Spacing workouts?

3foldchord
3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Some days I am a very busy homeschooling mom and only can squeeze in 1 set of reps (of whatever exercises I am doing that day) on random breaks. Somedays I can get all 4 sets for one of the exercise, somedays I can get all sets for all exercise all at once.

Does it really make much difference how and when I get my workouts done? Are my random workouts fine or should I aim for larger chunks of time to do more in 1 time slot?

Replies

  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    Where are all the opinionated people today? Partying? Lifting weights?
  • ChelseaRW
    ChelseaRW Posts: 366 Member
    From one homeschooler to another, Kudos to you for fitting it in when you can! You are not being idle with your time in any way ! Would love to lift weights!
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    From one homeschooler to another, Kudos to you for fitting it in when you can! You are not being idle with your time in any way ! Would love to lift weights!
    Right now, I am jus doing Bodyweight with small dumbbells... But 4 sets of lunges with 20# weights about kills my legs!
    I hope to add more weight lifting soon
  • ChelseaRW
    ChelseaRW Posts: 366 Member
    lunges without weights kill me..lol. I HATE lunges!
  • nguk123
    nguk123 Posts: 223
    If you don't have the luxury of time to do multiple sets. I would think you would need to increase reps for time under tension, and up your intensity to shock your muscles. Maybe also, having a slightly higher frequency of training than you would if you were doing multiple sets would help too.

    To get in more reps to your one-set without going totally light, you could do some combination of drop sets with or without rest-pause.

    I'm just riffing here.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    I will have to re-read this tomorrow when my brain works. My brains stops at 6:30PM. (I don't understand "for time under tension")
    When I can only get in one set, I still do other sets throughout the day, so I do get in 3-4 sets, just spaced.
    Good idea to do a little intensity muscle shock from time to time when I have less time. Thanks
    If you don't have the luxury of time to do multiple sets. I would think you would need to increase reps for time under tension, and up your intensity to shock your muscles. Maybe also, having a slightly higher frequency of training than you would if you were doing multiple sets would help too.

    To get in more reps to your one-set without going totally light, you could do some combination of drop sets with or without rest-pause.

    I'm just riffing here.
  • nguk123
    nguk123 Posts: 223
    Time under tension is body builder jargon for the time your muscles are under stress from the exercise. Your rep speed x number of reps will give so many seconds of time under tension for your set. So for example if someone does 3 sets of 12 reps with 1second eccentric 1 second concentric, that's a total of 72 seconds that the muscles are exercised. I expect if you're only issue is that you are spacing your workouts out but that that's the only difference from a standard program, you should do pretty well, you may gain slightly less metabolic benefits maybe? If you lift heavy, and get your volume / TuT in that should signal to your body to stimulate muscle growth.

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