I’ve been lurking on T-Nation for a while and finally decided to post because I could use some advice from experienced lifters here. I’m a busy professional in my mid-30s, working long hours and juggling family responsibilities, which makes it tough to follow a rigid workout schedule. However, I’m committed to building strength and improving overall fitness.
I used to lift regularly in my early 20s, but over the years, my consistency has dropped. My main goal now is to get stronger, add some muscle, and stay athletic without spending hours in the gym. I typically have about 45–60 minutes per session, 3–4 days a week.
Right now, I’m focusing on compound lifts (squats, deadlifts, bench, overhead press, and pull-ups), but I’m wondering if there’s a more efficient way to structure my routine. Should I be doing full-body workouts each session, or would an upper/lower split work better given my schedule? Also, how much volume and intensity should I aim for to make steady progress without burning out?
Diet-wise, I try to eat clean, but meal prep is a challenge due to time constraints. Any tips on high-protein, easy-to-prepare meals would be appreciated as well.
I’ve used ”priority list” training. Works really well. No tied workouts or training days. Just a to do -list for the week. It allows you to get he most important stuff in at the start.
More info:
Supersetting the small stuff (if you even have the time for it) helps too.
This is plenty of time to make awesome progress! Just pick whatever tried and true program looks appealing to you or has worked for you in the past, and attack it with reckless abandon. There are no magic combinations of sets, reps, exercises, percentages, and so forth - you get out of it what you put in.
I will plug that I’m following Brian Alsruhe’s programming right now. His 45 Masters, RPM 1 & 2, Minimalist, and Powerbuilder Lite would all fit your time restraints, and they are completely prescriptive, i.e. every set, rep, and rest period is completely planned out for you. No guess work whatsoever. That could be a welcome relief when you have so much other stuff on your plate.
Do like me. Keep it simple. Train when you can and shift weekly sessions in between the big 3 lifts on any gym day (template of choice though Dan John ladders is fun and gets the work done), a full body bodybuilding day (I recommend a HIT session for most bang for the buck) and a freedom of choice full body home session (bodyweight, resistance bands etc).
This relieves the tension of being forced to follow a program, and this loose programming may mean you survive on two training days a week (even one may work occasionally) though four days is possible. I’ve had my best results doing 2-3 days a week but everyone is different.
That said, this plan requires some experience and grit in order to happen. You need to plan your workouts ahead though, as you may need to train when opportunity comes, and adapt modality depending on the current situation and how you feel.
Squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press and pullups; is that all lifts each day, or each lift gets it’s own day, or some combination?
You say you can train 3-4 times a week. Are those days likely to be all bunched up, like you’d lift 3 days in a row. Or all separated like you would get a day off between workouts?
And then what happens when you get crunched for time? Do you have to shorten the workouts to get out of the gym quickly? Or are you more likely to totally miss workout?
In a nutshell, you want your training split to work for you, not against you. Like a Full Body routine could be cool. Good frequency. Unless you’re too short on time to hit all your body parts, or you have to lift 3 consecutive days in a row.
One lift a day, hitting everything once a week is Classic and effective for strength and mass. Unless you miss workouts and start going 10-12 days between squat sessions.
Or whatever. So what constraints are you working under?