A couple of months ago, I was looking for a way to change up my workouts so that I could see some different results. I wanted to focus more on strength training while still getting my cardio in. Also, I felt like I had reached a point where I’d hit a plateau. So I decided to try two-a-day workouts.
Two-a-days are pretty much what they sound like: training twice in the same day. But there is, or at least should be, a method to the madness — and quite a few advantages at that. Here are five things to keep in mind if you’re thinking about giving this workout method a try.
It’s About Balance
Two workouts in one day doesn’t mean running miles upon miles twice in one day. Switch it up to not only trick your body but to not wear yourself out. For me, it was about focusing on the things that I regularly rushed through when I tried to fit everything into a 45-minute or hour-long workout. If I wanted to go for a run in the morning or do some elliptical work, I did. But later in the evening, I switched it up completely, allowing muscle groups worked in the morning to rest. I either took part in some yoga or did some form of strength training as my second workout, toning and tightening. My goal was to build more muscle, and within a few weeks, I could see a major difference in my core and arms.
(On a side note, also switch up your music so that you don’t find yourself quickly bored with your playlists and, as a result, less motivated.)
Don’t Do the Most
When you work out in the morning or early afternoon, don’t push it past 45 minutes. Going too long and too hard on one form of exercise can make it harder for you to find the energy to be active again later in the day. For me, I tried not to go past 30 minutes for each workout, but 45 minutes was the maximum.
If you take any classes that fuse different modalities and go for an hour (or more), or do something particularly intense, I would encourage you to just rest for the duration of the day as to not overdo it.
You Will Need Good Rest
And by good rest, I mean more than the four or five hours you’ve been getting away with for the last few years. When you exert a lot of energy doing multiple workouts in one day, sooner than you would expect, you’re going to start nodding off at 10:00 p.m. or be ready to hit the sack on a Friday night as opposed to hitting the streets. You have to make recovery a priority, and part of that is getting a good night’s rest so you don’t always feel like you’re dragging through your two-a-days.
Also, listen to your body. If it just can’t do more than one workout or isn’t feeling up to doing any in a day, don’t feel the pressure to push it.
You Will Have an Easier Time Waking Up and Getting Through the Day
When I was doing two-a-days, the first few days were pretty tough. But after a while, getting up at early 6 a.m. was no longer difficult. Not only that, but it would eventually give me a jump in energy to start my workday feeling encouraged instead of so “Heeeeere, we go.”
Cardio is Great — in the Morning
As I previously stated, working out in the morning gave me an extra boost of energy, and that’s likely because I always did cardio in the morning. The experts say that not only is that energy better for the morning because it can keep you up at night, but it’s also awesome to do cardio in the morning if you’re looking to lose weight. Intense training like HIIT workouts can have your metabolism pumping throughout the day, aiding you in burning more calories as the hours pass.
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