Probably, everyone has at least once had the idea of skipping a workout in the gym when you simply don’t have enough time for a full-fledged workout because of all the things that have piled up at once. Just imagine: warming up, numerous sets of exercises for different muscle groups, cool down... You will have to spend at least an hour for this!
In order to stay on schedule, you don’t have to completely abandon your planned workout. Instead, you can follow simple rules that will help you reduce your exercise time to 30 minutes.
Dynamic Back Lunges
Muscles: gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves
Stand straight, feet hip-width apart (A). Take a big step back with your left foot, bend both legs and lower into a lunge position (B). Return to starting position and repeat. Do 15 reps, change legs and continue.
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Rule 1. Do basic exercises
Pay attention not to isolating exercises, but to multi-joint ones. If the former will help you effectively pump only one muscle group, then the latter, with the correct technique, will use several large muscle groups at once.
Basic exercises for the gym, in most cases, will include working with a barbell, which will affect muscle growth and hormonal levels. An additional advantage of multi-joint training is its ability to actively burn fat.
Multi-joint exercises with weights include:
- Squats.
The quadriceps, gluteus maximus, soleus, calf muscles, as well as the thigh and hip adductor muscles are involved. Additional load is distributed to the abdominal muscles, back extensors and other small muscles of the legs and torso. - Bench press
(can be replaced with a shoulder press in a machine or a seated dumbbell press). The pectoral muscles, triceps brachii, deltoids, hands, forearms and abs work. - Standing barbell press or “military press”.
The anterior and middle deltoid muscles are loaded, as well as the rear deltoid, triceps and trapezius muscles. - Deadlift.
The exercise involves the erector spinae, biceps of the thighs and arms, adductors of the thigh, gluteal muscles, deltoid and trapezius muscles, and forearms. - Bent-over barbell row.
Works the latissimus dorsi, teres major, posterior deltoids, and arm flexors. Also the rhomboid and trapezius muscles when bringing the shoulder blades together.
All of the above exercises should be grouped three or four per session in the gym - this will not take you more than half an hour. For example, in one workout you can include deadlifts, bench presses and squats, and in another you can include standing barbell presses, rows and the same squats.
In addition, the list of basic exercises also includes some exercises without using weights, which can also be included in the training plan if desired. Among them:
- dips;
- pull-ups;
- squats;
- lunges;
- plank
Important Tips
- Tabata training is very intense. Make sure you spend enough time warming up and warming up.
- If you are unable to perform some of the suggested exercises due to injury, simply change them to others. As long as you stay within the 20/10 second timing, the exercises will be easy.
- You will get tired and very tired, but remember to pay attention to your technique. Never replace quality with quantity.
- No cheating! In each 20-second period, work as hard as you can.
- This type of training is not for beginners, but for those who know how to listen to their body.
- If you have cardiovascular problems, this type of training plan is probably not suitable for you.
- Timing is critical: 20 seconds, 10 seconds, 8 times, with 1 minute rest.
- Repeat this set of Tabata exercises 2 - 4 times a week depending on your level of physical fitness.
Training program
Each workout should include the following exercises: plank, push-ups, crunches, squats and bicycle. Gradually you can make these exercises more difficult. For example, squats can be done with gymnastic dumbbells in your hands.
Exercise No. 1. Plank
Take a lying position, while transferring your weight to your arms bent at the elbows. You can place your legs at any distance from each other (the smaller the distance, the more difficult). The head should be lowered, and you should not try to pull your shoulders towards your ears.
Photo source: youtube.com (FitnessoManiya channel)
Do the exercise for the maximum amount of time. Stop as soon as you feel that you can no longer maintain the correct position. Number of approaches – 2.
Exercise No. 2. Push ups
Get into a plank position with your arms extended.
Photo source: youtube.com (Star Project Team channel)
Bend your elbows and rest on your palms, lowering your body. It should be parallel to the floor.
Photo source: youtube.com (Star Project Team channel)
Important! During the exercise, your back should be straight. Do not bend under any circumstances.
Perform 10-15 push-ups in 3 sets.
Exercise No. 3. Crunches
Lie on the floor, bend your knees and place them shoulder-width apart, raise your head slightly.
Photo source: youtube.com (AN Trainer channel)
Rise up, lifting your shoulder blades off the floor.
Photo source: youtube.com (AN Trainer channel)
Perform 15-20 times in 3 approaches.
Exercise No. 4. Plie squats
Place your feet wide apart. Clasp your hands. As you exhale, slowly lower yourself down. At the same time, try to keep your back straight and not bend your knees inward.
Photo source: youtube.com (Workout channel - Get in shape!)
Squat 20-30 times in 2 approaches.
Exercise No. 5. "Bike"
Lie on your back, press your lower back to the floor. Place your hands behind your head. Raise your legs, bend them at the knees and begin to make movements as if riding a bicycle.
Photo source: youtube.com (TGYM channel - the best fitness channel)
Important! Leg movements should be smooth, without jerking. Breathing is free.
Do this exercise for 1 minute. Number of approaches – 3.
Arm workout: 30 minutes of pumping.
Do you want to build muscular arms? Consisting of supersets and two training methods, this workout program will blow your arms away!
So, take your pre-workout, hit the gym, and if arm training is on your agenda, then you're in the right place. 30 minutes is all you need to pump your biceps and triceps well.
It doesn't take much to feel satisfied after training your arms. One of those things is the big pump and knowing that you've done perhaps your best arm workout yet.
The only thing that could improve your training a little is to reduce the time it takes to implement it.
Next is the actual training itself, which includes supesset methods, rest - pause/dropset, which you will do in 30 minutes.
Arm workout: 30 minutes of pumping.
Separate execution
1. Barbell curls for biceps – 3 sets of 8 – 10 repetitions (perform with your back pressed against the wall so as not to swing your body)
Superset
2A. Dips (emphasis on triceps) – 3 sets of 15 reps.
2B. Narrow push-ups - 3 sets of 15 reps.
Superset
3A. Alternating dumbbell curls for biceps while lying on an incline bench - 3 sets of 12 repetitions.
3B. Tate press – 3 sets of 12 reps.
Read also: 4 supersets to increase arm mass.
Separate execution.
4. Raising the barbell for biceps on a Scott bench - 3 sets of 10 repetitions (perform the last set as a rest - pause / dropset)
5. Triceps extension from the upper block , do it while kneeling – 3 sets of 10 repetitions (perform the last set as a rest - pause/dropset)
Explanations for the training.
Barbell curls for biceps.
When performing this exercise, press your back against the wall, this is a fairly common practice, to avoid swinging the body or using any additional impulse (cheating).
If you have problems with your wrists or elbows, use the EZ bar. Load the bar with enough weight to reach failure between 8-10 reps. Rest between sets and reps for 45 seconds.
Superset: Dips/Narrow Dips (Diamond Pushups)
Both of these exercises in combination are designed to activate the triceps.
Start this superset with 12 dips, keeping your torso straight and elbows close to your body to place the emphasis on the triceps.
As soon as you finish your last rep on the parallel bars, drop to the floor and do 12 reps of diamond push-ups. This variation of push-ups is called "diamond" or "diamond" because your hands are placed close to each other, and the thumb and index finger form a diamond shape.
Read also: 9 best arm exercises with your body weight.
After a 45 second rest and back on the uneven bars.
Superset: Dumbbell Curls/Tate Press
This superset is designed to train both biceps and triceps. Incline curls help to work your biceps in isolation. The main thing in this exercise is to make sure that you keep your shoulders and elbows motionless, without swinging, only your forearms work. At the top of the amplitude, tighten your biceps for better muscle contraction.
After the last rep of each set of dumbbell curls, begin performing Tate presses. Keep your elbows motionless throughout the entire range of motion.
Lower the weight slowly and in a controlled manner to avoid damaging muscles and ligaments, and do not allow the dumbbells to touch your chest.
At the bottom of the press, pause for a second, stretching the triceps muscles. Rest between supersets is 45 seconds.
Barbell curls on a Scott bench.
This exercise is a great finish to a biceps workout. Here you will use the rest-pause/dropset method in the final stage. If you've never used these techniques, try them, I'm sure you'll like them. Perform the first two sets as usual, resting 45 seconds in between, and proceed to the final stage of the third set.
To implement this, perform barbell lifts on a Scott bench to reach failure at 8 to 10 reps. Then rest for 5 seconds and try to do the same number of repetitions.
Read also: How to pump up a woman’s arms: training program.
Now, reduce the weight by 25% of your 8RM and repeat this process again with a 5 second rest.
Lose weight again and repeat “rest-pause” again. It's like doing six mini sets in one. Believe me, after you do all this, your biceps will “burn”, experiencing a powerful pump.
Triceps extension from the upper block.
Perform this exercise on your knees. This technique will prevent the body from making additional force impulses, thereby focusing your attention only on the triceps. By the way, if my memory serves me wrong, this is one of the favorite techniques for working out the triceps muscle of four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler.
For this exercise, imitate the same pattern as for the biceps. Perform the first two sets as usual, resting 45 seconds between them, and the last set using the rest-pause/dropset method.
Rule 3. Don’t spend a lot of time resting and choose the optimal weight
Despite the fact that the rest between approaches seems short to us, even a pause of 1-2 minutes repeated many times can double the duration of the workout. To save time, shorten your break to 30-45 seconds.
If you feel that your body requires a longer recovery from weight training, reduce the load and work in the range of 70-85% of your one-rep max. Of course, training with near-maximum weights with an emphasis on increasing muscle strength is effective, but with them you will not be able to save time due to the need to take long pauses of 2-3 minutes.
Photo: istockphoto.com
