Don't waste time working out

Time-waster #4: Too many long breaks.

Resting a couple of minutes between sets of resistance activities helps your body recover and gear up for the next challenge. But too much downtime is a waste of time.

Fitness fix: If you're in a hurry, keep your heart pumping.

Fitness chains like Curves are popular because they offer a circuit workout that allows a person to go from one fitness station to the next, incorporating resistance training and cardio into a quickie half-hour workout. While such a short program probably won't yield dramatic results, the concept can be applied to longer workouts.

Trainers such as Parr advise clients to periodically skip the breaks between resistance activities and instead go straight from one strength move to another. This works best when alternating between activities for the lower body and upper body. Parr calls it "super-setting" and says it's a good option when you're pressed for time or when you just want to mix up your workout routine. You'll be more tired during the workout, so you may not be able to push yourself as hard, but your body will benefit from the change of pace.

Time-waster #5: Not hitting the weights hard enough.

Afraid to "bulk up," many women lift light weights that yield little results, says Jay Hoffman, professor and chair of the department of health and exercise science at the College of New Jersey in Ewing. In his research, women who strength-train get much more toned when they have a personal trainer pushing them than when they go it alone. “Those who train on their own don’t train at an intensity that has an effect,” he says.

Fitness fix: Push your muscles "to failure."

What this means is that you use a weight that is heavy enough that you can't do even one more repetition by the end of your set. Sets generally involve eight to 20 repetitions, and it can be good to vary the reps, as mentioned above. Just pick a weight that gets the job done by the last rep.

And stop worrying about bulking up. “The vast majority of women don’t have to worry about developing unsightly muscles from resistance training,” says Bryant. Most women simply don't have the biology to build bulging muscles.

Smart Fitness appears every other Tuesday.

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