If I Only Had ___ Minutes To Train

Don't skip. Shrink.

Life gets crazy and there’s no way to pack it all in... especially when we try to average 6 hours and 58 minutes a day in front of a screen (as adults). Between 8 hours of sleep, 7 hours of screens, and a bit of time at work, finding time to train becomes tough—downright impossible for the majority.

I have found that exercise has to be a non-negotiable. It has to be put on the calendar every day, and it has to get done. As James Clear notes, if you don’t have the time, stick to the schedule but shrink the scale. This not only helps physically, but it keeps you in the game mentally.

Ideally, we’d all lift weights twice a week for 60-90 minutes, walk 30 minutes a day, and do one session of interval efforts that really push our limits. We’d be stronger, healthier, and approaching lifespan-increasing levels of general fitness. Alas, we’re too busy living to try to lengthen our lifespan.

So what if I don’t have time for my whole weight session? What if I have just a few minutes?

Many people would suggest pushing that session back, but in my experience, pushing that session means fewer sessions per year. We don’t tend to make them up. So:

If I had only 60 minutes, I’d do the full workout, but instead of doing all the sets of all the exercises, I’d reduce the sets by one. So, if I had planned five, I’d do four that day.

If I had just 45, I would reduce them another set. Anything over about ten exercises in a session is excessive, so I might suggest rewriting the normal session if you can’t get this to work. You’re not hardcore, you’re just not hitting it hard if your sessions drone on like this.

In 30 minutes, I’d do a circuit of four exercises, warming up by doing them with light loads. Pull-Up, Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift. Maybe I’d make 4-5 rounds.

With 20 minutes, I’d Drop the Squat and Bench Press. Two exercises, alternating back and forth.

Ten minutes? I’d switch out to Get-Ups, one on each side, alternated with 10 kettlebell swings.

Five minutes? Just Get-Ups.

Two minutes? Stair sprints.

One? Hell...if I can’t find two minutes, I’m doomed.