Short of time? Follow these guidelines to enhance your progress.

Not everybody has access the resource of unlimited time. Most people have a full time job, or studies that take a huge portion of our time, some have a family to care for, chores which need to get done, food to prepare, other commitments to handle, and let's be dead honest - ALL of us want a social life outside of the gym. (Not all of us would admit that to ourselves!)

These priorities make the simple notion of training a challenge to begin with. This is where some people turn away and say "I don't have time"

But there are so many ways to maximise the small amount of time you CAN commit. Remember - you're a product of the work you choose to put in. So obviously there are going to be shortfalls here if you want to be the best of the best and you're only able to commit 1 hour a week to training. However there's definitely a happy medium; and if I'm honest - some of us could actually benefit - both physically and mentally - from winding their training back a notch and stepping away from the notion that you must train every single day.

Luckily for those of you short on time there are ways to fool proof your training in order to use your time in the most efficient way to make the absolute most of your efforts and time you've put in and reach your goals.

Here are my top three tips for those of you who are time poor, or are seeking to train LESS:

1. USE BIG MOVEMENTS & KEEP IT SIMPLE

First and foremost is to set out a plan which MAXIMISES your time, which makes the most of every second in which you train. In order to do this you MUST utilise big compound movements. You NEED to use exercises which work multiple muscles at once. Beyond your basic squat, bench press and deadlift you need to be thinking sled work, kettlebell exercises, overhead press variations and rowing movements. Think big movements in order to create big responses within the body. Beyond this would simply over complicate the matter, and remembering to get your body to grow, and to get better at something you need to repeat it over and over- so keep it simple.

2. TRAIN THE FULL BODY EVERY SESSION

If you can only train 2-3 times per week and your GOAL is improving your FITNESS as a whole then you need to drop the bodypart splits and forget the movement pattern splits. We focus on hitting the entire body 2-3 times, so we are looking to STIMULATE a response here so FREQUENCY will be your key. You will vary the emphasis on the bodyparts between workouts but each part will be hit at least once. We need to elicit a consistent response to force progress with your limited time availability so hitting everything every session is the safest bet.

3. SUPERSET IT

There is no better way to squeeze in the most amount of EFFECTIVE work into a session than utilising supersets & even giant sets where possible. I personally will superset all back/mid back movements in general training programs as well as any shoulder/arm isolation work. Furthermore you can also work bodyweight and kettlebell exercises together in a cohesive manner. The whole goal here is EFFICIENCY. We need to fit in the most amount of clever, quality training into your limited amount of time.

So - There you have it. Three super easy, super effective guidelines to maximise your time!

Are you looking for a program? Do you need some guidance for your training or to learn efficient movement pattern? Contact Ares Strength at mathew@aresstrength.com.au to organise a free gym tour and consultation. We would love to help with your goals.