Being overwhelmed with life’s tasks isn’t uncommon, but it isn’t an excuse to push exercising aside.
May 16, 2008
Written by FLEX Staff
Some people are so overfreighted with responsibilitiesfamily, 60-hour work weeks, night schoolthat they’re left with only Saturday and Sunday to train, so they figure, “Why bother?”
Bother, indeed. Any exercise is better than none at all. More importantly, a serious program two days a week can definitely yield muscle-building results. Just follow this template:
Reason 1. Go to the gym for the challenge and exhilaration of weight training, rather than for visible gains; your attitude will be more positive, and the latter follows naturally from the former, not the other way around.
Reason 2. Apply maximum intensity to failure, and you should be able to complete any body-part workout in 30 minutes, preferably less.
Reason 3. Combine chest, back and deltoids on Saturday; legs, biceps and triceps on Sunday.
Reason 4. To extract the most from each workout, warm up thoroughly, concentrate on feeling the muscle work, get a full range of motion, pyramid your sets, don’t cheat, and go for broke on the last set.
Reason 5. You can get plenty of growth for each body part from three exercises of four pyramided sets each, with 10 reps on the first set and six reps on the last.
Reason 6. Your exercises should be free-weight, compound movements. Later, if you find time, you may work in some heavy machines.
Reason 7. If you are truly serious, and creative, you’ll find that numerous openings will present themselves in your weekly schedule. For example, if you have an hour for lunch, use it to go to the gym. Surely, there’s one within 15 minutes from work. That gives you plenty of time to get in a body-part workout. If you have only 30 minutes for lunch, you should still be able to slip in at least one workout some night after work.
When added to your Saturday and Sunday sessions, you then have a complete three-day program. After the first time, your regimen will fall into place naturally, and, chances are, you’ll arrive home not much later than is currently your custom.
As it is, you are probably making stops at the gas station, grocery store, and running errands, all of which squander time that could be spent in the gym performing a few sets for your shoulders.
Reason 8. It’s all a matter of wanting it, then prioritizing it. Try, really try, for a month. If you make it that far, you’re hooked.
Congratulations.FLEX.
FLEX FORUMS: Discuss your motivation source with fellow bodybuilders.
