How to Maximize Your Workout in a Busy Gym Environment

What to do when the gym is busy and your go-to equipment is taken.

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Depending on the time of day that you train, a super busy gym will be more of an issue for some of us than others. If you train during peak times, e.g. 5 am-7 am or 5 pm-7 pm, you would have most likely experienced getting to the gym, looking around, and thinking “Great everything I need is taken”.

So what now? Do you just turn around, walk out of the gym, and leave?? NOOOOOO!! You have just made an effort to get to the gym, so I personally believe something is always better than nothing!

Don’t let this situation kill your motivation, use this as an opportunity to be adaptive and flexible in your training. Learning ways to adapt your training program in a safe way is the key to keeping a consistent gym routine when situations don’t always go in your favour. This can also be applied in other situations, such as when you are short on time but still want to get a workout in, or when you want to get moving and stay active but your head is just not in the game to hit your regular program.

During busy periods while at the gym, you have the option to just wait your turn. You could wait in line for a piece of equipment, however, this could easily turn a 1-hour workout into a 2-hour workout if you have to keep waiting for every piece of equipment you want. And not everyone has time for that!

So, here are just a few alternatives you can try when you are not able to do your regular or scheduled workout for that day:

• Jump on a free piece of cardio and just get your body moving. If you can’t seem to find space to do your weights session, a cheeky cardio session here and there would not go to waste. I personally actually recommend fitting some cardio into your week, purely for the added health benefits.

• See if you can alter your training days to suit your gym environment. You will sometimes notice more people training a certain muscle group on a certain day so you struggle to find those particular pieces of equipment free on that day. E.g. Maybe you train legs on Wednesday and keep noticing many people also seem to train legs on Wednesday but not as many do on Thursday. So an option could be to switch your leg day to Thursday. For some gyms this may not work, however, this could be an option to consider.

• Find a small space where you could do a circuit-style training session with minimal equipment. There are SO many exercises that can be done with minimal room and just a pair of dumbbells or a barbell. You can manipulate the training load by adding in variations like pulsing reps or pause reps. There are so many choices!

• See if there is a possibility to alter your schedule. For some of us, this is just not an option. However, you may just be able to move your training slightly earlier or later than the peak busy periods. Consider your schedule and see if there is any room for movement. If you are unsure of the peak vs. non-peak times at your gym, just ask the gym floor or reception staff. They will most likely know.

• Try out a new piece of equipment that may not be as populated. It is well-known that certain pieces of equipment are now more widely used than others, but that doesn’t mean that some of the less used equipment will not bring any benefit to your training. As long as you are confident in safely trying out a new piece of equipment, what is the harm? Give something new a go, you may end up liking it and want to add it to your regular routine.
  

So, those are just some of the many options you could consider. On the other hand, if you do get to the gym, it’s busy, and you really don’t feel like training. That is also okay! Sometimes we need to listen to our bodies and take an extra rest day. However, do not use a busy gym as an excuse to not train if you are just struggling with motivation. Motivation is temporary, what builds habits is consistency and dedication.

If you are working with a coach, I would personally recommend checking in with them and talking through any issues you may be having with completing your programs. Remember that one of the many jobs of a coach is to help you work out how to fit exercise into your routine.

To sum up, if you have made an effort to get to the gym, it is crazy busy and you are stuck for ideas on what to do, hopefully after reading this you now have a few options you could try out!

Not everything in life works for every single person, so try things out for yourself, and learn to be adaptive and flexible with your training when it’s needed.