Beginner weight training routine when short on time?

jtarmom
jtarmom Posts: 228 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone -
I'm ready to start incorporating weight lifting to my routine, but I'm really limited on time. Between working full time and 3 little kids, I can only go to the gym on my lunch break twice a week. By the time I get there and get changed, I'll have about 20 minutes.
I might be able to squeak out a visit on the weekends, but it would be spotty.

I'm not comfortable with the free weight section yet, so I'm planning on sticking to the machines for now. I'll get to the freeweights when I feel a little more confidant.

So for twice a week gym visits, should I do full body both days, or alternate legs one day and upper body the next?

Fortunately my gym is fairly quiet at lunch time so I can fit a fair amount in.

Thanks!

Replies

  • cantfail
    cantfail Posts: 169 Member
    I'd do full body. Chest , back, shoulders, legs... Pick a machine for each of those and do them in a circuit with a minute rest after the circuit. Make the weight heavy enough that finishing 12 -15 reps is challenging (maybe can't finish the last one).
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    im going to disagree with the above poster and say do a upper body workout on the one day and a lower body workout on the other just due to lack of time. with only 20 minutes at the gym you'll be hard pressed to get a decent full body workout in with time between sets and warm up/cool down. even for an upper/lower split that is still cutting it pretty short but its definitely better than nothing
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    im going to disagree with the above poster and say do a upper body workout on the one day and a lower body workout on the other just due to lack of time. with only 20 minutes at the gym you'll be hard pressed to get a decent full body workout in with time between sets and warm up/cool down. even for an upper/lower split that is still cutting it pretty short but its definitely better than nothing

    This. It's not a lot of time, but the split seems more logical to me. Plus, you could incorporate some strength training at home, too. NerdFitness.com has a good (and progressive) body weight strength program on line. I started with just this and now lift heavy.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Circuit training packs a lot of work into a fairly short space by eliminating the wait times between sets, so that maybe an option for two full-body weighted circuits a week.

    Otherwise, I'd go with the above posters and do an upper day and a lower day. I'd then devote a third day at home (when you have a bit more time) where you do a full-body session with bodyweight variations or a full-body dumbbell circuit. Maybe chuck in some Hill Sprints as well at the end.
  • nitadances
    nitadances Posts: 16 Member
    ...and there are unconventional ways to fit strength training using your own body weight into your day as well. For example, I do deep squats twice a day while brushing my teeth using the 2 minute timer on my electric tooth brush. Maybe it sounds silly, but my legs have gotten quite strong.
  • jtarmom
    jtarmom Posts: 228 Member
    Thanks everyone. I think I'm going to try the split upper/lower body days and check out nerd fitness for the weekend. Kids might get a kick out of working out with me.

    One more question (sorry, total newbie) - how many sets? Someone mentioned 12-15 reps, should I do 3 sets each then?
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    I don't even know if I would attempt to do machines or barbells on 20 minutes 2x per week. I feel like you might not have the success you want and then might chalk it up to weight training not being effective. Can you not take the travel time to the gym and get 40 minutes of bodyweight training or buy some dumbbells to use at home? I just think a a little more time, of ANYTHING weight-related would be more productive. I'm not saying you won't get any benefit out of a split routine 2x per week for 20 minutes but I think you would get more out of body weight exercises and dumbbells at home for 40 minutes 2x per week. Use that 20 minutes to get a little cardio in and spend a little more time at home on BW stuff.
  • jtarmom
    jtarmom Posts: 228 Member
    I don't like to do cardio at lunch because then I'm all sweaty and red faced the rest of the day, so I typically have been doing cardio at night after the kids go to bed. I will look at doing more bw at home before my cardio though. Maybe then 20 mins at the gym at lunch, then another 10 mins before my cardio at night would be more effective (overall 30 mins 2 to 3 times a week).
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Can you do a long lunch one day a week, and then a weekend workout? Like take a 1.5 hour lunch on Wednesday in exchange for 30 min every other day. With splits twice a week you are only hitting each body part once every 7 days which is better than nothing but, not great.

    You could do this in 45 minutes:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/373801-two-day-full-body-strength-training-routine
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,123 Member
    I started out with NROLFW (new rules of lifting for women) using a set of barbells at home. Once you get the hang of the moves you can get through it in about 20min.
  • dreamcrusher227
    dreamcrusher227 Posts: 3 Member
    First of all congratulations on the 17 lbs weight loss! It cannot have been easy with 3 kids and a full-time job so I commend your dedication and consistency - which is the key to success. In order to maintain that consistency, it is best to keep things simple and doable over the long term. Killing yourself to get to work on time after dealing w/kids in AM, so that you'll have enough time to get your butt into the gym in the middle of a workday for a measly 20 mins of workout time does not sound sustainable and you'll just end up loathing yourself for a) not being able to maintain it or b) not seeing the results you think you should see for ALL the sacrifice. I do not know your home set-up but I would recommend investing in a 8-kg Kettlebell (recommended starting weight for women http://www.livestrong.com/article/231757-what-weight-kettlebell-should-i-get/) and do some Kettlebell swings per Tim Ferriss' 4-Hour Body (for more info and proper form see http://fourhourworkweek.com/2011/01/08/kettlebell-swing/). That's doing the Russian kettlebell swing, twice a week for an average of 15–20 minutes - in the comfort of your own home! Burn serious calories and build muscle (that eats fat) at the same time. Most result in least amount of time - because time matters. Also continue to eat clean with good quality protein.

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