How Busy Are You Really?
Are you as busy as you really claim you are?
Am not trying to be sarcastic here. I really mean it.
Are you truly that busy. So busy that you can’t find at least 30-minutes out of your day to exercise. You see by rephrasing your time commitment to only 30-minutes eases things up a bit.
Or at the very least should.
Now instead of looking at exercise as this long hour thing that must be done every-day to see progress, I mention 30-minutes and now you’re thinking, “well, I can do that. That doesn’t seem too bad.”
And you’re right, it’s not. The following will be a few recommendations that has worked quiet well for my online coaching clients. Nothing to over-the-top. Simplicity is my model.
The feedback I received from a few of these tips was the following:
It made fitness a lot easier and less mentally taxing
It helped prioritize their health
It eliminated a lot of the guesswork and stress
It built a sense of belief that losing weight with a busy schedule is very much possible
I hope it can do the same to you.
Let’s dive in.
How to Prioritize Time to Exercise
What if I told you 30-minutes was all you needed to still lose weight with your already busy schedule. I know I’ve harped on that earlier, but it’s the actual truth. Let that sink in for a minute.
I’ll wait.
No, seriously take your time. Am not going anywhere.
I think you and many others like yourself fall under this pretext that an hour of exercise done almost every-day is the necessary ingredient to make progress, and by the way it’s not your fault for thinking that.
With social media
Mainstream media
Instagram influencers
Magazine photoshop covers
And many other “fitness experts,” (you can place me under that bucket). No offense taken.
Flaunt their “perfect body” as a marketing gateway to get you to sign-up for their so called “30-pound fat loss program in 3 weeks or less” bullshit.
If you’ve ever been a part of this program, you will quickly realize that these programs:
Have unrealistic expectations
Have zero context of each individual person
Does not cater to your busy schedule
Their exercise selections take too much time to finish
At this point you get my drift, so I’ll stop rambling.
If you can’t tell, I am not a big fan.
Look 30-minutes is all you need right now, but let me make one think crystal clear. Do not expect to be looking like Arnold anytime soon.
I don’t think that’s what you had in mind anyway.
In case I am wrong, and for some reason my writing style geared you to a more body-building blog like style. You should immediately stop reading and start reading this instead.
Oh, my goodness I just realized I’ve been talking so much and not once have I mentioned any tips on how you can prioritize exercise to your busy schedule.
I think it’s best we just dive in, if not I’ll just continue to ramble and let’s be honest that’s not why your here.
Tip #1
I want you to pick three days out of the week to exercise for at least 30-minutes. It’s non-negotiable. You’re probably thinking how in the world can a three day 30-minute workout do anything. A lot more then you realize. Trust me.
I specify only three days because that is all you need to effectively stimulate muscle growth and strength while simultaneously optimizing recovery.
Tip #2
I would highly recommend exercising in the morning if you can. Online coaching clients, friends, families and acquaintances alike have all said the same thing. It gives them more energy and focus throughout the day and it also makes them feel good for accomplishing something that day.
It can be a bit difficult to exercise as day the drags on. Fatigue, other obligations may interfere, stress from your schedule itself and numerous of other factors can impact your ability to exercise for that day.
Nevertheless, if your schedule prevents you from working out in the morning, do not stress. So long as you maintain a three-day commitment, the time of day you work out is irrelevant. Find what works for you and stick with it.
Tip #3
Take it seriously. Don’t half ass it. If you’re going to do this, be committed and consistent throughout its entirety. Don’t do it for a couple of weeks and then completely fall off the grid. You need to be resilient, preserve and keep at it regardless of what life throws at you, because life will do that.
It’s imperative to build and maintain discipline regardless of how you may feel. It’s the only way you’re going to have a shot at attaining your goal.
What Exactly Should You Do in 30-Minutes?
That’s a great question.
Glad you asked.
A 30-minute workout program for those who have access to a gym and for those who don’t will be attached to this article. With only 30-minutes I want you to only focus on compound movements.
Compound movements. Their movements within an exercise that hits multiple muscle groups at the same time. It is the most efficient and effective way of developing overall muscle growth and strength if done correctly and consistently overtime.
When time is of the essence, compound movements are going to be your best friends.
You’re probably asking yourself, what constitutes as a compound movement.
Another great question.
I can’t disclose that at the moment. You’re just going to have to continue reading until you reach the workout portion of this article, or you can skip the reading and jump straight to the program.
I wouldn’t be mad, slightly disappointed, but not mad.
Do you.
Can You Really Build Muscle in 30-Minutes?
The short answer is yes.
The long answer is ……
If you are new to lifting weights consider yourself lucky. Very lucky. People like myself who’ve been properly training for years envy you. You’ll understand why as you continue reading.
To be honest I actually have zero envy towards you.
I really don’t.
I was merely trying to emphasize my point.
Again, just know you’re extremely lucky and I want you to take full advantage of that.
As a beginner expect to gain roughly between 20 to 25 pounds of muscle within your first year and half of that if you’re a woman. However, there is a caveat to that, you need to properly and intensely train.
It’s also important to note, 20 to 25 pounds of muscle growth within your first year are just averages and assumptions are being made around how intensely you train.
Age, genetics and other factors can affect how much muscle you can gain. An older individual’s rate of progress will not be the same compared to someone younger.
I think you get the point.
If you’re not new to lifting weights, do not get discouraged. You can still build muscle; it will just take time. That’s all.
Don’t expect to gain muscle with these types of weights. Whether you are new or not.
It ain’t happening.
I know you’ve been told that lifting lighter weights with higher reps is how you get tone. That’s just not true.
However, lifting heavy weights with intensity is what your body needs. You might find yourself looking like these two (your own unique version of course).
Can You Still Build Muscle Without the Gym?
Yes and no.
As I’ve alluded earlier, as a beginner, you have a massive advantage. You wouldn’t need a gym to build muscle. At least early on.
The problem with that is, there is only so much push-ups and chair dips you can do before losing your mind. If you can afford a gym, I highly recommend getting one. Try Planet Fitness, if there is one by your area.
It’s 24/7 at $10 a month, but if the gym is out of the question because of time, COVID or any other personal factors you do not wish to disclose. Then you really don’t have a choice. Do you?
Home body weight exercise it is. Don’t expect some massive gains, but expect to get a bit stronger and build some muscle along the way.
If you’ve properly lifted before and are trying to get back in shape for whatever reason, I would highly recommend a gym if you can. It’s going to be very difficult to regain muscle you previously lost without it.
Let’s Not Forget About Nutrition
It’s not all exercise.
Nutrition takes precedent over any and everything, specifically calories. It’s just not possible to make any progress if your nutrition is out of whack. Plain and simple.
Calories are king, let’s not try to bash the first law.
I get it
Your busy, and trying to figure this whole nutrition and exercise thing can seem daunting.
It doesn’t have to be. I’ll make sure to keep things simple, but yet practical to implement.
Here are a few nutritional strategies you can use to help you lose weight
Nutritional Strategies to Help You Lose Weight
What you see right above you is the easiest way to eat in a deficit without counting calories. In case you are not familiar with the term, eating in a deficit is simply eating less calories than the number of calories you burn. It’s the only way to lose weight.
I still highly recommend knowing how to track your calories. It really gives you a better gauge on how many calories you’re actually eating. By tracking you not only avoid guessing, but it also allows flexible eating.
It simply means, eating “clean,” while also enjoying your favorite foods along the way. If you choose not to track, it gets very difficult to do both and if that ends up being the case, relying on the infographic strategy I laid out above will be your second-best option.
30 Min Strength Training Program (Gym)
30 Min Strength Training Program (Body-Weight Work-Outs)
Coming to an End
As busy as you currently are, using the strategies I laid out in this article will help you tremendously down the road.
Leave a comment or hit my inbox for any questions
Bye!!!