Think I need a more streamlined program as Covid19 is leading to extra shifts at work. Suggestions?

So I work in an elderly care facility and due to the Corona Virus, they are needing more people there to do screening and other tasks. This will leave me at work far more often. I'm under the impression that I will be there for more than 50 hours a week, and with probably 2.5 hours daily of commute 5-6 days a week. I am going to have far less free time.

I take a long time with my training. Usually 65 mins-3 hours. That is usually 1.5-2.5 hours of weight training, and 15 mins- 65 mins of cardio. Between getting dressed, driving there, showering, grooming, and driving back, this will be unsustainable for (hopefully just) the next few weeks.

To get the macros that I want in a cut, I need to do a bit of cardio every session which makes it somewhat extra time consuming, and this will be even harder to do efficiently as my work provides food. This leaves me with trying to make my weight training more efficient.

I do an Upper/Lower split (loosely based on aworkoutroutine) with daily Core work and cardio. The cardio length is dictated by the food that day. Currently this is the program:

Lower Body A

Trap Bar Deadlift
Leg Press
Seated Leg Curl
Seated Calf Raise
Cable Crunch

Cardio

(I don't do any barbell variation of the deadlift anymore as it was causing me to take far more rest days to recover)

Upper Body A

Barbell Bench Press
T Bar Lying Row
Barbell Shrug
Barbell Wide Reverse Grip Bench Press
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
Cable Rope Tricep Pushdown
Dumbbell lateral raise into a press
Machine Bicep Curl
Dips
Cable Crunch

Cardio

Lower Body B

Hip Thrust
Hack Squat
One Leg Leg Press
Calf Press on Leg Press
Lying Leg Curls
Cable Crunch
Weighted Back Hyper-extensions

Cardio

(Much like the Deadlifts, I stopped squatting as recovery time for lower back injury wasn't worth it. Squats were replaced with the Hip Thrust, Hack squat and Hyper Extensions to make sure all the same muscles were hit)

Upper Body B


Assisted/ Unassisted Pull Ups
Barbell Standing Military Press
Cable Seated Row
Chest Press
Bicep Curl of some sort
Machine Chest Fly
Cable High Pulley Overhead Tricep Extension
Dips
Cable Crunch

Cardio

(I used to do a dummbell bench on this day, but I would always have to do weird body english to get the weight up upon progressively overloading, and this would take a stupid amount of time so I just replaced it with the Chest Press)

The other 3 days are just cardio, at least one of which will be 65 minutes. Sometimes I will add planks and other body weight stuff, but it's been a while since I have.


Does anyone have a suggestion on something I can do short term that would be far less time consuming but would have a better bang for the buck? If I wanted to keep the Upper/Lower Split, I'm guessing it would just have to be a lot of compound lifts. I honestly like all the volume, but its probably not sustainable with the free time I will have.

Thanks for any help!

Replies

  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    Could you jump rope at work? A 15 minute jump rope workout can replace a longer cardio session at the gym and you can sandwich it into your free time.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited March 2020
    I would use MYO reps on 1-2 of the lifts at the end of session.

    Use timed lifts on some others as well as supersetss where appropriate.

    Cut out lifts such as leg press and reverse grip bench if you are deadlifting or barbell benching in the same day.

    I would also highly recommend you take time to learn that progressive overload has many avenues to achieve. If you are using body English to perform a lift, you simply have to much working weight or too many reps.

    Considering the reasons you do cardio, I would cutting cardio out temporarily and eat at maintenance for this short period of time. This will allow you to eat near your normal caloric intake and save a bit of time.

    Also if we are friends here on the website, you can read my post from the other day on my wall and take me up on free training for a month. If I have any slots still open, It would be set up for you.
  • Spadesheart
    Spadesheart Posts: 463 Member
    Could you jump rope at work? A 15 minute jump rope workout can replace a longer cardio session at the gym and you can sandwich it into your free time.

    Work in a suit unfortunately, so I think exercise where I sweat might be out. The best I could do is something like planks, and sometimes I do dips in the elevator lol.
  • Spadesheart
    Spadesheart Posts: 463 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    I would use MYO reps on 1-2 of the lifts at the end of session.

    Use timed lifts on some others as well as supersetss where appropriate.

    Cut out lifts such as leg press and reverse grip bench if you are deadlifting or barbell benching in the same day.

    I would also highly recommend you take time to learn that progressive overload has many avenues to achieve. If you are using body English to perform a lift, you simply have to much working weight or too many reps.

    Considering the reasons you do cardio, I would cutting cardio out temporarily and eat at maintenance for this short period of time. This will allow you to eat near your normal caloric intake and save a bit of time.

    Also if we are friends here on the website, you can read my post from the other day on my wall and take me up on free training for a month. If I have any slots still open, It would be set up for you.

    I just want to be done with this phase. In like 1.5 months to 2 months I could be finished with the weight loss and work on putting on some real muscle.

    I am at work, will try to contact later tonight when it quiets down.