subject: Shorter strength workouts with great results [print this page] Shorter strength workouts with great results
For those of us who love strength training, a workout lasting 1 hour is often a journey that we love and enjoy! However there are times when time becomes our enemy and we are required to cut down on our training time. Of course working out lesser does not mean that the results also need to get reduced. I am sure that would not make any of you happy, right! So then what to do if you had to cut out your workout time by about 1/3 rd?
Before I proceed I would like to say that I am talking about training with heavy weights where you take about 2 1/2 minutes rest between sets. I am not referring to the "pump" style mass training where you take about 60 seconds between sets to maximize the pump. When you train with heavy weights in the 3-8 reps range you would usually take about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes between sets to recover.
The method that I will suggest to save time is not a new one. You might have come across it earlier. I would however like to help you understand it a little better so that you can implement it with the choice of your exercises. The method that I suggest involves doing two different strength training exercises in an alternating sets fashion. For eg. lets say you are to do 3 sets of rows and bench presses. Now normally you would do 3 sets of one exercise followed by the other. Lets say that you take 30 seconds to complete a set and rest 2 1/2 (150 seconds) minutes between each set. This would mean that you would take 6x(30+150)=1080 seconds= 18 minutes to do the 6 sets.
Now I am asking you to do the 3 sets in this fashion:
1st sets of presses
90 seconds rest
1st set of rows
90 seconds rest
2nd set of presses
90 seconds rest
2nd set of rows
90 seconds of rest
3rd set of presses
90 seconds rest
3rd set of rows
90 seconds rest
You can clearly see that the rest between sets has been been cut down to 90 seconds from 150 seconds previously. Now you will finish the 6 sets taking 30 seconds of work in 6x(30+90)=720 seconds= 12 minutes. There you have it 18 minutes cut down to 12 minutes! 1/3 rd of the time is saved without cutting out any exercise, set or rep.
The one thing that you may wonder about at this point is intensity. You might wonder that if you cut down the rest time then would you still be able to lift heavy weights? The answer to your question would be YES! However for that to be possible you must do 2 suitable exercises together. You should use two exercises that are either opposite in action or upper-lower body exercises. For eg. opposing actions would mean doing a pressing exercise with a pulling exercise like say presses with row. Doing an upper- lower body combination might include say squats with push ups. Do not try to mix two exercises of similar type or else you will not be able to train heavy. For example after doing a set of heavy bench presses you will certainly not be able to go heavy on military presses with a 90 seconds rest. Same goes for lunges followed by squats.
One problem that you might face while doing alternating sets style training in a commercial gym is that you may not be allowed to hold 2 different pieces of equipment at the same time. For example using the pulldown machine while using the bench rack might not go too well with the gym authorities. In this case you can solve your problem by pairing a weighted barbell/machine exercise with a bodyweight exercise that may or may not be weighted. For eg. you can do heavy squats, rest 90 seconds then use 1 or 2 plates from the bar to put on your back to do push ups. You can also use a single bar and do two different exercises. For eg you can use the same bar to do military presses with barbell rows.
So using the above mentioned method to cut down time without cutting the intensity of your valuable workouts here are two sample full body workouts that you can do:
Workout 1:
A1) Squats- 3 sets of 6 reps
A2) Weighted push ups- 3 sets of 8-10 reps
B1) Dumbbell overhead presses- 3 sets of 5 reps
B2) Dumbbell rows- 3 sets of 6 reps
C1) Turkish get ups- 3 sets of 3 reps, each side
C2) Weighted hyperextensions- 3 sets of 10 reps
Workout 2)
A1) Military presses- 3 sets of 5 reps
A2) Barbell rows- 3 sets of 6 reps
B1) Bench presses- 3 sets of 6 reps
B2) Romanian deadlifts- 3 sets of 6 reps
C1) Barbell lunges- 3 sets of 8 reps, each side
C2) Pull ups- 3 sets 8-10 reps
Rest 90 seconds after doing the first exercise of the alternating set and then do the second exercise of the alternating set. Then rest 90- seconds and go back to the first exercise. Repeat in this order till all 3 sets of both exercises are complete.
So there you have it, two workouts that would have taken you 54 minutes, cut down to 36 minutes without any decrease in the work performed. Go on and try this style and see how you can still continue to progress even if you have lesser time to workout.
