drtbear1967
Musclechemistry Board Certified Member
<header class="entry-header">[h=1]The Busy Woman’s Guide to Strength Training[/h]by Nia Shanks
</header>You’ve got a lot going on, but you still want to take care of yourself. You don’t need an abundance of time to achieve great results with strength training; just proven guidelines.
Many women find themselves at the end of their to-do list. They’re focused on their careers, taking care of kids or loved ones, putting the needs of others before their own, or simply doing things they enjoy more than going to the gym.
Free time is scarce.
And — now understand I mean this void of the typical condescending tone it’s delivered — but, that’s no excuse. There’s a reason flight attendants tell you in the event of an emergency and oxygen masks deploy you should secure your mask first before assisting someone else. Likewise, you can’t take care of others to the best of your ability if you’re not the healthiest, strongest version of yourself.
Or perhaps you’re thinking, “Shut up, Nia, I know taking care of myself is important. I just don’t want to spend more time than necessary at the gym or thinking about food because I have other interests I’d rather engage in.”
This is for you, too.
[h=2]Workout Tips for the Busy Woman[/h]Strength training provides numerous benefits (builds muscle, burns fat) so that’s what we’ll discuss here. Bottom line: if time is limited, spend it on strength training.
1. Purge the typical “I have to do all of this, all the time” from your mind. Maybe when you were younger or before you had kids you were able to work out for 60+ minutes a few days per week, and now that you don’t have that option, you think there’s no sense in working out for only 30 minutes. “I’d only have half an hour once I got to the gym, so what’s the point in even going?” or “I can only make it to the gym twice per week; there’s no way that’s enough” are common objections.
But they’re incorrect. It’s not about how much time you have, but what you do with it that counts. When time is short you can’t waste it on the minutiae — sadly this is a trap many find themselves. You must focus on the few BIG things that produce the majority of the results. Resist the urge to nit-pick the small things.
Example 1:
3. Big, compound exercises first. If you have limited time, make it count. Use large, multi-joint exercises like push-ups and presses, rows and pull-ups, squats, lunges, and deadlifts. You’ll reap greater benefits from getting stronger (more on this below) with compound exercises than you will doing exercises like triceps kick-backs, leg extensions, and other single-joint exercises. The former provides most the results, so they deserve your effort.
4. Stick with total body workouts. This way you train each muscle group frequently; if you don’t have much time to train, this is imperative. Include a lower body exercise (e.g., squats, lunges), upper body push (e.g., low incline bench press, barbell press), and upper body pull (e.g., pull-ups/cable pull-downs, dumbbell row). When you follow that triple-exercise format you can achieve terrific results with just three exercises per workout.
5. Quality. A common mistake people make is rushing through their workout. If you’re going to do it, do it right. Give weight training the respect it deserves. Make every rep count. Put as much effort and focus into the first rep of a set as the last.
Even if you only have 15 minutes you can create a training effect. You’ll need to keep rest periods to a minimum; using circuits (exercises performed in alternating fashion) as opposed to straight sets (performing all sets of an exercise on its own before moving on to other exercises in the workout) will give you maximum benefits in minimum time.
Here’s a sample circuit:
6. Improve your performance. Every time you repeat a workout you must do a little better. Perform at least one more total rep for each exercise, or increase the weight. If time is at a minimum you can decrease rest periods between exercises or circuits. Gradual, consistent performance improvement is mandatory. This is why you need to keep a workout log so you can see your progress as it unfolds and know what you must do to progress.
7. Schedule workouts on most convenient days. I recommend taking a day off between total body workouts. For example: perform a workout on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Or if you can only work out twice per week, something like Tuesday and Saturday. But if you know the only days you’ll actually commit to working out occur in a row, like Saturday and Sunday, that’s what you must work with.* You’ll achieve greater results making due with what you have to work with than waiting for your schedule to be “ideal” or less chaotic.
Set yourself up for success. Schedule workouts when you know you’ll do them, and this may change with your schedule.
8. Supplement with bodyweight workouts. Maybe you can’t devote 20 minutes to drive to the gym, wait for equipment to become available, do your workout, and drive 20 minutes home. Before you know it, what should’ve been a 30-minute workout turned into a 2-hour event.
If you don’t have a home gym, this is when bodyweight workouts are extremely useful. If you can only devote 1-2 workouts to the gym each week, perform a third bodyweight workout at home. It doesn’t need to be fancy:
You can find more bodyweight exercises and their progressions in this article.
9. Got extra time? Sprinkle in additional isolation exercises. Compound exercises should be performed first, but days that provide extra time are a good opportunity to include additional exercises, like isolation exercises for extra work on body parts you want to prioritize.
Want to give direct attention to your arms? Perform a few sets of dumbbell curls and lying extensions at the end of the workout. Want to boost your glutes? Add in single leg hip thrusts. Want to keep your shoulders healthy? You can’t go wrong with face-pull variations or band pull-aparts
</header>You’ve got a lot going on, but you still want to take care of yourself. You don’t need an abundance of time to achieve great results with strength training; just proven guidelines.
Many women find themselves at the end of their to-do list. They’re focused on their careers, taking care of kids or loved ones, putting the needs of others before their own, or simply doing things they enjoy more than going to the gym.
Free time is scarce.
And — now understand I mean this void of the typical condescending tone it’s delivered — but, that’s no excuse. There’s a reason flight attendants tell you in the event of an emergency and oxygen masks deploy you should secure your mask first before assisting someone else. Likewise, you can’t take care of others to the best of your ability if you’re not the healthiest, strongest version of yourself.
“If you think taking care of yourself is selfish, change your mind. If you don’t, you’re simply ducking your responsibilities.” -Ann Richards
That may sting a bit, but taking care of yourself isn’t optional. You can’t delegate the responsibility to someone else. Even with limited time you can reap rewards, and I’ll show you how. Because strength training provides numerous benefits, it’s one of the best activities you can do to achieve results without a lot of time: it’s efficient. But you must follow some guidelines.
Or perhaps you’re thinking, “Shut up, Nia, I know taking care of myself is important. I just don’t want to spend more time than necessary at the gym or thinking about food because I have other interests I’d rather engage in.”
This is for you, too.
[h=2]Workout Tips for the Busy Woman[/h]Strength training provides numerous benefits (builds muscle, burns fat) so that’s what we’ll discuss here. Bottom line: if time is limited, spend it on strength training.
1. Purge the typical “I have to do all of this, all the time” from your mind. Maybe when you were younger or before you had kids you were able to work out for 60+ minutes a few days per week, and now that you don’t have that option, you think there’s no sense in working out for only 30 minutes. “I’d only have half an hour once I got to the gym, so what’s the point in even going?” or “I can only make it to the gym twice per week; there’s no way that’s enough” are common objections.
But they’re incorrect. It’s not about how much time you have, but what you do with it that counts. When time is short you can’t waste it on the minutiae — sadly this is a trap many find themselves. You must focus on the few BIG things that produce the majority of the results. Resist the urge to nit-pick the small things.
Example 1:
- Big thing: I will strength train 2-3 times per week. (Yes! Do this — you’ll see how below.)
- Small thing: Is it optimal to work out earlier or later in the day? (No. Don’t focus on this; it’s insignificant. But the answer: whatever is most convenient.)
- Big thing: I’m going to eat at least .7-.9 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. (Yes. Do it.)
- Small thing: I’m going to debate whether I should eat an apple or strawberries (No. This is a waste of mental energy. Both are good and anyone who says to avoid bananas or something equally preposterous is contributing to the bullshit plaguing health and fitness. You have better things to do with your time than get sucked into such nonsense. This isn’t just a “small” thing — it’s a stupid thing.)
- Big thing: I’m going to get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep every night. (You’re smart to do this. Many people grossly underestimate the value of sufficient sleep.)
- Small thing: Should I eat three or four meals per day? (Nope. Small thing. And the right answer is: whatever you prefer and will adhere to long-term.)
3. Big, compound exercises first. If you have limited time, make it count. Use large, multi-joint exercises like push-ups and presses, rows and pull-ups, squats, lunges, and deadlifts. You’ll reap greater benefits from getting stronger (more on this below) with compound exercises than you will doing exercises like triceps kick-backs, leg extensions, and other single-joint exercises. The former provides most the results, so they deserve your effort.
4. Stick with total body workouts. This way you train each muscle group frequently; if you don’t have much time to train, this is imperative. Include a lower body exercise (e.g., squats, lunges), upper body push (e.g., low incline bench press, barbell press), and upper body pull (e.g., pull-ups/cable pull-downs, dumbbell row). When you follow that triple-exercise format you can achieve terrific results with just three exercises per workout.
5. Quality. A common mistake people make is rushing through their workout. If you’re going to do it, do it right. Give weight training the respect it deserves. Make every rep count. Put as much effort and focus into the first rep of a set as the last.
Even if you only have 15 minutes you can create a training effect. You’ll need to keep rest periods to a minimum; using circuits (exercises performed in alternating fashion) as opposed to straight sets (performing all sets of an exercise on its own before moving on to other exercises in the workout) will give you maximum benefits in minimum time.
Here’s a sample circuit:
- Squat x 8 reps
- Dumbbell bench press x 8 reps
- Dumbbell row x 8 reps per arm
6. Improve your performance. Every time you repeat a workout you must do a little better. Perform at least one more total rep for each exercise, or increase the weight. If time is at a minimum you can decrease rest periods between exercises or circuits. Gradual, consistent performance improvement is mandatory. This is why you need to keep a workout log so you can see your progress as it unfolds and know what you must do to progress.
7. Schedule workouts on most convenient days. I recommend taking a day off between total body workouts. For example: perform a workout on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Or if you can only work out twice per week, something like Tuesday and Saturday. But if you know the only days you’ll actually commit to working out occur in a row, like Saturday and Sunday, that’s what you must work with.* You’ll achieve greater results making due with what you have to work with than waiting for your schedule to be “ideal” or less chaotic.
Set yourself up for success. Schedule workouts when you know you’ll do them, and this may change with your schedule.
8. Supplement with bodyweight workouts. Maybe you can’t devote 20 minutes to drive to the gym, wait for equipment to become available, do your workout, and drive 20 minutes home. Before you know it, what should’ve been a 30-minute workout turned into a 2-hour event.
If you don’t have a home gym, this is when bodyweight workouts are extremely useful. If you can only devote 1-2 workouts to the gym each week, perform a third bodyweight workout at home. It doesn’t need to be fancy:
- Reverse lunges
- Push-ups
- Glute bridge
- Inverted rows
You can find more bodyweight exercises and their progressions in this article.
9. Got extra time? Sprinkle in additional isolation exercises. Compound exercises should be performed first, but days that provide extra time are a good opportunity to include additional exercises, like isolation exercises for extra work on body parts you want to prioritize.
Want to give direct attention to your arms? Perform a few sets of dumbbell curls and lying extensions at the end of the workout. Want to boost your glutes? Add in single leg hip thrusts. Want to keep your shoulders healthy? You can’t go wrong with face-pull variations or band pull-aparts
