Do you feel like you don’t have the time? This is one of the most common responses I get from people when I ask what’s stopping them from chasing their dream physique. The truth is you probably don’t need anywhere near as much time as you think.
Let’s say you commit to 3 full body workouts each week, each one lasting 45 minutes. That’s 1.4% of your week. The problem is we're surrounded by bodybuilders and models who's job it is to workout. So, of course they're in the gym 10 hours a week. You? You don't need to be doing this to make progress.
Use this work out 2-3 times per week, bolt on a 20 minute cardio session to the end of one of them, track your calories, and watch your physique change in just a matter of months.
A) Pull Ups - 2x 12-15
We're going to use pull ups as our main way of targeting our back, and we're going to opt for a palms down grip, so we'll get some slight lat stimulus (to help with back width), but also a large chunk of upper back stimulus (to help with back thickness).
If you're unable to do these bodyweight, you can do them assisted instead.
B) Seated Chest Press Machine - 1x 8-10 & 1x 12-15
Because we're limited on time, we need to be picking exercises that challenge each muscle in full. For example, if we use a free weight dumbbell or barbell chest press, we're not getting a challenge to the pec muscles when they're fully short (when your arms are out straight). Your chest will only be challenged as you go through the eccentric. This is where machines can come in handy.
During a seated chest press on a machine, we have a constant challenge, making it a great option if you're strapped for time. The idea here is that, if appropriate based on our skill level, we take both of these sets to failure. You should see progression week on week.
C1) Dual Cable Lateral Raises - 3x 12-15
Again, using the cables for this allows us to create a constant challenge to our side delts, we don't get this if we use dumbbell lateral raises. This exercise is superset with...
C2) Dumbbell Curls - 3x 12-15
Hop straight into this after you perform a set of dual cable lateral raises. Rest for 1-2 minutes and complete for 3 rounds total.
D) Hamstring Curl - 1x 15-20
There's only two lower exercises in this plan, so we have to make them count. I'm relying on the leg press to target the quads and glutes, but your hamstrings will still need something else, so in comes the hamstring curl. Include a 2 second hold at the top of the concentric on here.
E) Leg Press - 1x 8-10
This is your second and final lower exercise, so don't slack on here! To really make this interesting, I'd put the tempo to 3 seconds on the eccentric (as you bring your knees towards your face), so you're really getting the most from each rep.
F) Machine Crunch - 3x 10-15
Last exercise and we're finishing off with some ab work. I've used a machine so you constantly have the ability to progressively overload.
Give this a try and let me know how you get on!