It’s mid-July and you’re off work. It’s time to hit the gym! But wait. You notice something off.
It starts in the parking lot: every spot is filled, and you end up parking at the shopping center next door and walking over. Once you’re inside, you see the sea of bobbing heads on the treadmills, the groups fraternizing around the free weights, and no sign that the ellipticals are going to be free any time soon.
Teens are out on vacation, hopeful latecomers are trying to start on their beach bodies, and here you are, waiting for a turn on the Smith machine.
Every gym-goer knows this season. No, it’s not summer. It’s the season of over-crowded gyms.
You can’t just skip working out for weeks on end, so you’ve gotta get a little creative. As official-unofficial gym rats ourselves, we’ve figured out how you can get your workouts in without dealing with the great summer gym surge.
Table of Contents
Do body weight training when you don’t have weights at home
Sign up for exercise classes that require a reservation
Go before or after peak hours
Adjust your workout split based on what other people AREN’T doing
Head to the park or running track
Try at-home guided workouts from your phone or computer
Invest in home gym equipment
Use the equipment you CAN grab for multiple exercises
Get creative!
Do body weight training when you don’t have weights at home
Like the name implies, body weight training uses your body’s weight as a lever to strength train. It involves things like push-ups, planks, squats, lunges, pull-ups, mountain climbers, and jumping jacks. Basically, anything you can do without the help of a gym machine or dumbbells (but if you have those, even better!)
There are bodyweight exercises for every muscle group:
Lower Body – Standard squats, lunges, calf raises, box jumps, wall sits, Bulgarian split squats, glute bridges, jump squats, donkey kicks, pistol squat, knee raises
Upper Body – Push-ups, pull-ups, chair/triceps dips
Core – Crunches, planks, bicycle crunches, leg raises, side planks, V-sits, reverse crunches, flutter kicks, heel taps
Full Body – Jumping jacks, star jacks, burpees, mountain climbers
Here’s a few workout guides on some of these exercises if you’re unfamiliar:
13 Easy Exercises to Lose Belly Fat Fast
10 Minute Workout for Busy People
Sign up for exercise classes that require a reservation
Some gyms offer scheduled classes their members can sign up for. If your gym doesn’t offer these, Class Pass is an app that lets you attend classes and workout spots at gyms that you’re not a member of.
By reserving a spot, you are guaranteed a workout!
Check out classes that you can really get your effort’s worth from, with things like HIIT classes, hot yoga, spin class or stationary biking classes, Muay Thai, barre, boxing, and even dance classes.
Go before or after peak hours
If the gym you go to is usually packed during after-work hours, try waking up earlier and going before! Or vice versa. It might take a few tries to find which hours are the slowest, but once you figure it out, it makes planning your workout sessions a lot easier.
Adjust your workout split based on what other people AREN’T doing
It’s cardio day and the treadmills machines are full…but the leg presses are free. Switch up your routine! Certain days of the week are sanctioned better for some workouts than others (for whatever reason) so figure out what they are and plan your workouts around them!
The beginning of the week oftentimes is designated as prime time for arm workouts or cardio because gym-goers want to get them out of the way or work off the extra calories eaten over the weekend. While they’re clamoring for the cardio machines and free weights, head on over to the leg machines or get to work on your core workouts!
Head to the park or running track
First of all, going to outdoor spaces like parks, recreational centers, or college running tracks are totally FREE (which is a word we always like to see), but they also offer wide, open spaces and plenty of sunshine.
Try at-home guided workouts from your phone or computer
There’s a lot of workout apps out there, as well as free guided workout videos on YouTube, TV, and even on Prime Video and Netflix! If you’re lucky enough to own a Peloton or an Apple Watch, they offer on-demand workouts you can download through their apps.
Here are a few of the most popular workout apps and services you can use to get your sweat on at home:
- Nike Training Club (now available on Netflix!)
- Apple Fitness+
- Caliber
- YouTube
- Adidas Runtastic
- FitOn
- 7M Fitness
- BODi
- Glo
Invest in home gym equipment
If you’re looking to get a solid workout in 5 days of the week with the freedom to do it whenever you want, it may be worth investing in your own gym equipment. The money you save on your membership might be better spent on a home gym.
While nothing can compare to a large, total home gym all-in-one machine, most of us can do with the basics.
Grab a few fitness basics like a jumprope, resistance bands, dumbbells, a kettlebell, or a pull up bar. These can be relatively cheap, depending on where you go, and are easy to store around the house, rather than taking up an entire corner of your garage.
Use the equipment you CAN grab for multiple exercises
Equipment like the lat pulldown machine, weight plates, barbells, and cable machines can be used for multiple types of exercises.
Some machines can be utilized for working out multiple muscle groups at the same time. The rowing machine works both your upper and lower body at the same time while engaging your core while the Smith machine can be used for a plethora of both upper and lower body exercises.
Dual cable machines can usually be adjusted to workout legs or arms at different angles, while allowing you to add weight as needed. You can use it for exercises like kickbacks, bicep curls, triceps extensions, chest flies, and standing trunk rotations for a total body workout. This might make it the most valuable piece of equipment in the gym!
Get creative!
There’s a lot of ways to stay fit; the gym is only one option. As long as you find ways to get your heart rate up and feel good, you’re doing great. Just remember to fuel your workouts the right way with a well-rounded diet (and maybe free up some of your time with a great ready-to-eat meal service).
