The Best Workouts When In A Time Crunch

Submitted by RonnyT on Fri, 2021-07-09 15:22

We’ve all been there. You want to get in a workout, but life happens and something unexpected happens, and now you only have 20-30 minutes to workout. Some may be discouraged and take an (unwanted) break from the gym for the day. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many styles of workouts that you can do that will still allow you to build some mass or reap the benefits of a cardiovascular workout.

When it comes to quickie strength or mass workouts, focusing on a single compound movement can still help you reach your goals. The best single compound movements include squats, deadlifts, bench press, and Olympic or CrossFit lifts. 14 workouts utilize many muscle groups at the same time and can tire you out quickly, especially when they are the core focus of your workout.

Since you’re pressed for time, you should be lifting with high intensity. Keep the working volume low and instead focus on lifting heavy while maintaining proper form.

Squats: Version 1

This squat workout can help you build both mass and strength and is a well-known style of programs focused on building mass. Even if you are tight n time, it is crucial to warm up. Warming up before your workout can help prevent injuries. A gym related injury can cause you to miss more than one workout, so don’t skip this step. RM refers to the heaviest weight you can lift for X amount of consecutive exercise.

• 1 minute cardio warm up

• Gentle stretches (don’t overdo it here, you don’t want to strain a cold muscle)

• 10 reps bar only

• 5 reps at 50% of 10-RM

• 3 reps at 75% of 10-RM

• 20 reps at 100% of 10-25 RM

Now this workout is extremely difficult and may not be plausible for everyone. The main part and also the most difficult aspect of this workout is the 20 rep squats of your 10-15 RM may require you to go slow and take deep breaths between the reps It is normal to need to take some time and prepare for the next rep. Don’t let it hold you back though- while difficult, it can be done and is a highly effective workout in a pinch.

Squats: Version 2

This workout is more power focused. Each working set will only be 3 reps each. For this workout, 3-5 sets will be effective, but if possible, doing up to 10 sets will get the most bang for your buck. 3-5 sets are great if you are lifting very heavy. Taking a long rest between sets will still leave you with a highly effective workout. This is a difficult and demanding lift, so if you need a few minutes to recover, that’s totally fine.

• 1 minute cardio workout

• Gentle stretches

• 10 reps bar only

• 5 reps at 50% of 3 RM

• 3 reps at 75% of 3 RM

• 1 rep at 90% 3 RM

• 3 sets of 3-5 reps at 100% of 3 RM

• Cool down with 5 minutes or more of low intensity cardio

Deadlift

A quality deadlift session lets you make the most of every minute. Its simple: lift heavy things ff of the ground using your whole body, and repeat.

• 1 minute cardio workout

• Gentle stretches (t might be beneficial to focus on shoulders, back, and hamstrings)

• 10 reps bar only

• 10 reps at 20% of 1-RM

• 5 reps at 50% of 1-RM

• 2 reps at 75% of 1-RM

• A few singles at 0-90% of 1-RM.

• 5-10 minutes of low intensity cardio

Get good quality rest after every rep when doing heavy deadlifts. Ensure proper form, especially for the sake of your back. For the singles, do as many reps as possible that you can afford time-wise for the workout. Remember: don’t rush your rest periods, and focus on proper form!

Bench Press

A bench press workout is a great workout despite not being a full-body workout like squats or deadlifts are. This is a similar workout to the 5x% routine that is often used by both strength athletes and bodybuilders.

• 1 minute cardio warm-up

• Gentle stretches focused on upper body

• 10 reps bar only

• 5 reps at 20% of 1-RM

• 1 rep at 50% of 1-RM

• 5 sets of 5 res at 100% of 5-RM

• 5-10 minutes of low intensity cardio

General Conditioning

A general conditioning workout (some refer to it as GPP: general physical preparedness) uses aspects of both cardio and strength training. This type of workout can leave you exhausted, but it provides the benefits of aerobic/anerobic conditioning as well as the benefits of per from traditional strength training.

For general conditioning workouts, there is a limitless variety of workouts, so being creative and using your imagination to incorporate a workout that uses your entire body while being free of excessive rest between lifts (think having a low intensity active rest). A basic example of a general conditioning workout saving as much time is as follows:

• 4 single-arm snatches (use 2 weights or kettlebells one for each arm)

• 5 pull-ups

• 10 push-ups

• 20 bodyweight squats

These exercises are 1 circuit. Do as many circuits as you can in your allotted time.

For this workout, the snatches should be the most difficult set. The workout might start easy at first, but will become more challenging as you perform more circuits. Its normal to stop and rest as needed, but your workout will be most effective if you take an active rest, such as walking around the gym or whatever location you choose.

General conditioning allows for a lot of ways to increase the intensity of your workout, which you will need the more often you do them. You can always increase the time of the workout while maintaining the same pace, perform the circuit faster (allowing you to perform more circuits in your given time), or you can increase the weights… there are many ways to increase the difficulty.

General Workout for Reps

This type of workout has no set timeframe, so it’s up to you and your body to finish the desired amount of reps. The reps for this type of workout are high, so it can be extremely difficult. The most simple and effective example of a Reps-focused workout looks like this:

• Pull-ups or a heavy weighted pull for 1 set of 50 reps a 50% of our 1-RM

You can use dumbbells, a barbell, or just a pull-up bar. The first few reps will seem easy, but the mre you do, your muscles will start to fatigue. Around the 25 rep area, it will become difficult, but keep going, you can do it.

Sprints

Sprints are known to be challenging, and if you look at the difference in the muscle tone of sprinters vs distance runners, you’ll notice that the sprinters tend to have a much more muscular and toned physique. A basic example of a sprint workout looks like this:

• 60 yard dash

• 10 burpees

• 15 pushups

Rest as little as you need, and repeat as much as you can handle or what your time allows. Incorporating a sled (adding weight to it as needed) can make the sprits much more difficult and effective. The burpees and pushups allow you to (somewhat) prepare yourself for the next sprint.

Tabata and HIIT

While Tabata workouts and HIIT workouts are similar in nature, they do have their differences. Tabata workouts focus on 20 seconds of maximum effort intensity, followed by a 10 second rest, rinse and repeat for 4 minutes. At this point, take a longer rest (1 minute or more, depending on your needs) and repeat for as many circuits as you can. End your Tabata workout with a 5–10-minute cool-down of low intensity cardio. In some Tabata workouts, you can do different exercises for each on/off period. Examples include rowing then running, burpees, whatever challenges you the most. The work/rest ratio can be altered as needed, as can the overall time.

HIIT is similar to Tabata workouts in that there are periods of high intensity followed by low intensity, however the overall length of the workout is much shorter than conventional cardio training. If you are doing it correctly (i.e., giving maximum effort in the high-intensity areas), you can get a very effective workout in only 15 minutes (excluding the warm-up). If you’re finding that your workouts can last over 20-25 minutes, chances are you can push yourself harder in the working periods.

• Warm up for 5-10 minutes doing cardio or bodyweight exercises

• 1 minute of low intensity (think 50-5% of your high-intensity capabilities)

• 1 minute of high-intensity

• Repeat for 15-20 minutes

HIIT workouts an easily be changed and arranged by changing the work-rest ratio (for example 1:1 changed to 1-2 or 2-1, or anything in between)

Low Intensity Steady State Cardio

This is extremely easy and can be done for anywhere from 10-30 minutes. No, you won’t gain mass from LISS (Low Intensity Steady State), but it provides great cardiovascular benefits while still allowing your body to recover. This can be a brisk walk, light jog, or even a moderately paced run. You can also do LISS on a bike, elliptical, Stairmaster… you get the point. LISS is a great way to have an active rest day and can help loosen up your body.