5 Reasons Why "Short" Workouts are Better

Not having enough time is the most common reason people give for not starting or sticking to a workout routine. The reason many of them come to this conclusion is because they have been influenced by professional bodybuilders who workout up to six days per week for hours on end.

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But the truth is, long workouts aren't necessary if you're going to train without the aid of performance enhancers. So if you're a natural bodybuilder who wants to make maximum muscle gains, keeping your workouts short is a must, and here are five reasons why.

1. You Will Get Faster Results: One hour workouts are fairly common, whether it be muscle building or cardio (this includes stretching and cooling down). But you will get faster results by doing a twenty minute muscle building workout (minus 5 minutes of stretching before and after) and fifteen minute cardio sessions (HIIT or Intensity Training). So keep your workouts at thirty minutes max. Your focus must be on feeding your muscles the nutrients they need to repair and grow, along with getting sufficient rest instead of working out for long periods.
2. You Will Stay Motivated: When you workout less you will avoid burnout and overtraining. The biggest benefit to staying motivated is it will keep you focused during your workouts, and mentally prepared for upcoming workouts. You will look forward to working out more than you ever have, ready to put everything you have into them, down to each rep and every set.
3. You Will Get Better Results:  Workout less and your results will increase dramatically in the form of muscle gains and fat loss. In fact, any gains that you may have missed out on by training too long (overtraining) will appear as soon as you switch to shorter workouts.
4. You Will Have More Energy: Long workouts drain your muscles of energy, leaving them weak, and you tired. Short workouts will leave your muscles feeling stimulated as opposed to annihilated, plus they will have and retain more energy so that you can go about your daily life.
5. You will look Better: Short workouts will leave your muscles pumped and looking full; they will also leave you feeling strong. Long workouts will leave your muscles looking flat and you feeling sore.

Keep in mind that switching to shorter workouts means your workouts must become more intense. The easiest way to intensify your workouts is to allow yourself shorter rest periods between sets.

With shorter workouts it's you against the clock, so stay focused and get as many sets in as possible, even if you only do one rep. Shorter workouts are the answer to maximum gains for those who workout without the aid of performance enhancers. Try them and see for yourself.