The Ultimate Guide to Strength Training in a Hurry: Science-Backed Tips for a Time-Efficient Workout

Are you tired of struggling to find time to exercise? Do you feel like you just don't have enough hours in the day to fit in a workout? Fear not! Science has got your back. A recent review paper by sports scientists has gathered a set of guidelines for time-efficient strength workouts, and we're about to break them down for you. Buckle up, folks, because we're about to dive into the ultimate guide to strength training in a hurry. First things first, how much time is enough for a strength workout? The answer is, anything is better than nothing! Even 15-minute workouts can be effective, as long as you get enough sets in across your week. Think of your workouts in terms of a full week, and count up how many sets you do. Four to 12 sets per muscle group, per week seem to be enough for a basic level of strength gains. So, how do you get enough quality work in during those short sessions? Here are the science-backed recommendations: * Skip the stretching and shorten your warmup. The ideal time-crunched warmup is one that gets right to the point: exercise-specific warm-ups, and only prioritize stretching if the goal of training is to increase flexibility. * Choose multi-joint, bilateral exercises. The exercises that work the most muscles in the shortest time are ones that are bilateral (using both arms or both legs at the same time) and that see you bending multiple joints rather than just one.* Lift heavy enough that you can do 6-15 reps. The ideal scenario is where you're at a gym and can choose any weights you like. Do sets that are heavy enough that the last few reps feel challenging. * Don't rest long between sets. Normally you'd rest between two and five minutes between sets, depending on the exercise. But to save even more time, you can simply rest less between sets. If you're new to lifting, one to two minutes is probably fine. But what about frequency? How often should you strength train? The answer is, two or three times per week is great when you're doing full-body workouts. However, what matters is the total amount of exercise you get done, not the number of days you exercise. So, if you can only manage one session each week, but you're able to spend a little more time on it, you can effectively cram a whole week's worth of strength training into one day. On the flip side, if you can only manage 15 minutes a day, but you can do that every day, you may still be able to get in the same amount of work as somebody who does two or three normal sessions a week. What counts as a week's training? The authors recommend four to 12 sets per muscle group, per week. Four is on the low end compared to what many gym-goers do, but we're trying to find the minimum that will keep you in shape. So, there you have it! The ultimate guide to strength training in a hurry. Remember, even a small amount of strength training is worth your time. Whether you can manage 15 minutes a day or an hour a week, the key is to find what works for you and stick to it. Happy lifting!