Peak season at the gym doesn’t only mean your New Year’s resolutions wasn’t original (face it, you don’t see scores of crowds clambering to the banks just to see how they can save money this year). It means time is of the essence.

That said there are some tricks you can learn that will get you in and out of the gym while still getting your monies worth.

Personal trainer Katherine Springer of World Gym says the best workout you can do is an interval one. “The most effective kind of workout is called HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). It’s basically doing intervals on the treadmill, on the bike, doing push-ups, jump squats, anything high intensity to get your heart rate up.”

This type of workout can also be done almost anywhere. “You don’t need weights at all, it’s mostly on machines, either the treadmill, you can do it running outside, on the bike, elliptical,” says Springer.

And it won’t take you long to get results from this. “Probably 20 minutes, starting with a 30 second workout with a one minute rest.”

Looking to get into the gym and out the fastest? HIIT is the way to go. Another option is to stick to a weight or machine workout that will give you the most bang for your buck. Springer’s top workouts squats, dead lifts and bench press or push-ups.

If dead lifts are such a great workout, why don’t more people do them?

According to Springer it’s a pride thing. “I think people don’t know how to do them properly, and maybe they don’t want to look like an idiot in the gym, trying something new. They’re also really hard!”

There is a high risk to injure your back doing a dead lift so always seek an expert or trainer’s guidance before attempting if for the first time. Or that’s exactly what your back will feel like — dead!

Oh and if you don’t want to rush at this time of year, what’s the best time to be at the gym? “I would say between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.”

sports@reddeerexpress.com