Does Weight Training for a 1/2 Hour Work?

It is enough to build, just not at the fastest rate possible. This would also be assuming you make the most of the time with your exercise selection i.e. one day of squat, bench press, barbell rows, and the other day being deadlift, overhead press, assisted chinups. Eventually you may get to lifting enough weight that your rest periods increase to a point wehre you take longer than 30 minutes.

super sets....

ETA: you could get three good full body exercises in ( with a 5 x 5 format ) if you didn't want to super set


look up strong lifts or starting strength, and then modify to the time you have.

Absolutely! I do 30 minutes with my trainer twice a week. I can do full pushups now, I can see muscle definition, I can do pullups. I can benchpress 75 pounds. Are these HUGE things? No. But it is FAR more than I was able to do before I started strength training. It's slow, but it's steady.

If you get to a point where you are lifting a good amount of weight with core compound barbell lifts and in particular olympic style lifts, your heart will get a bit of work, like enough to be normal healthy, not enough to really build endurance.

Basically circuit training is a way to get part of the training effect of weights and cardio without maximizing the effect of either. I personally feel like someone would be better served by doing regular lifting followed by moderate cardio or by doing moderate cardio on off days from lifting or both. The weight training should be priority one though for body composition\appearance. If you feel you need some cardio for insurance against genetic heart problems, then have at it. I would probably get any testing there is available for it also\first.

Ever little bit helps. Keep at it and from what my trainer at the gym said u don't have to lift heavy. U do have to have the right tech

I'm doing stage 1 of NROLFW and both workouts take me about 30 mins or less. Sometimes a little longer depending on how much talking goes on in the weight room. I can tell a big difference from when I started.

^^ This. Get the New Rules of Lifting for Women. I can do these work outs in about 30 min, and you're working multiple muscle groups in each workout.

sure! check out Stronglifts.com

The 5 x 5 program can be done in 1/2 hour easily (assuming you can get the cage . . . ). I usually work with a partner and we finish our session in 20-40 min.

You cannot complete NROL4W beyond stage 1 in 30 min. Starting in Stage 2, they throw in all those frou-frou extra non-compound exercises that really drag out the time requirement (and they stop the squats!!! aack!).

Stronglifts 5 x 5 is much more effective and efficient:

Squats every session:

A
Squats 5 x 5 (increase 5# each session until failure)
Pendlay rows 5 x 5 (increase 5# each session until failure)
Bench press 5 x 5 (increase 5# each session until failure)

B
Squats 5 x 5 (increase 5# each session until failure)
Deadlifts - ONLY 1 X 5 (increase 10# each session until failure)
Overhead press 5 x 5 (increase 5# each session until failure)

1st failure - use same weight next time
2nd failure - use same weight next time
3rd failure - deload and work back up until next failure

Helpful to buy fractional weights too, bc at some point you won't be able to make 5# increases with your presses.

Yes you can. I lift 3-4 days with an upper body/lower body split routine and I lift heavy for me and it takes me no more than 30-35 mins. I concentrate on compound lifts and do sets of 3-4 with 6-8 reps; with no more than 60 second rest periods. I throw in some supersets and do anywhere from 2 sometimes 3 depending on the split, exercises per body part. Despite what some believe you don't need to be doing 5-7 things a body part, lifting 60+ mins a day to acheive results.