0 Strength Training On Limited Time

For whatever reason if you've got limited time to get your workouts in, don't despair, there's still ways to get stronger and build more muscle.

Key Points

1. Limit the number of exercises

2. Every other day training with upper/lower split

3. Ensure you get soft tissue work for a couple areas as well as some dynamic stretching and activation prior to your strength work

4. Pick one main exercise, one supplemental, and one accessory.

Example:

Monday - Day 1 - Lower Body

Foam Roller: Quads/IT Bands/ T-Spine

Dynamic stretching: Quads, Hip Flexors

Activation: Glute Bridges

Squats 5x5

RDL 4x8

Weighted Plank 3x60 sec

Wednesday - Day 2 - Upper Body

Foam Roller: T-Spine/Pecs/Lats

Dynamic Stretching: Pecs/Lats

Activation: Band Pull-aparts behind neck, Band Pull-aparts to chest

Bench Press 5x5

Chin - ups 4xmax

Barbell Curls 3x10

Friday - Day 3 - Lower Body

Foam Roller: T-Spine/Quads/IT Bands/Hams

Dynamic Stretching: Hamstrings/Squat-to-stand

Activation: Glute Bridge variations

Deadlifts 5x3

Split Squats 4x12

Hanging Leg Raises 3x15

Monday - Day 4 - Upper Body

Foam Roller: Pecs/Lats/T-Spine

Dynamic Stretching: PNF Patterns for shoulders

Activation: Wall Slides, Scapular retractions

1- DB Push Press 5x6

Seated Cable Rows 4x10

EZ-Bar Skull Crushers 3x10

Volume Considerations

Progressive volume manipulations will also keep you from plateauing.

Using squats as an example:

Starting week 1 with an 80% 1RM load (225 lbs), volume progressions might map out as follows. Weeks 5-8, 9-12, and 13-16 use the same manipulations as weeks 1-4.

Week 1: 5x5x225 Moderate volume moderate load

Week 2: 4x5x225 Reduced volume, moderate load

Week 3: 8x3x245 Increased volume, increased load

Week 4: 3x6x205 Significant volume and load reduction (deload week)

Week 5: 5x5x230

Week 6: 4x5x230

Week 7: 7x3x255

Week 8: 3x6x215

Week 9: 5x5x235

Week 10: 4x5x235

Week 11: 6x2x260

Week 12: 3x6x220

Week 13: 5x5x240

Week 14: 3x5x240

Week 15: 5x2x265

Week 16: 2x6x225

Such volume manipulations allow increased for strength increases that you wouldn't otherwise get from simple linear progression.

The same types of variations can be done with all main exercises, and some supplemental exercises such as chin-ups, and weighted pushups.

If you're a beginner, you can probably keep the same main exercises throughout the 16 week period, intermediate and advanced lifters need to switch out the main exercises after each 4 week block.

Example substitutions include but are not limited to:

Main Upper Body

Bench Press

Board Presses

Floor Press

Military Press

Fat Bar Press

Swiss Bar Press

Weighted Pushups

Dynamic Effort work with bands/chains

Main Lower Body

Squats

Box Squats

Giant Cambered Bar Squats

Safety Squat Bar Squats

Zercher Squats

Front Squats

Deadlifts

Trap Bar Deadlifts

BTR (Beyond The Range) Deadlifts

Sumo Deadlifts

Rack Pull (Partials) Deadlifts

Dynamic effort work with bands/chains