power that my journal had, and instead began to improvise some. I still trained the same muscle groups that I had planned, I just didn’t count on using the pieces of equipment I wanted, when I wanted them. This improvisation, born out of frustration, resulted in some of my most productive workouts. I believe that if you take some of these unorthodox methods to heart, you will find training at peak time a much more enjoyable experience.
The Rack
One of the training styles I incorporated was what I termed ‘the rack’. Most evenings, no matter how busy the gym floor, I would notice that there was always some free space along the dumbbell rack. Stationing myself at an opening where the weights were within my working range, I would think of two or three different dumbbell exercises I knew, but maybe hadn’t done for awhile (many of them can be viewed within the Exercise Movement Series found in each edition of this Wellness E-Zine), and I would begin. For shoulders, arms, or legs, I didn’t need a bench; working my chest…I did.
Rather than the ‘normal’ method of counting the number of sets completed, I would instead look at the clock, assigning a time to each of the exercises I had come up with and performing as many sets as I could within that time period. Without exception these workouts were intense, productive, and the ‘different than normal’ exercises never failed to leave my muscles with that ‘good’ soreness many of us have come to love.
There is always the tendency to perform too many exercise movements, or too many sets for any individual muscle group. Anecdotally and from first-hand experience this can especially be the case when you remain at one particular station, or place, on the gym floor. Perhaps it’s because while you are standing (or sitting) at the machine, it’s easier to say, ‘just one more set’ than if required to take the extra step of moving to a different station. Whatever the cause, it’s just one more reason to track your progress with a training journal, recording each set along the way.
Spot the Opening: 1
Another way to avoid the frustration that a packed house can lead to is to go where others are not. As with ‘the rack’, you still train the muscle groups that you had planned in your journal. The prerequisite knowledge for the ‘spot the opening’ approach is to know and understand how to use each piece of equipment in your facility. If you are unsure, it is wise and appropriate to ask one of the qualified personal trainers in your club to demonstrate those pieces of equipment that you don’t know, explaining the benefits and limitations of each. This is a good idea anyway, regardless of when you train. Increasing the arsenal of exercise movements at your disposal will give your workouts more variety, reducing staleness and the unfortunate repetition type injuries prevalent among many who continue to perform the same movements every time they enter the gym floor.
In knowing how to utilize more pieces of equipment, on busy evenings you can opt for this ‘spot the opening’ formula, avoiding delays to your workout that occur while you wait for the equipment you had for that day’s training. On entering the gym floor, spot a piece of equipment that’s open (for the muscle group you are working), without regard to whether or not you usually put this exercise at the beginning or end of the workout. Go to that piece of equipment, and complete two or three sets of that exercise. As you are performing the last set on the piece of equipment you have secured, begin to look for another piece of equipment for the same muscle group, and on completion of your set, move to the next open piece. In this free-spirited manner you will likely find that you complete a good workout within the timeframe you had initially allotted, with the unexpected benefit of novelty and innovation. I have had some of my best training sessions this way.
Spot the Opening: 2
Similar to the above style, this method is a bit broader in approach. Every now and then during peak time, I’ll look on the free-weight floor and decide that I just don’t want to go there. Heck, sometimes I get that feeling even when there’s plenty of room. The same applies for those of you that traditionally perform cardio-heavy schedules. When that happens – switch. Instead of getting on a treadmill, elliptical, or cross-trainer – head towards the resistance (weight-room) area. If you normally spend most of your time in the resistance training room – give the cardio area a try. A change can be refreshing for all of us, and whether it’s a busy night, or you just don’t have your normal sense of ‘oomph’, changing your normal routine can very often change your mind-set. If you haven’t tried this, give it a go.
As most who have followed my writing know, I’m a believer in keeping a training journal/log-book. I also believe in planning …weeks or months ahead… your training, evolving upward over a period of time. I think it is conducive to goal-setting, and helping to achieve those goals. But flexibility also plays a role…especially in keeping things exciting and new, and even the best plans have to allow for that. Whether due to a nasty ‘cold’, family responsibilities, or the topic of conversation here, training in peak time, I’m hopeful that the ideas in this article will add to your training enjoyment and overall wellness satisfaction.
Shawn Vint, father of two, has been helping people find a path to better wellness for over 25 years as a nutrition and fitness consultant, writer and editor. Directing the team at Greenmaple Wellness Inc. he continues that role, helping individuals reap all they can from an active, faith based lifestyle, and by helping organizations become recognized wellness leaders in the communities they serve.
