For context: there was a time several years ago where I went 3 days a week doing a lifting routine. I think my heaviest dead lift was maybe 140lbs.
Two kids later, hernia surgery, and a change in position at work that has me sitting way more (used to do solo IT work for multiple buildings, now I have a team and do mostly back end admin work), and I’ve lost all my gains and put on about 20lbs.
Kids are more manageable now solo, and I’m looking to hit the gym every Monday I can.
How do I maximize this time?
Thanks in advance comrades!
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Honestly in your position I would say just skip the gym altogether and focus on doing 20-30 minute or calisthenics/cardio using some household items and a pullup bar at home. Pullups, dips, squats, etc.
I get your time is limited but it’s pretty much always gonna be better to get a little bit of exercise every day then a huge amount once every 7 days.
This is good advice. The r/bodyweightfitness recommended routine is legit. That’s where i would start
I’ll check that out!
I used to come home and work out for a time too. Space is a premium in our home though and with 2 kids there is even less of it. There is no space I could use that also let’s me be unseen if you will. I like the solitude of working out, and I know the kids at this age will be way to curious about what I’m doing lol. That feels weird to say, but man, being crammed into a small house, with a shoe box bathroom and an open floor plan, it’s like a panopticon at times lol. I shit with the door wide open more then I do with the door shut at this point.
I have a bench and a nice set of bow flex adjustable dumbbells and an adjustable kettle bell. I’ve literally thought about keeping the kettle bell in my car and just using it before or after work. There is a dude who takes his kid to the park and literally jogs while they hit the playground.
But you’re right about the frequency. I think I can justify leaving the office most days to do some walking near by. I work at a school and it’s pretty chill as long as things are getting done.
I just have to think creatively I guess.
I bought a pair of gymnastic rings and go outside when weather permits and find a good spot to hang them, and you can pretty much get a full body workout with those alone. Good candidates are a outdoor pull up bar, equipment at a playground, a railing at a gazebo, a tree branch, infinite options. And i usually bike to my spot
Home workout gang!
This has kind of already been implied by others, but it’s worth considering if you can take just 5 - 10 minutes at home to do some combination of pushups, planks, squats, etc. on other days
Yeah this is good advice and something I needed to hear honestly. I could probably get some kettle bell swings in after work some days before we get the kids. Maybe skate out early from work or buz home after dropping the kids off at daycare. I have the luxury of working in the town I live in, gotta commit to cashing that in I think.
45 minutes once a week? gotta be hill sprints. skip the gym and go to the nearest hill and then repeatedly sprint up it until you want to puke.
if that is too unpleasant then walk up the hill slowly with a weighted pack repeatedly. I don’t want to say once a week is nothing because it isn’t, but life experience has taught me that if I’m not putting in at least an hour of exercise 3x/week (can include purposeful walking) things won’t be heading in the right direction unless you’re on some unbelievably regimented diet.
I hear you. I think what I might do too is leave work for maybe 20min a day and just walk. There is a small pond just off the property the town maintains with a walking trail around it. I might be able to get in early some days for that as well.
Work is pretty chill and can afford me that time during the day. I mean, shit, what got me into lifting was going to the community center gym on our lunch brake with part of the team to lift (including my boss, he’s great). The super at the time squashed that after about a year though.
That sounds like a great idea. Don’t underestimate walking! I’m a pretty active guy and try to go for walks. Sometimes after going for a 1+ hour walk I’m slightly sore the next day, the workout is real!
I say do yoga. Nothing better for getting back in touch with your body and what needs work. No better on ramp for getting back into a physical routine. And you can’t go wrong working on mobility.
Supersets are the best way to maximise efficiency, and you get quite a sweat up without those precious breaks too. Mostly strength with an element of cardio - but if you’re eating right you’ll drop 20lbs in no time.
Compound exercises. Fuck bicep curls. Do pull-ups. Although usually dumbbells are free and the machines/pullup bars are taken at the gym - which leads me to my next point…
‘A gym’ - perhaps the gym isn’t the best for your limited schedule/time? If you’ve got to drive there and drive back, that’s potentially taking time out of your workout time. Once you get there, if it’s at peak hours then people might hog equipment you want to use and slow you down. Perhaps if you had a home setup, you could manage twice a week. Twice a week makes a huge difference.
My ‘home gym’ is just a free standing pullup bar and gymnastics rings - cost me about £90 total, and I’ve been using it for like 4 years. Though you’re definitely busier than me (kids… I can’t even imagine), I can fit a workout or just half a workout in on a very hectic day, because I can even do it while doing other chores at home.
Man I dream of a home gym. Our little split level ranch is so tight on space, it’s very frustrating. During covid I was working out at home. Adjustable dumbbells and a bench before they spiked in price. But we also had our first kid during the pandemic and that complicated things. Its hard. By the time I’m home and picked up the kids it’s 5:30. Kid 1 has after daycare activities one day a week. My SO is going back to school one day a week. The weekends are pretty packed. Its a lot. Kid2 isn’t walking yet so he needs to have an eye on him.
Supper sets are a good idea though. But I’m likely going to need to get creative and try to squeeze more time in through out the week too.
There’s always the old ‘do 10 reps every time you walk past the home equipment’. You can get some decent volume over the course of the day if you do 10 pushups every hour or so.
My condolences. It’s hard enough to keep in shape after getting a partner. Kids, new job, fuckin’ hernias. Crossfit tends to fit in a tight schedule. Make sure to stretch!
Thanks comrade!
Comrade, Stepmania. It’s excellent cardio that you can do in the comfort of your own home.
What are your goals?
I got to at a minimum drop my weight. All my weight goes to my gut and I’ve already had a belly button hernia fixed once. So I need to get that under control.
Beyond that, get strong again and get back into lifting, maybe. Just something I can measure progress in easily. Lifting was great for that.
Sounds like all you need is keep diet in check and keep lifting.
Get pull up bar and rings and do upper body at home. Hit the gym for squats and DLs. Run or kettlebell swings for cardio.
