Workouts For Limited Time But Access to A Gym

Training
1

I just got a new job and will be starting next week. According to my friends that work for this company there is a company gym that (surprisingly) has a squat rack, bench and barbells. The gym is within the plant and only costs $6 a month for employees.

My plan is to workout during my lunch break, 5 days a week. The biggest hurtle is that lunch is only a half an hour so that severely limits the total number of workouts that can be done. The good news is that I found I respond very well to high volume timed sets, which generally take 15 minutes at the most for 10x10 and about 10 min for 10x6.

My goal is to lose 20lbs of fat (1 lb/week), but maintain my strength as best as possible.

What advice do you guys have and are there workouts that meet the 30min/day 5 days/week criteria. High volume is preferred.

Current routine (Phase 3 of my program - aborted due to moving for new job)

Day 1:
Squat 90%1RM AMAPx4, 2 minute rest
Step-Up (unknown percent) 3x10
Farmers walk APAPx(1 lap), 1:30 Rest
Finisher: Treadmill maximum incline at moderate pace for 5-10 minutes

Day 2:
Bench 90%1RM AMAPx4, 2 minutes rest
Cable Row 90%1RM AMAPx4, 2 minutes rest
Dumbbell Push-Up and Row, 3xAMAP, 1 minute rest
Finisher: 1 Arm Deadlift (Suitcase Style), Singles (I find this is a great core workout and good finisher)

Day 3:
Arnold Press 90%1RM AMAPx4, 2 minutes rest
Lat Pulldown (Chin up grip) 90%1RM AMAPx4, 2 minutes rest.
Finisher: Overhead Farmers Walk ~65%1RM-OHP AMAPx(1-lap), 1-1:30 min rest

I was thinking of modifying it to be something like:

Day 1:
Squatting Movement
Stepping Movement

Day 2:
(Open to Suggestion) -arms?

Day 3:
Bench Pressing movement
Rowing Movement

Day 4:
(Open to Suggestion) - grip DLing?

Day 5:
Overhead Pressing Movement
Chin-up-like Pulling Movement

One thing I really want to include is some grip (with farmers walks ideally) and arm training. I wouldn’t normally care about arms, but I am not strong enough to curl the weight to the starting position that I am using for my Arnold Presses. I have to “clean” them to get them to shoulder height.

2

[quote]Aero51 wrote:
I just got a new job and will be starting next week. According to my friends that work for this company there is a company gym that (surprisingly) has a squat rack, bench and barbells. The gym is within the plant and only costs $6 a month for employees.

My plan is to workout during my lunch break, 5 days a week. The biggest hurtle is that lunch is only a half an hour so that severely limits the total number of workouts that can be done. The good news is that I found I respond very well to high volume timed sets, which generally take 15 minutes at the most for 10x10 and about 10 min for 10x6.

My goal is to lose 20lbs of fat (1 lb/week), but maintain my strength as best as possible.

What advice do you guys have and are there workouts that meet the 30min/day 5 days/week criteria. High volume is preferred.

Current routine (Phase 3 of my program - aborted due to moving for new job)

Day 1:
Squat 90%1RM AMAPx4, 2 minute rest
Step-Up (unknown percent) 3x10
Farmers walk APAPx(1 lap), 1:30 Rest
Finisher: Treadmill maximum incline at moderate pace for 5-10 minutes

Day 2:
Bench 90%1RM AMAPx4, 2 minutes rest
Cable Row 90%1RM AMAPx4, 2 minutes rest
Dumbbell Push-Up and Row, 3xAMAP, 1 minute rest
Finisher: 1 Arm Deadlift (Suitcase Style), Singles (I find this is a great core workout and good finisher)

Day 3:
Arnold Press 90%1RM AMAPx4, 2 minutes rest
Lat Pulldown (Chin up grip) 90%1RM AMAPx4, 2 minutes rest.
Finisher: Overhead Farmers Walk ~65%1RM-OHP AMAPx(1-lap), 1-1:30 min rest

I was thinking of modifying it to be something like:

Day 1:
Squatting Movement
Stepping Movement

Day 2:
(Open to Suggestion) -arms?

Day 3:
Bench Pressing movement
Rowing Movement

Day 4:
(Open to Suggestion) - grip DLing?

Day 5:
Overhead Pressing Movement
Chin-up-like Pulling Movement

One thing I really want to include is some grip (with farmers walks ideally) and arm training. I wouldn’t normally care about arms, but I am not strong enough to curl the weight to the starting position that I am using for my Arnold Presses. I have to “clean” them to get them to shoulder height.
[/quote]

You definitely have a lot of knowledge on training. Have you considered Vince gironda’s 8x8 scheme? I think it would be perfect for you because its high volume, fast, customizable, and a slightly different stimulus than you are used once you get the rest low and a set of 8x8 can be completed in 6 minutes.

I would personally also hit each bodypart twice a week, it is what most coaches and bodybuilders employ these days. Fitting that in once you get in pace should be possible.

Here is a article on it by Lee Boyce

3

Nice article, my first phase was vanilla GVT with 60 sec/set. I saw great results and adapted quickly. 30 seconds/set will be a great challenge indeed!

I suspect a program of this nature cannot be maintained for more than 6 weeks. Ideally I would like to stick to something at least 12 weeks or have a 12 week cycle. The article also does not recommend starting with 30 sec/set. Would a good long term progression be

Weeks 1-4: 45 sec/set
Weeks 5-8: 35 sec/set
Weeks 9-12: 25 sec/set

My protocol for my GVT training was that if I achieved 7/10 sets with 10x10 then I was to increase the weight by about 5%. My gut feeling tells me if I achieve 6/8 sets then I should do the same. I really want to take advantage of all 5 days I will have to exercise, so what would you recommend for Tuesday and Thursday?

4

Oh and thank you for the complement! It took years of messing up and many hours of reading articles to learn how to lift correctly.

Also, how much losses in strength should I expect? should I perform auxillary movements in the lower rep range too?

5

Anytime.

And the way 8x8 Is progressed is exercise dependant. For example you will find isolation movements rest cutable a lot faster than something like squats.

So when you do a exercise if you get all 8 reps of all 8 sets cut the rest by 5 seconds. It’s a form of progression just as if you were adding weight. Because progressing through adapting rest periods is new to you it should go pretty fast. 45 seconds sounds like a great place to start.

The first day you take 60% of your normal 8 rep max to start with. Cut the rests down until your satisfied , say the 25 seconds you listed then work on adding weight back. You may even get to 80% or more of your original weight before really stagnating , although 80% is a good goal. You shouldn’t lose much strength if any at all overall, when you return to standard 60 seconds it will feel like a huge amount of rest.

For the overall work week scheme I’ll have to think about it. 5 days straight due to lunch breaks is something I am not used to having me or my clients work in so popping out a answer quickly I couldn’t give you the answer you deserve.

6

Thanks for the input and honesty. If you want, I could provide you some estimates of my current maxes, body weight, waist size. One thing is clear is that it is not possible to perform an 8x8 style training with farmers walks. I really want to keep these in my routine as they have done wonders for my posture, grip strength, traps and overall improved my walking coordination.

7

[quote]Aero51 wrote:
Thanks for the input and honesty. If you want, I could provide you some estimates of my current maxes, body weight, waist size. One thing is clear is that it is not possible to perform an 8x8 style training with farmers walks. I really want to keep these in my routine as they have done wonders for my posture, grip strength, traps and overall improved my walking coordination.[/quote]

Anytime my friend.

Definitely keep them in then , they are phenomenal aren’t they. That’s something you could do on the other day( probably won’t feel like those after 8x8 for a while).Still thinking though.

8

Some good ideas here…

9

Is it impossible to work out prior to work, or after? 30 minute lunch break, so you have 30 minutes to change, get to the gym (which admittedly will probably only take a minute or so), warmup/workout, shower, and get back to work? Granted you could probably skip the shower I guess.

Seems like the time crunch is so much that it’s not the best idea in my eyes.

10

[quote]staystrong wrote:
Is it impossible to work out prior to work, or after? 30 minute lunch break, so you have 30 minutes to change, get to the gym (which admittedly will probably only take a minute or so), warmup/workout, shower, and get back to work? Granted you could probably skip the shower I guess.

Seems like the time crunch is so much that it’s not the best idea in my eyes.[/quote]
My first thought, too. Not sure what you do for a living, but if it’s the middle of the workday and you work a desk job (or really anything that’s mostly sitting/standing still), I’d want a pretty thorough warm-up to loosen the hips, shoulders, and upper back before any lifting. Also, with the right plan, you don’t “need” to lift five days a week. It’s possible to setup alternating days of lifting and simple cardio.

Anyhow, you might want to look into EDT. It’s literally designed to work within a strict window of time.

11

Im not claiming this 30 min/day thing will work, but I am open minded and willing to try something different. The worst that will happen is that it wont work and I’ll go back to my old routine. Plus I think the mid-day workout will be a good break from being in the office all day. I cant stand sitting around all day as it is, but my profession is in the STEM field where this is expected. Hell, maybe I could talk to my boss after awhile and see if they will let me take an hour and just stay and extra 30 minutes at the end of the day.

Chris and Rampant, Ill read the articles later on tonight. Kinda busy at the moment and just wanted to reply quickly. I dont think 20 minutes will be a problem though because in phase one of my German Volume Training routine I was performing 10x10 in under 15 minutes. I think the key is not bullshitting around and timing sets accurately. I have never warmed up admittedly except when going for something over 90%.

12

I would think complexes would be the best bet for that sort of time crunch, no?

13

[quote]Aero51 wrote:
Plus I think the mid-day workout will be a good break from being in the office all day. [/quote]
One other option to consider would be, if you can still get train a regular session a few days a week (before or after work), use the lunch break session as a kind of metabolic booster. Either to target one particular bodypart or just get a 15-20 minute activity bump to stimulate some extra fat loss. So instead of using them as your primary training, work them in as a “bonus” or whatever. Just another idea.

This will bite you in the ass eventually. Sub-90% work can cause injuries just as easily as very heavy stuff.

[quote]1 Man Island wrote:
I would think complexes would be the best bet for that sort of time crunch, no?[/quote]
Definitely another option and a great way to kickass in just a few sets.

14

[quote]Aero51 wrote:
Plus I think the mid-day workout will be a good break from being in the office all day. I cant stand sitting around all day as it is, but my profession is in the STEM field where this is expected. Hell, maybe I could talk to my boss after awhile and see if they will let me take an hour and just stay and extra 30 minutes at the end of the day. [/quote]

Plenty of good comments on here already so pardon me for adding one more voice to the chorus:

  1. If working out at the gym before/after work is an option, that would allow more time for the workout but still allow the convenience of working out “at work” without need for an extra “commute” to the gym.

  2. If working out at lunch is preferred, I think you should ask your boss if it’d be all right to take the longer lunch and stay later. I understand not all fields are flexible on this but I’d like to think your boss would be fine if your productivity remains the same.

  3. If you’re absolutely stuck with “30 minutes at lunch” then I think the ideas already put forth (GVT or a set of complexes) are good ones. I second Chris Colucci’s call for a more thorough warm-up but even taking 10 minutes to warm up would leave you time for a targeted attack on one bodypart or one exercise, either via GVT or something like Dan John’s One Lift A Day Program ( The “One Lift a Day” Program ).

15

Thanks for the suggests. I will be starting this coming Monday, so until then everything is pure speculation.

What are “complexes” by the way?

16

17

[quote]Aero51 wrote:
What are “complexes” by the way?[/quote]

Can be done using barbells or dumbbells (or other implements like kettlebells, but I’m guessing they don’t have them at your office gym).

18

I know this thread is old, but I started last week and am starting to get into a routine. I have decided to workout in the morning before work (usually arrive to the gym around 6:30am) because it is convenient and I think working out in the AM will help me jumpstart my metabolism - I have a terrible time waking up in the morning. I did this Friday just to try it out and felt amazing. I will have about 1 hour to work out in the morning. Surprisingly, the company gym is very good (squat rack, benches, boxes for box squat, barbells, etc), albeit small.

My plan so far is:

Monday:
8x8 Bench Movement
8x8 Row Movement

Tuesday:
Open for Suggestion

Wednesday:
8x8 Squat Movement
Farmers Walks

Thursday:
Open to Suggestion

Friday:
8x8 Overhead Pressing Movement
8x8 Chinup-like Pulling Movement

This is what I will be doing for the movements:
Squat: box squat

Benching Movement: Incline Arnold Press

Overhead Movement: Regular OH press

These are movements I am not sure of due to gym limitations:
Farmers Walk - Will be continuing this but the dumbbells only go up to 100lbs. I was thinking of buying some chains and a nylon handle, then wrapping it around a handle on a few 45lb plates (3 ideally). I am not sure if the weight is going to knock against my legs though. The gym has one triceps bar that can be used as a knockoff farmers bar. I could buy another one for $30 at Dicks and just keep it in my gym bag with my name on it. This would also allow me to do suitcase deadlifts.

Rowing Movement - I have read it is not a good idea to do a bent over row using 8x8. I am not strong enough to do a reverse row for 8x8 either with BW. I was thinking maybe just a standard dumbbell row, but I hate those. Also, the 8x8 plan states one arm exercises are generally not feasible given the short rest times.

Chin Up Movement - I did not see a lat pull-down machine, but I think they have one of those things that is like doing a regular chin up except it has a counterweight that you rest your legs on. Not a fan of those machines either, but if it is all that is available then that is what I will use.

Tuesday and Thursday:
I was thinking about using these days to do some cardio exercises. In addition, I really need to do some arm work. Compared to every other body part my arms are puny. I am also not doing a deadlifting movement because of the 8x8 plan. With that said I have found that suitcase deadlifts for singles are a safe alternative. I am thinking about doing a quick triceps and biceps exercises (not 8x8 since my arms are not very strong) followed by cardio on Tuesday, and suitcase deadlift singles followed by cardio on Thursday.

For cardio, I am not 100% sure what to do. Treadmills give me very bad shin splints and knee pain even at walking speeds. The ellipticals are kind of useless for practical cardiovascular improvements. I read the barbell complexes article, honestly I don’t think they are for me since I avoid cleans and snatches. I am also weary of overtraining. I was thinking some form of weighted carries for cardio…idk Any ideas?

19

[quote]Aero51 wrote:
Rowing Movement - I have read it is not a good idea to do a bent over row using 8x8. I am not strong enough to do a reverse row for 8x8 either with BW. I was thinking maybe just a standard dumbbell row, but I hate those. Also, the 8x8 plan states one arm exercises are generally not feasible given the short rest times.
[/quote]

Meadows rows, one-arm barbell rows, T-bar rows. If you have a corner to stick the barbell in, you can use one of those.

20

I also find it interesting that you have no problems with farmers walks, but walking on a treadmill causes problems. Have you actually tried walking on a treadmill since you started doing the farmers walks, or was the knee pain, shin splints from the past?