Discover How Time-Efficient Winter Workouts Can Help You Stay Fit Without the Grind
Motivation levels tend to dip when temperatures drop and daylight hours are in shorter supply, making longer workouts a grind.
For many gym-goers, winter brings a perfect storm of challenges: colder mornings, busier schedules, and that listless feeling that makes it harder to get out of bed and makes hour-long gym sessions feel like a chore.
But winter shouldn’t be a time for slowing down. It’s the perfect time to shift gears and refine your approach by training smarter, not longer, with a focus on shorter, more intense workouts.
As your body’s natural rhythms adjust to the season, training efficiently can offer better results than marathon gym sessions in winter.
Time-efficient training
Instead of battling against biology, it’s smarter to align your training with it. Well-structured 30-45 minute sessions allow you to train with intensity, which means you get all the benefits without the grind.
According to a study¹ published in the journal Sports Medicine, you can make strength training more time-efficient while still getting physical benefits by prioritising bilateral, multi-joint movements through a full range of motion.
The study suggests that you include full dynamic movements (eccentric and concentric muscle actions), and that you perform a minimum of one leg pressing exercise (like squats), one upper-body pulling exercise (pull-ups) and one upper-body pushing exercise (bench press).
“Weekly training volume is more important than training frequency and we recommend performing a minimum of 4 weekly sets per muscle group using a 6–15 RM loading range. Advanced training techniques, such as supersets, drop sets and rest-pause training roughly halves training time compared to traditional training, while maintaining training volume,” states the study.
Up the intensity
You can also embrace different exercise structures and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) techniques instead of your usual program to up the intensity and get more benefits in less time.
HIIT is renowned for its ability to deliver significant fitness benefits in less time compared to traditional workouts.
Research² confirms that HIIT significantly reduces body fat, especially abdominal fat, as well as total body mass, and improves insulin sensitivity and fitness (measured by improvements in VO2 max).
In comparison with consistent moderate-intensity exercise, HIIT burns more calories and increases fat metabolism and energy expenditure after training more than steady-state exercise.
These make HIIT the ideal option for busy schedules, which can be even more challenging in winter with the shorter daylight hours to get the most benefit for every minute spent in the gym.
HIIT options
There are so many ways to turn up the intensity of your training. You can add a few super sets, a metcon session or two, and some Tabata to give your training plan a complete winter makeover.
Popular HIIT protocols include:
AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible): A type of exercise programming used in high-intensity metabolic conditioning (metcon) training. The aim is to execute as many reps as you can in an interval (usually 1 minute) for each of the exercises in a set or programme.
Circuit training: A workout structure that consists of a series of exercise stations, performed consecutively with relatively short rest intervals between each station. The purpose is to keep the heart rate elevated to boost calorie consumption and improve fitness.
EMOM (Every Minute On The Minute): An exercise set structure that requires you to perform a set number of reps every minute. Once complete, rest for the remainder of the minute, before repeating for the next exercise at the start of the next minute.
Metcon: An abbreviation of the term ‘metabolic conditioning’. It is a form of intense training that aims to enhance the efficiency of the body’s three energy-producing metabolic pathways.
Supersets: A combination of complementary exercises done back to back in one set with little to no rest between.
Tabata: A highly effective style of interval training, named after its inventor. Dr Izumi Tabata, performed using a set structure of 20 seconds of all-out effort, followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for 8 rounds. A single Tabata therefore takes a total of 4 minutes to complete.
Fuel your intensity
Every early morning HIIT session could use a little extra oomph, which is where smart supplementing can deliver a benefit.
Primal Amino Force is an amino acid energy drink formulated through innovative and cutting-edge science to increase energy, enhance mental focus, maximise performance, and improve muscle recovery. It’s the ideal option before an intense workout to increase focus, boost energy levels and support performance.
You can also find something extra for those time-efficient strength training sessions with a fully-dosed creatine protocol.
Primal Creatine 5000 or Primal Creatine Charge can support high-intensity, lower-volume sessions by increasing physical performance in successive bursts of short-duration, high-intensity exercise with more ATP-derived energy.
Recover smarter
While these winter sessions may be shorter, they are still taxing, which means recovery isn’t just a luxury, it’s essential.
Shorter workouts help you avoid the kind of systemic fatigue that long, punishing sessions often bring. That means, with the right approach, your nervous system and muscles can bounce back faster, keeping you consistent and reducing the risk of injury.
Don’t underestimate the power of:
- Proper sleep: Aim to get 7-9 hours a night
- Intentional movement: Keep active on rest days with mobility work or some gentle cardio like walking.
- Fuel right: Feed your body with nutrient-dense meals and supplements to support recovery.
Sipping on a Primal BCAA 12:1:1 is another way you can support your recovery to bounce back sooner, train harder and stay consistent during the week.
The 12:1:1 refers to a ratio of 12 parts leucine to one part isoleucine and valine. Research³ shows that leucine is a potent activator of muscle protein synthesis compared to other BCAAs.
This research laid the groundwork for prioritising leucine in BCAA formulations, with products aimed at boosting the anabolic potential of leucine with a 12:1:1 ratio.
Embracing shorter, more focused HIIT sessions in winter can help you stay consistent, avoid burnout, and keep progressing toward your goals, even when motivation – like the mercury – dips.
References:
- Iversen VM, Norum M, Schoenfeld BJ, Fimland MS. No Time to Lift? Designing Time-Efficient Training Programs for Strength and Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review. Sports Med. 2021 Oct;51(10):2079-2095. doi: 10.1007/s40279-021-01490-1. Epub 2021 Jun 14. PMID: 34125411; PMCID: PMC8449772.
- Shiraev T, Barclay G. Evidence based exercise – clinical benefits of high intensity interval training. Aust Fam Physician. 2012 Dec;41(12):960-2. PMID: 23210120.
- Rehman SU, Ali R, Zhang H, Zafar MH, Wang M. Research progress in the role and mechanism of Leucine in regulating animal growth and development. Front Physiol. 2023 Nov 17;14:1252089. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1252089. PMID: 38046946; PMCID: PMC10691278.