Being short on time can be a convenient excuse for skipping training especially with a busy working schedule. The fact is, if you’re smart about it, you can complete a really effective workout within a one hour lunch break and still have time to shower, change and grab a bite to eat. So if you’re someone who’s frequently pushed for time here are 10 ways you can make the best use of a small amount of time in which to train.
1. Plan your workout.
Think of it like going for your weekly supermarket shop without a shopping list, you know how it usually ends up – you fill up your trolley with junk. Same goes for the gym, go in without a plan and you’ll end up trying a bit of everything without achieving very much.
2. It’s not a library.
Books, magazines and newspapers have no place in the gym! If you’re able to sit on an exercise bike and read size 10 print then you’re clearly not working hard enough!
3. Ditch the cardio warm-up
There is no need to take the words “warm-up” so literally and spend 10-15 minutes on a treadmill at the start of your workout. Think instead of ‘movement preparation’ and use exercises like overhead squats, lunges (forward, lateral and reverse), T-press ups and single leg squats to put your joints through a functional range of motion, improve mobility and raise your body temperature so you are ready to tackle your main workout.
4. Leave your mobile phone in your locker
Just like point 2, if you’ve got time to check your phone you clearly aren’t working hard enough! Focus on the job in hand the emails/texts/facebook posts can all wait.
5. Superset
You’ve done a set of squats so you deserve to take a seat right? Well, for the powerlifters out there then maybe but if you’re in a hurry you need to forget that and make every second count. Here’s where super-setting comes in handy. Let’s say you’ve just done that same set of squats but rather than taking a seat for 2-3 minutes you could head over to the pull up bar and perform a set of pull ups? Finish your pull ups and head slowly back over to do your next set of squats. In that time your legs have probably had about 2 minutes rest. The key here is to choose non-conflicting exercises so two lower body exercise like squats and deadlifts isn’t an ideal pairing.
6. You’re not training for Mr/Miss Universe
Unless you’re a bodybuilder there is very little point wasting valuable gym time on body part isolation exercises – arm curls, leg extensions etc. Think instead about multi-joint exercises (squats, lunges, press ups, pull ups etc) this means multiple muscle groups being trained simultaneously. Not only are they far more time efficient than trying to work individual muscles they have a greater functional carry over to things you do every day so things like picking up heavy shopping bags or lifting up your kids becomes easy!
7. No more crunching to oblivion
Why it is that people can ALWAYS find time for sit-ups and crunches at the end of a workout is beyond me. If you’ve paid attention to the point above about multi-joint exercises, and doing them with strict form, then your abdominal muscles will be getting a very effective workout. While your fellow gym-goers are doing their 15 minute abs plan you can be hitting the showers.
8. Interval training
Unless you’re specifically training for a long distance event there are much better (and more enjoyable) uses of your time in the gym than spending hours plodding away at the same speed on a treadmill. Roger Bannister, the first man to run a four minute mile, used interval training as a means to squeeze in high quality training whilst studying for his medical degree. Interval training simply consists of periods of high intensity work interspersed with periods of recovery. An example might be 10 repetitions of 60 seconds at near maximal pace followed by 60 seconds of recovery. Make no mistake, these workouts are hard but they are very effective with research showing similar and, in some cases, superior results to long slow cardio sessions.
9. Make things a little complex
Are you so time poor that you have less than 15 minutes to fit your workout in? A complex may be the answer to your problems. A complex is far less complicated than the name might suggest, it’s simply 2 or more exercises using the same piece of equipment put together with no rest between the exercises. As an example using a suitably weighted barbell (i.e. you can complete all the exercises with good form) complete 6 deadlifts, 6 bent over rows, 6 front squats, 6 push presses. Rest for about 60 seconds then complete 2-3 more sets.
10. Stick to the basics
There is no need to be doing any more than 4 exercises when you’re short on time if you choose carefully! A good rule of thumb to ensure a balanced and effective workout is to choose a push and pull exercise for both the upper and lower body. Not sure of your pushes from your pulls? Here are some examples:
| Lower Body Push | Squat, Lunge |
| Lower Body Pull | Deadlift, Hip Thurst/Bridge |
| Upper Body Push | Press up, Shoulder Press |
| Upper Body Pull | Rows, Chins, Pull Ups |
There you have it, hopefully there are a few strategies you’ve not used before. Give them a go and see if you’re able to achieve more for less!
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