Training in Crunch Time

Happy 1st day of September everyone….OK really it’s not that happy of a time for some. Not to be the negative Nancy here but no one is actually THAT happy that summer is close to ending are they? I know many of you loooove fall, but you can’t fool me with that nonsense because that pain in the backside Old Man Winter is just beyond that, let me stay in my warm space for awhile longer. Speaking of, ENOUGH WITH THE PUMPKIN STUFF. Dear lord at least wait until it’s officially fall on the calendar, or at least in the month of September before releasing that stuff into the wild. No I refuse to consume anything pumpkin in the summer, JUST NO!
 
OK enough of that babble on to the fun stuff for today. It’s a fact of today’s day and age, everyone is trying to cram everything they can into their day, thus they work more, exercise less, sleep less and feel crappier when they get older. No this is not one of those post where I tell you all to make more time so you can take care of yourself. Most of you (should) know that already.
 
What I’m addressing here today is the fact that even someone in my profession does not always have time for a full on workout. For god’s sake I’ve only got a 3 day program, and I’ve been on that schedule for at least a couple years. I don’t train every day, at least not how you think I would. Training for most people comes and goes in waves, and it’s not a bad thing. There are periods where you have, what feels like, all day to get your lift in and you hit every session (3-4) a week at the gym. Some days you’re lucky if you get 1 or 2, but don’t let it be an excuse to do zero movement whatsoever.

Those DVD sets that begin with the letter I, T  or  P, those aren't bad. Note I didn't say good, but not bad, better than nothing. I’m going to assume if you’re reading this you’re better than that and can think for yourself, than have someone else driving you into the ground from a TV screen.
 
Here’s my point. I understand there are some days you only have 30-45 minutes to move. Let’s do this instead of jumping around your living room and making your downstairs neighbors hate you. Here's a couple thoughts to help you train when you are short on time.

Plan A (Just enough time to get to the gym)

This is probably the more ideal of the option I'm about to give. This is for when you have enough time to get to the gym, but no way in the world are you going to be able to finish the whole program that day.

-Do your warm-up, yes the whole thing, it'll probably help you destress and loosen up a bit.
-Complete your major compound lift, for my programs this would be listed as my "A", some it might be listed as "1". In either case it's probably something like a bench, squat, military press or deadlift variation.
-Try to get your next assistance/auxiliary movement in, even if it's a set or 2 short.
-Don't skip your conditioning, it's there for a reason, DO IT!

Plan B (Gym ain't-a-happening)

OK so you look at the clock, the kid is down for a nap, husband is occupied on the TV or at work. You calculate you have about 30-45 minutes tops and you feel like shit, you know it's time to get some movement in! Let's make it happen.

-Do a simple warm-up with mobility and activation (I’ve even give you a sample below).
>Supine Deep Belly Breathing 1x5
>Glute Bridge 1x10
>Ankle Rockers 1x10/
>Wall Hip Flexor Mobs 1x10/
>Forearm Wall Slide 1x10
>Side Plank 1x20s/
-Follow the easy programing principles I’ve talked about before, squat, hinge, push, pull (vertical and horizontal for push and pull), single leg work, carry and core. If you get 3-4 of those in for 2-3 sets you will become a badass much faster than stomping around and sweating to the oldies.
-Whoops you missed another of your days at the gym, guess what? You can do the other movements you missed the first day you did a home workout. I know carries are tough at home, maybe save those for the 1-2 days you get to do your regular program.

Over time hopefully you’ve collected a few things for your home gym. Things such as a TRX (yeah I know they’re not super cheap but they last forever), a kettlebell or 2, some sort of yoga mat (even better an airex pad) an ab-wheel (yes one of those dumb things you saw on tv) perhaps a stability ball (don’t stand on it please), some minibands and maybe a small set of dumbbells or 2, and a foam roller. Even if you don’t have a dedicated room for this stuff, that little list right there is more than enough to give you a good session of movement.
 
Just to clarify, if you like and I mean REALLY like the p90 bs, have at, but if you want something intelligent try the stuff I've suggested. Better yet if you’re not sure please ask someone you trust with training, assuming they’re your friend or someone you know well, they will likely be happy to set you up with something for you and not a generalized program that really provides you with almost no guidance. All else fails please e-mail me with questions about things you can do and I'd be happy to figure out something for you.

That's what I got for today guys, enjoy and remember to put away the pumpkin until fall, please!

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