How can I make my workouts not last so long?

[balihandicraft]

I’ve been going to the gym for about a month, and since I’m (M21) new to weightlifting and skinny, and I try to do full-body workouts 3-4 times a week (with rest days).

However, by the time I’ve completed only half of my body, almost two hours has passed and I want to go home.

Does anyone have any tips?

Edit:

My program I perform about 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps to failure

Back
• Row machine
• Lat Pulldown
• Back extensions
• Tripod row
• Shrugs
• Face pull

Shoulders
• Rotator cuff exercise (I’m not sure the name. You use the cable machine and externally rotate your shoulder)
• Dumbbell overhead press

Triceps
• Dumbbell overhead tricep extension
• Tricep extensions w/ cable machine

Biceps
• Warm up w/ cable machine bicep curls
• Concentration curls
• Hammer curls or cross-body hammer curls

Chest
• Dumbbell bench press

Legs
• Leg press
• (Exercise for calf and glutes—I still need to find some)

 

[iconoclaust]

@balihandicraft List your program.

As you are new to lifting possible problems are.

Too many unnecessary exercises.

Too many sets.

Too much rest between sets.

 

[jodiw]

@balihandicraft You’re dead right in your amount of days working out and following a full body workout but I would limit yourself to 6 compound exercises per session. Try 4 sets of 8 on each and see how you get on. Rest from 1 min - 2 depending on how fatigued your muscles are after each exercise.

 

[balihandicraft]

@jodiw Thank you. Also this was very encouraging

 

[jamie45540]

@balihandicraft I used to be like this! I have a similar split but I suspect that you’re doing way too much. Full body doesn’t require tons of exercises. Pick 2 compounds and two accessories per session and you’ll be in and out of the gym in 45min- 1 hour. Push each set, zero in on your form, take adequate rest and your golden! Example: bench, hip thrust, pull-ups, split squats

 

[balihandicraft]

@jamie45540 Thank you!

One thing I was worried about is that I won’t be hitting every muscle, especially for back since I’m trying to fix my posture.

 

[jamie45540]

@balihandicraft Emphasizing compounds makes it hard to miss muscle groups and doing full body means they get hit multiple times in a week which is optimal for hypertrophy! I’m not an expert though, definitely consult one if you’re having posture issues

 

[ojr]

@balihandicraft I'm also doing full body workouts and trying to fix my posture.

Like others said, you're doing too many workouts. Remember that you will be hitting each muscle group 3/4 times during the week. I personally try to hit different areas of each muscle group each time I work out (i.e., Main focus for legs is glutes in workout #1, quads workout #2 etc.). I usually do 8/9 workouts but I include supersets to decrease time.

Additionally, I'm not sure where in the back you are wanting to improve posture, but don't neglect abdominal exercises as these help with some postural issues!

 

[dawn16]

@balihandicraft Try a program from the r/fitness wiki.

You have WAY too many sets in your workout. If I am reading you right, then you have something like 45-60 sets in your workout. That's nuts. The "5/3/1 boring but big" program has 13 total sets in it. A lifting workout should be like 90 mins maximum.

 

[coastal234]

@balihandicraft That isn't a program but just a list of exercises done to failure. The sheer amount of exercises and the fact they're all done to failure, it's no surprise it's so long and you need to take long breaks.

At the point you're at now, you're better off just following a proven program to the T and trusting the process. Check out liftvault.com to find some, or the Stronger by Science 28 free programs or even a 5/3/1 template. The SBS ones are really good and flexible/mixable and easy to understand. It doesn't matter as much as long as you just pick one that looks good and stick to it; with time and experience you can modify and tune from there.

A good program will have predominantly submax volume (challenging sets but not to failure), sensible exercise selection, a method of gradual progressive loading. Log it all and see where your performance trends; if you're doing more weight, reps, sets at the same difficulty as weeks ago, you're improving.

Good luck!

 

[katie4469]

@balihandicraft What program are you following?

 

[balihandicraft]

@katie4469 I just edited it in my post

 

[katie4469]

@balihandicraft I think you’re just doing way too many exercises. This program is not optimal.

Is there a particular reason why you came up with this program on your own, rather than following one of the many structured training program that are freely available online already? If you’re new to lifting, I would not recommend trying to make your own program like this. Check out the programs listed here: https://thefitness.wiki/routines/

 

[balihandicraft]

@katie4469 Yeah my program is trash because I’m new and I didn’t know there were these kinds of resources.

Also, I have scoliosis, so there are certain exercises I don’t want to do, specifically squats and deadlifts.

Thank you

 

[dawn16]

@balihandicraft Yeah 2 hours is brutal. 45 min Max. I like 30 mins, short and focused.

Try a push pull, or push pull legs routine. That way you rest some muscles while you can work others. That means you can exercise everyday, or two days in a row.

E.g.

Push day:
Triceps, front shoulders, chest, squat

Pull day:
Biceps, rear shoulders, back, dead lift

Then just alternate each day. It's a two day routine and you can do it up to 3 times a week if you want

Or you can put the leg stuff into a 3rd day, and repeat this 3 day routine twice a week.

(You can keep the same exercises each day, and switch them after 2 months

or you can do different exercises each time you repeat in the week. E.g. push day 1 push ups, push day 2 bench press, push day 3 chest fly

Which ever you like better. The first is better for noting progress, the second is better for hitting a wider range of muscles across the week.

)

Imo full body is good to learn how your body moves, and great if you dont have a regular routine. buts its a less efficient way to get results. So if you have the option, after a while try since kind of split routine

 

[dawn16]

@balihandicraft Also if you do circuits (instead of sets) then you don't need rest in between exercises. That saves a lot of time

But you end up switching machines a lot so it can be annoying if they're are less of people at the gym.