If you lack the time to workout everyday, I’ve got good news. It IS possible to transform your physique with just a few short workouts every week.
Below are the three strategies you need to use to pull off having a great physique without having to spend all day everyday at the gym!
1. Prioritize multi-joint exercises.
Multi-joint exercises are exercises that engage multiple muscles at one time. You can think of multi-joint as multi-tasking.
Examples of multi-joint exercises include chin ups, split squats, deadlifts, push press, and bent over rows. If your short on time or want to spend less time in the gym, multi-joint exercises are your answer as as they activate large volumes of muscle fiber all at once!
Take the Split Squat for example.
This exercise engages your glutes, quads, calves, entire core as it requires you to maintain a neutral and fused spine while you move through space. The split squat even activates the upper back muscles rhomboids, traps, as well the shoulders and biceps of the arm if you hold dumbbells.
To create this same level of engagement through single joint exercises, would require multiple exercises like leg extensions and flute bridges to be used, just to begin to approach the level of lower leg muscular engagement provided by the split squat. And this doesn’t even take into account the benefits that your core, upper back, shoulders, and arms experience!
In addition to working multiple muscle groups, most multi-joint exercises have some real world application. In the example of the split squat, this is the pattern used to get up off of floor.
The deadlift is another exercise that has real world applications, it’s the pattern you use to bend over and pick something up..
If you’re going to take the time to workout, why not perform exercises that translate to real world movement?
2. Super-set or Circuit Train
A super-set is when you perform one exercise followed immediately by another exercise. An example of a superset is performing a set of dumbbell bench press followed immediately by a set of dumbbell split squats.
Circuit training is performing three or more exercises in a row.
It should be immediately obvious that circuit training can quickly cut your workout time down by shortening your rest time. Circuit training is a great way to perform efficient and effective full-body workout routines. Full-body workout routines can eliminate entire days of exercise as you require a day of rest after each workout.
Performing straight sets (repeating the same exercise in a row), provides you the opportunity to build maximal strength in that exercise, however the value usually stops there.
Super-setting and circuit training on the other hang allow you to build strength (albeit to a lesser degree), while also challenging your cardiovascular system. Again if you’re looking to save time, why not pick a workout style that builds strength and improves your cardio all at once?
Personally I hold efficiency in the most highest regard, and almost every workout I do consists of super-setting and/or circuit training multi-joint exercises. If you’re someone who wants to get maximum results without spending ALL day in the gym, consider using these two exercise strategies in your workout!
3. Get Daily Movement
It’s important on days you are not working out to try and get lots of daily movement. This can come in the form of walking, hiking, or riding a bike. It IS possible even the short on time to fit movement in.
I’ve had clients who manage to strategically get 15K steps in a day while working a desk job. How? They take the stairs, park further away, and make it a PRIORITY to get up and move around he office.
This type of daily movement while not demanding does add up and goes a long way in helping make three workouts productive.
Challenge your self even on your busiest days to get daily movement in. How many steps did you have today? Try to increase that by 1K steps tomorrow! Need a way to track your steps? Check out the STEPS app, free on I-phone!