Short time? Here’s how to change your workout.

We’re officially in that part of the year where it feels like someone hit the chaos button: work deadlines, school events, vacation trips…everything is happening at once.

And in the midst of that, trying to follow a « normal » workout routine can feel impossible.

Fortunately, you don’t have to!

Here are three strategies we use with busy coaching clients to get great results without training taking over their lives.

Pick one and turn it on whenever your schedule gets tight. 💪

Strategy 1: Focus on « Big Rocks »

Choose exercises that give you the greatest return:

• One lower body exercise (squats, deadlifts, lunges)
• One « pushing » exercise for the upper body (push-ups, bench press, overhead press)
• One upper body « pull » exercise (rows, pull-ups, assisted chin-ups)

This little push-pull-leg triangle works with ​dumbbells​machines, body weight, what have you.

Take ours ​Bodyweight training for beginners​for example.

You can delete lunges, planks and jumps and focus on squats, push-ups and rows and boom! You cut your workout time in half and still get a great workout.

Three movements. Whole body. Huge bang for your buck.

Strategy 2: Fewer rounds, more effort

I hear a lot of people say, “If I don’t full workout, it really doesn’t count.

it is not true

Even a solid circle still gives your muscles enough stimulus to maintain strength—and often build it.

Here’s an approach we use all the time with busy clients.

Matching sets

1. Choose a challenging weight or version of the exercise.
2. After warming up, do as many good reps as you can with steady form.
3. Take a short rest.
4. Do one more set and try to hit that number – even if you need a few small rests to get there.

Two high-effort sets and you’re done in minutes.

Strategy 3: The 10 Minute Time Box

Sometimes life gets so busy that it feels like you barely have 5 or 10 minutes to squeeze in a workout.

So let’s build a workout that you know will take JUST that long!

Here’s how to do it:

1. Set a timer for the specified time. (5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, etc.)
2. Choose 2-4 exercises.
3. Go through them one after the other, resting as needed.
4. Do as many reps as you can before the timer hits zero.

If you get one round: great.

If you get four rounds, great too.

You worked hard in the window you had, which is what matters.

One last thing

Even if none of these strategies happen and the day is a complete whirlwind… a two minute walk, a quick stretch, or a single set of squats still counts.

It keeps the « workout space » open in your life.

This reinforces your identity as a person who moves.

And that makes it back to routine in January so much easier.

You don’t need a perfect plan.

You just need a plan that works todaywith the time and energy you actually have. ❤️

– Matt

PS If you want help building a plan that fits your lifeas well as the responsibility and support for its implementation, this is exactly what we do in ours ​Coaching program​.