short on time - advice on resistance training

You might want to google Starting Strenght by Rip Toe. It focuses on just 3 compound movements and splits the routine by upper/lower body workouts...

Or you can design your own routine focusing on compound movements like: bench press, pull ups, squats, deadlifts, dips, military presses, etc. Compound movements give you the best bang for your buck since it targets more than just one muscle.

My trainer and I did this awesome circut the other day:


10 minute run

circut:
6 weighted racks (or cleans)
25 bw squats
15 push ups
20 toe taps on exercise ball
12 weighted shoulder presses
8 pull ups
repeat until time runs out (my shoulder gave out at the pull ups during the 5th circut at 25 minutes)

As others have said, the best way to maximize that time would be to focus on compund movements such as: Squats, Bench Press, Dead Lift, Overhead (Shoulder) Press, Pull-ups, Rows, Roman Chair Leg Lifts, and Dips.

My story isn't much different when it comes to training...although the time periods are different. When I was in college, didn't have a full time job, a wife or kids, I was able to knock out 90-120 minutes a day in the gym. I did the fairly-standard-at-the-time 2 or 3 muscle groups a day plus cardio. I've gone off course in the last 18 years since college, but now that I'm back on track with a healthier lifestyle, I realized that I did not have 90+ minutes a day to work-out so I went in search of more efficient work-outs. I have read a ton of stuff and it would be impossible do more than give you some highlights. but, there are some great resources out there for short, efficient, full body work-outs.

1. check out the workout routines on www.bodyrock.tv. they are free and Zuzana has some kickass routines.

2. go to turbulencetraining.com. or search for turbulence training and/or Craig Ballantyne on youtube. Craig's turbulence training concepts are exactly what you are looking for. You can find some highlights for free, but you will need to pay for the full workout materials (he has a lot of different products depending on what you are looking for...but they are primarily designed around the same basic concepts which are getting you a great workout in a short amount of time...provided you are willing to work hard during that time).

3. something I do from reading about HIIT and material from CB are various sprint intervals. Examples....1. sprint for 10-20 seconds, rest until your heartrate drops to a point that you can go all out on another sprint. repeat for 6-10 sprints. 2. sprint for 10-20 seconds, do a bodyweight exercise, rest...repeat with different bodyweight exercises for 8-12 intervals. I've found many different, very effective bodyweight exercises on youtube, bodyrock.tv, and turbulence training so I mix up the bodyweight exercises each time I do this workout (usually on Saturday mornings). 3. jog for a minutes, sprint for 10-15 seconds, repeat for up to 20 intervals. 4. something I just tried this past weekend after reading CB's variations on sprint intervals...do a shuttle sprint drill (a/k/a suicide drill) followed by 4 bodyweight exercises, rest between intervals and repeat with a different set of bodyweight exercises. This was a great work-out. I did 4 intervals and in each interval, I did 2 primarily upper body exercises followed by 2 primarily lower body exercises. and, shoot, I'll even tell you the exercises to use as an example.

interval 1:
shuttle sprint
decline push-ups
incline push-ups
jump squats
lunge with twist

interval 2:
shuttle sprint
laying down pull-ups
plank with toe tap (both sides)
single legged bounds (both sides)
step ups (both sides)

interval 3:
shuttle sprint
ape step
burpees with push-up
double jump kickbacks

interval 4:
shuttle sprint
plank
side plank (both sides)
crunch and reach
V ups
hip raises

interval 5:
shuttle sprint
done