We have little time for ourselves in the fast pace of modern life.  Exercise is often the first activity to fall behind as it is placed on the back burner.  While Saint Louis Personal Trainers don’t generally like to hear the excuse- “I don’t have enough time”, it can become quite difficult to give yourself this time.  The demands of life can be extreme, but wellness should be positioned high on the list.  If you don’t have your health, everything else becomes petty.

There are more efficient methods of exercise to address the busy sector of society.  I encourage my Saint Louis personal trainers to educate their clientele to use a “combination-style” design.  One exercise can have a combination of two or three body parts with a combination exercise.  You are able to utilize every major muscle group, get a quick workout, and be out of the gym with this method.  If you are searching for efficiency, this may be the best path for you.  A workout that might usually last one and a half hours can be condensed into only forty-five minutes.  

Also, the functionality of these movements in very high.  It is vital to include exercises with the combination concept in mind because your body works as a complete unit.  Since most combination exercises are so functional, it is imperitive to keep proper form.  They are at a higher risk for injury because of the abundance of movement.  

Combination exercises are great for moving blood around the body to the various working muscles.  With these usually fast paced movements, it is feasable to perform two or three movements in one-third of the time of three seperate movements.  As with every other resistance training program, it remains important to keep a balanced program from upper to lower body and from side to side. Every body part should be addressed two to three times per week, making sure not to use the same muscle groups on adjacent days.

Although hard to define without seeing them, here is a list of combination exercises:

- Push up/Dumbbell row combo

- Deadlift/Dumbbell row combo

- Lunge/Dumbbell shoulder press combo

- Push up/Pike pull in with physio ball

- Back extension/Dumbell row combo

- Burpee/Pushup combo

By employing this style of exercising, efficiency is maximized and the functionality of your workout is increased.  A certified Saint Louis Personal Trainer can help design a program that can address this style of exercise and tailor it to the specific goals and abilities of each individual.  While these types of exercises are very efficient and should be employed on a regular basis, it remains important to vary your workout on a consistent basis.   To ensure that the functionality of your program is optimized, make sure to add variables such as angles and balancing methods.