When you get older and life demands start to add up, training is going to have to take a back seat even if it is your top priority. I have experienced this myself. Training has always been one of my top, if not the top priority and even then, it has taken a back seat to other obligations. This is not to say that I don’t or didn’t train or that it doesn’t get attention and effort when it takes the back seat. The effort and focus is still there, I just can’t dedicate as much time as I’d like to. I used to fall into the all or nothing trap where I would think a training session wasn’t worth it if I couldn’t get it all in or if I had to cut something out my motivation would tank because I was convinced I wasn’t getting all the benefits. I am glad to say that I have learned better and that you can indeed still train very effectively and make great progress even with a fractionated, abbreviated, modified and random training schedule.There is even research to support this, see references below.
The biggest key here is to realize that even a couple of sets per week for a lift you prioritize can still be enough for effective training. There is research that demonstrates this (see below references and further reading). So, if you only have a couple of 15-30 minute slots throughout the week to train, you can still get effective training in. Don’t think you’re leaving progress on the table or half assing it because you can’t train 3 or more times per week for an hour and a half at a time. It’s still effective if you put in the effort and it’s all you can do anyways right?
So, without further ado, here is some advice, guidelines, and a couple practical examples to show how this can actually work for you to make meaningful progress in times where your training time is limited:
General Advice:
Try not to get concerned with the idea of and what others say is “optimal”. Whatever your time allows is what will suffice and work for you - which makes it your “optimal” for your situation. You can’t do any more than that anyway right? But you could do less or none at all which isn’t helpful, so maximize what your situation allows and that will take care of it. Just because you’re not training an hour or more at a time 3 or more days/week does not mean you can’t make progress or that it’s not worth doing less.
Consistency over the long haul is the most important thing. Getting the minimum amount of effective work in each week is consistent and this will get you somewhere even in very little amounts done haphazardly each week.
Don't get caught up in performance and progressing weight each session or week. The intent is to induce the desired stress and this may not always be more weight on the bar or more reps, especially when your time, training, and recovery resources are limited. You may not be adequately recovered or prepared to train, but you can adjust things and get the intended stress which makes it the ideal training stimulus and effective - even if it’s less weight or reps than planned. Your body knows and experiences the stress, not the absolute weight on the bar or the number of reps compared to last time.
It does not have to be a set, exact schedule. Consistency does not mean it has to be Monday-Wednesday-Friday every week. Getting 2-3 sessions at some point throughout each week is consistent and absolutely fine even if it is done a little different each week. Squatting on Monday and Friday one week, then Tuesday and Wednesday the next, then Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday, the next still works as it is 2-3 times a week consistently.
It is perfectly ok to train the same movement or muscle group on back to back days. Autoregulating through use of RPE, AMRAPS, etc helps to adjust the workload to the appropriate stress so you can do this even if you’re sore and fatigued. AND we want to get the stress in consistently each week right? So who cares if it has to be done on back to back days. Get it done anyway.
Be opportunistic. When you have 10-30 minutes, knock out some training. Even if it is throughout the day and random times each day. Getting it done at some point is what matters. Example times you could get something done if you have 10 or more minutes: while dinner is cooking, before the kids get up in the morning, right before you leave for work if you get everyone ready a little bit early, as soon as you get home from work, while the kids are napping, over your lunch break, any break at work, after the kids are in bed, while the family is watching TV after dinner, any time there is a brief lull in family activity that doesn’t require your immediate attention, etc. There are more “hidden” little stints of time in your day than you may realize.
Superset unrelated lifts. Doing 2 lifts that don’t use the same muscles can reduce workout time and allow you to get 2 lifts done vs 1. It will be fatiguing but if you are not using the same muscles for each of the 2 lifts, you will be somewhat “resting” while doing the other lift. Examples: push ups and lunges, overhead press and deadlifts, squats and curls, etc, etc.
Prioritize what lifts or muscles you want to work on and make sure to get those done. Anything else as your schedule allows is great but don’t worry about it if it just doesn’t work out. Get your prioritized work done when you can as the week progresses, then after, add in anything else you’d like as your time allows. It’s ok if you don’t do the extra stuff consistently because that’s not your priority. It's great if you can get it in, but no big deal if you don’t because you got the most important stuff done still-your prioritized work.
2-3 hard sets of a couple lifts and 2 or more 10-15 min jogs/walks/bike rides can be great and effective, even randomly done throughout each week.
If you can, set up some sort of a home gym or have some equipment you can use at home. Eliminating any commute time and allows you to be more opportunistic to get something in.
Pick exercises that require minimal set up so you can hop right in and get going without spending any time moving things around and setting up. If you’re prioritizing hypertrophy, then you may not even need much of a warm up, just get going and make sure your sets are close to failure.
Keep some equipment in the living room or where you spend time with your kids and family often that doesn’t take up space. This facilitates opportunistic training. Some dumbbells or push up handles can work well here.
For a home gym: a barbell, some plates and a couple stall mats can be very effective. Add a bench and a squat rack and you’re all set. Add some adjustable or pairs of dumbbells and you have enough to suit you indefinitely. You can obviously get more than that, but that will be based on your wants and needs. If all you care about is hypertrophy, you could get away with almost no equipment: push ups, pull ups and lunges can get you jacked if you push the sets close to failure a couple times a week. Push ups don’t require anything but a floor and you could use some handles or some sort of blocks for increased ROM, pullups could be done on an exposed rafter, ledge, or monkey bars, and lunges can be done on the ground or off a step to add more ROM.
Options if you don’t have/want to purchase a barbell or squat rack:
-No equipment: Push ups, lunges, sissy squats, pull ups
-Push up handles, adjustable or a few pairs of dumbbells: Push ups, lunges, sissy squats, RDLS, rows, Jefferson curls, seated or standing overhead presses
Options if you only have a barbell and some plates:
Deadlifts, RDLS, Rows, Olympic lifts, zercher lifts, power clean to front squat, power clean to overhead press, lunges, good mornings
The minimum amount of equipment for the most options:
Squat rack, bench, barbell and plates, stall mats and/or plywood sheets, adjustable or a few pairs of dumbbells
Guidelines:
For hypertrophy, getting ~4 sets involving a muscle group you want to focus on/week can be enough. Can be isolated or indirect work (example: isolated quads = leg extensions, indirect quads = squats or lunges). Make sure those sets are taken within ~3 reps to failure somewhere in the 5-30 rep range.
For strength, 2-3 sets of heavy work in the 1-5 rep range at an RPE of 7 or higher, or some AMRAPS (As Many Reps As Possible) in the 70-85% 1RM (1 rep max) range can be effective. Even 2-3 heavy singles (around RPE 9) can be effective. It may be better to spread the sets throughout the week if possible as the more frequent practice can help with the skill aspect of the lift. The volume doesn’t change so the overall stress is the same, but practicing the lift on a more frequent basis helps with the skill acquisition which is an important aspect of getting stronger with the barbell lifts.
It doesn’t matter if you get all the minimum sets done in 1 workout or throughout a week. The key is to get the minimum amount of sets done at some point throughout the week, every week. The total volume/number of sets is what is important, not when they are done. If you have time on any given week to do more sets, do them. It’s perfectly fine to hit the 4 sets most weeks and occasionally hit more here and there. The extra sets are icing on the cake since you are getting the minimum effective dose consistently.
Practical examples incorporating various elements described above:
Example 1)
Monday:
Squat working up to 75% and doing 1 AMRAP to RPE 8 - took 15 minutes done in the morning right before time to get the kids up
10 min run/walk as soon as getting home from work
Tuesday:
Bench working up to a top single at RPE 9, then 2 AMRAPs with 75% of top single to RPE 8 - took 15 minutes done in the morning right before time to get the kids up
Wednesday:
Deadlift working up to 75% for 1 AMRAP to RPE 8 - took 20 minutes done while dinner was in the oven after work
Thursday:
No time nor opportunity to train today, went on a 15 minute walk over lunch
Friday:
Push ups and reverse lunges off a step, 2 sets each to RPE 8-9 done as superset - took 6 minutes right before needing to shower and leave for work
Saturday:
Squat and Deadlift working up to a top single at RPE 9, followed by 1 back of set of 3 at 80% of top single - took 35 minutes after family breakfast
Sunday:
Bench working up to a top single at RPE 9, followed by 2 back of sets of 3 at 80% of the top single
Curls 2 AMRAPS to RPE 9
Rolling tricep extensions 2 AMRAPS to RPE 9
Took 30 minutes while kids were napping after lunch
Example 2)
Monday:
Deadlift working up to top single at RPE 9, then 1 AMRAP of barbell rows at 50% of top DL single to RPE 9 - took 25 min while dinner in the oven after work
Tuesday and Wednesday:
No time to train, went on 10 min walks over lunch
Thursday:
Bench working up to 2 AMRAPS at 80% - took 15 min before kids got up in the morning
Friday:
Squat working up to 1 AMRAP at 80%, then 1 AMRAP of sissy squats to RPE 9 - took 20 min when home from work while wife and kids went to pick up dinner
Saturday and Sunday:
Out of town, did 3 hard sets of push ups throughout the morning on Sunday and 2 hard sets of pull ups while at a playground with the kids that afternoon
These examples may look haphazard and each week may look different, but as long as the same work was done at some point throughout each week, then the consistency is there and the adaptations will happen.
If you want more specific and individualized help for your situation, email me at caleb@retrainbarbell.com and we can figure out a plan that works with your restricted schedule
References and further reading:
What’s the least amount of training you need to make solid strength gains? • Stronger by Science
(2024, March 13). What’s the least amount of training you need to make solid strength gains? Stronger by Science. https://www.strongerbyscience.com/minimum-effective-dose-strength/
Effective Strength Training for the Time-Poor • Stronger by Science
(2023, July 25). Effective Strength Training for the Time-Poor. Stronger by Science. https://www.strongerbyscience.com/training-for-time-poor/
Androulakis-Korakakis P, Michalopoulos N, Fisher JP, Keogh J, Loenneke JP, Helms E, Wolf M, Nuckols G, Steele J. The Minimum Effective Training Dose Required for 1RM Strength in Powerlifters. Front Sports Act Living. 2021 Aug 30;3:713655. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2021.713655. PMID: 34527944; PMCID: PMC8435792.