Your workout habits are key to developing a winning physique.

But that doesn’t mean you have to spend all day every day in the gym. We asked top-notch bodybuilders about their habits in the gym and they revealed 8 ways they maximize each training session:

Keep Your Focus.

If you are spending more time chatting, flirting or checking the latest scores on your cell phone, your success as a bodybuilder is doomed. Time is so limited these days, especially for bodybuilders who need to complete a wide range of exercises and routines before the day is done.

It is critical to focus when you’re at the gym on what you’re doing at any time. Distractions are time killers and will rapidly eat up the time allocated to your routine.

Work Hard.

Your body can take a lot more than you think. Results come from training hard. Not over-training–but most of us can increase our intensity levels without hitting the red line. At all times, you should maintain safe and proper technique. But once that is established, crank up volume.

Use the Correct Weight.

Most male bodybuilders train with weights that are too heavy. This speaks more to the male ego than anything else because strength is built up slowly.

On the other hand, women generally don’t lift enough weight. Some use the same weight on the bar year in and year out. Weight training is progressive resistance. Make sure your routine involves gradually increasing weight over time.

Maintain Good Form.

Have you ever seen someone at the gym swaying or “throwing” a weight? This is an injury waiting to happen. If you are heaving weights all over the place, they are too heavy. Go to a weight level you can control. Do that and you’ll avoid muscle tears, back problems and a host of other injuries caused by these behaviors.

Set Limits.

Try not to do 4 or 5 sets per routine. Set a limit of 3 sets and max out those sets. Gauge the weight properly and work out to exhaustion. Concentrate more on intensity of your routines than length of time involved or the volume. By doing excessive routines, you are actually hurting your progress because you are postponing the recovery process.

Recover Between Sets.

Study show that many amateurs do not provide their body enough recovery between sets. In fact, there is a whole school of thought that repeating the second and third sets within a few seconds of the first one is beneficial. But your body needs plenty of time to recover. If you don’t give it enough rest, you start to fatigue the muscle.

The key is to wait long enough to provide enough rest but not wait too long or you will lose the pump. There is no set time—you must determine the optimum time for your body. You can only determine what that time is by focusing on your routine and monitoring yourself.

Use a Partner.

A good trading partner will enable you to work longer and harder. Try to find a partner that has a similar pattern in terms of workout routines and recovery times. You want an upbeat person who will push you and help you maintain your technique. A good partner can really make a difference between a workout flying by or being mere drudgery.

Train Progressively.

It’s important to stress the muscle when working out. Some potentially great bodybuilders neglect to increase weight gradually over time. It stalls out your development and motivation. Learn to add weight gradually, meaning one pound at a time (not 5 or 10), and record your development. But this should be a temporary solution.

In short, you will get the body of a champion faster if you learn to work hard and smart when you’re at the gym!