By: Chris Gates

Finding time to work out is hard.

Honestly, it is. I get it.

At the time I write this article, I’m working two full-time jobs with a toddler and an infant at home. And that’s not to mention trying to find a way to manage my training and nutrition goals.

So what you’re dealing with…

I HEAR YOU.

And you’ve come to the right place.

Because there’s nobody better suited to talk to you about the best workout plan for extremely busy people. I promise!

In this article, I’m going to walk you through absolutely everything you need to know about how to get started and stay consistent with your workouts. We’ll break down:

• How to have good workouts in a short period of time.
• The right way to set goals and achieve them.
• Techniques you can use to set up your own training program.
• Time-saving ideas to help you find time for exercising.
• An example workout program you can get started with TODAY (more on that below!).
• Heck, we’ll even talk a little bit about your diet to make sure it’s in line with your goals.

So if you’re ready, and you’ve got a few minutes to spare to solve your workout problems…

Let’s dive in!

Learn about some of my AMAZING clients who have managed their own busy schedules to sucessfully build muscle, burn fat, and see amazing progress!

The Best Workout Plan for Extremely Busy People: Short Workouts Are Powerful

Before we break down the finer details of the best workout plan for extremely busy people, I want to make one thing very clear for you.

Any workout can make a HUGE impact.

I really mean that.

You may roll your eyes at a 10- or 15- or 20-minute workout plan, but you shouldn’t.

Would it be great to have 1-2 hours to invest in the gym each day? Sure.

But that’s not your reality. And that’s OK.

It doesn’t mean you have to settle for less progress, or worse health.

Really, what you probably think is required to make progress with fitness is pretty overblown.

• You don’t have to spend hours in the gym.
• Life doesn’t have to revolve around your workouts.
• It’s not a “no pain, no gain, suffer-for-hours-to-see-progress” type of deal.

You just need a workout program that’s tailored to you, your lifestyle, and your goals (more on that below!).

If you want to have quality workouts and really improve your health, it just requires being intentional and thoughtful with your planning.

Luckily, that’s exactly what we’re going to do here 🙂

The Best Workout Plan for Extremely Busy People: What’s Your Goal?

Your goal is going to be extremely important.

And by that, I mean you No. 1 goal.

If you’re short on time and are truly in need of the best workout plan for extremely busy people, I don’t want to hear…

• “Well, I really want to lose weight.”
• “But I also want to run a half marathon in June.”
• “And I’m also trying to build as much muscle as possible.”

That’s too much.

Honestly, someone with 1-2 hours of time to dedicate to their workouts each day probably can’t do all of that at the same time.

So don’t put that type of pressure on yourself.

Let’s take one primary goal and tailor your program to it.

It doesn’t mean you can’t improve in multiple areas. But by selecting your No. 1 goal, it will help you add some structure to your workout plan.

For instance…

1. If your No. 1 goal is to lose weight, we can maximize your workouts to burn calories and change your body composition in the right way.
2. If it’s to run a half marathon, we’ll focus primarily on running since that’s a specific skill you need to develop.
3. Or if you want to build muscle, we’ll focus on progressively overloading your muscles to create the right adaptations.

So take a moment, weigh the options, and really think hard about what means the most to you with your workouts.

Once you’ve figured that out, you can dive into the rest of this article.

The Best Workout Plan for Extremely Busy People: How to Maximize Your Time

There are so many different forms of fitness, and different ways you can work out.

What’s the best?

Here are some time-saving ideas that will allow you to get a lot of quality work completed in a short period of time.

Exercise for Time

First up, a key element of the best workout plan for extremely busy people is doing specific exercises for time. You’ll see some of this in the example workout plan below.

For instance…

• You can try doing as many bodyweight squats as possible for 30 seconds.
• Perhaps you can try doing pushups for 60 seconds, non stop.
• Or you might try sit ups for a certain block of time.

By limiting the duration for each exercise, you can easily figure out how many exercises to complete in a shorter workout.

And if you track your progress, you can focus on increasing the amount of reps you complete in that time span.

2-For-1 Exercises with Supersets

You can also give supersets a try.

Supersets involve you doing multiple exercises back to back before taking a rest period. So you can get two exercises completed in the time it usually takes to do one.

I have a full article that breaks down how to do supersets if you’d like to learn more.

A great way to use them is by training opposing muscle groups at the same time. For instance…

• Superset a pushing exercise with a pulling exercise.
• Train biceps followed by triceps.
• Hit a lower body exercise, immediately followed by an upper body exercise.

Let one muscle group rest while the other works.

Compound Exercises Are Key

Compound exercises will help as well.

If you’re short on time, you should really ditch a lot of the isolation work where you’re targeting one small muscle group at a time (Ex: training your biceps, triceps, calves, etc. individually).

Instead, focus on pressing, rowing, and squatting exercises. Things like a bench press, a seated row, or a barbell squat are going to train multiple muscle groups at once and give you a much bigger bang for your buck.

• A press will train the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
• A row will train the entire back, biceps, and forearms.
• A squat will hit the quads along with some hamstrings and glutes.

Research shows compound exercises are just as effective as isolation exercises for building muscle and strength, but they require a much smaller time commitment.

Do the movements that give you the biggest return on investment.

In this case, the investment is your time.

Use the Same Piece of Equipment

If you’re in the gym for 15-20 minutes, don’t get caught spending half of that time trying to find and set up different pieces of equipment.

That wouldn’t fit the description of the best workout plan for extremely busy people.

In fact, it would be the worst.

Instead, choose a really versatile piece of equipment where you can do multiple exercises in one spot.

For instance…

• Grab a pair of 20-pound dumbbells and do an entire workout with them.
• Set up at some type of functional trainer/cable machine and bang out a few exercises in one spot.

The less set up time required, the better.

Shorten Your Rest Periods

If you’re strapped for time, resting 60-90 seconds in between sets probably isn’t in the cards for you.

You’ll need to shorten your rest periods.

Because think about it…

If you pair this technique with what we just went over — using one piece of equipment instead of walking around and setting things up — you can save a lot of time in the gym.

On the flip side, if you don’t, most of your workout will be spent … well … not working out.

• For your first exercise, 3 sets or more can take 5-10 minutes if you’re resting 60 seconds or longer.
• Once you put that equipment away, find the next piece of equipment, and set it up, you’ve wasted another 5-10 minutes.
• God forbid someone else is using the equipment you need, and you have to wait.
• Once you’ve finished that second exercise, you might be out of time!

So shorten your rest periods. Give yourself 15-30 seconds in between sets.

This will mean you probably need to lift a little bit lighter, but that’s OK.

This is about efficiency. Not ego.

The best workout plan for extremely busy people is not about wasting time.

You need to maximize it.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Might Be Appropriate

If you’ve read any of my previous articles, listened to my podcast, or followed any of my content on social media before, you’ve probably heard me say this a few times…

“HIIT is not required.”

And I say that because most people think HIIT is “best” for fat loss, or that you have to completely exhaust yourself to see your body change.

Which isn’t true.

BUT… If you’re short on time and you need to pack a whole lot of exercising into 15 or 20 minutes, HIIT might be a great option.

If you can mix short periods of very high intensity with other periods of low intensity, you can pretty effectively build endurance, burn calories, and really challenge yourself.

Don’t Forget About Steps!

While this one isn’t specifically about your workouts, it’s something to consider.

Tracking steps throughout the day is a great way to be more active.

And at the end of the day, more daily activity can really help improve your fitness and your health.

Steps will make a huge impact.

If you can set a step count goal for the day of…

• 7,500 steps a day
• 10,000 steps a day
• 15,000 steps a day

(The exact number doesn’t really matter — just set a goal!)

It will help you more consciously think about activity throughout each and every day. You’ll find yourself getting up and moving more at work, with your family, around the house, etc.

It all adds up. And tracking steps is a great tool in your toolbox.

The Best Workout Plan for Extremely Busy People: Example Workout Plan

OK, we’ve outlined a ton of strategies that can work.

Now, let’s put this information into practice!

Here’s an example of the best workout plan for extremely busy people.

And if it’s helpful, here is a printable version you can take with you to use wherever!

I’ve set it up for you with a few things in mind…

1. We’re going to incorporate both strength training and cardio into a three-day routine.
2. You can complete these workouts in any order, on any day of the week. The only requirement is that you complete each one.
3. The goal is to maximize what you can do for both your health and your body composition.
4. Each workout is intentional, so I want you to be intentional with your effort. Don’t go through the motions, or be careless with your form and technique.
5. Over time if you can either do more reps in the same period of time, or lift heavier weight, it will mean you’re making incredible progress!

Day 1: Upper Body Strength

Warm Up:

• Resistance Band Shoulder Rotations
• Dumbbell Shoulder Rotations

Exercise	Instructions	Notes
1: Push Ups	1 set, 30 seconds	As many reps as possible in 30 seconds.
2A: Dumbbell Bench Press	3 sets, 8-10 reps	Superset with Dumbbell Rows.
2B: Dumbbell Rows	3 sets, 8-10 reps	Superset with Dumbbell Bench Press.
3A: Dumbbell Lateral Raise	3 sets, 10-15 reps	Superset with Dumbbell Rear Delt Flies.
3B: Dumbbell Rear Delt Flies	3 sets, 10-15 reps	Superset with Dumbbell Rear Delt Flies.
4A: Dumbbell Bicep Curls	3 sets, 8-12 reps	Superset with Overhead Tricep Extensions.
4B: Overhead Tricep Extensions	3 sets, 8-12 reps	Superset with Dumbbell Bicep Curls.

Notes:

• Do A & B exercises together as a superset.
• After each set, take a 15-30 second rest period.
• For each superset, try to use the same pair of dumbbells in order to save time.

Day 2: Lower Body Strength

Warm Up:

• Lower Body Stretching Routine
• 3-5 Minute Walk (treadmill)

Exercise	Instructions	Notes
1: Bodyweight Squats	3 sets, 60 seconds	As many reps as possible for 60 seconds, each set.
2A: Dumbbell Split Squats	3 sets, 8-10 reps	Superset with Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts.
2B: Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts	3 sets, 8-10 reps	Superset with Dumbbell Split Squats.
3A: Bicycle Crunch	3 sets, 30 seconds	As many reps as possible in 30 seconds.
3B: Standing Calf Raise	3 sets, 30 seconds	As many reps as possible in 30 seconds.
3C: Plank	3 sets, 30 seconds	As many reps as possible in 30 seconds.

Notes:

• Do A & B exercises, or A-B-C exercises together as a superset.
• After each set, take a 15-30 second rest period.
• For each superset, try to use the same pair of dumbbells in order to save time.

Day 3: Cardio

Warm Up:

• Lower Body Stretching Routine
• 3-5 Minute Walk (treadmill)

Exercise	Instructions	Notes
Warm Up (5 minutes)	Start slow and progressively work your way up to a cruising speed.	You’ll be doing low-impact cardio, so hop on something like a spin bike or elliptical.
HIIT Intervals (10 minutes)	Every minute on the minute, sprint for 15 seconds, followed by 45 seconds of steady state cardio.	After each sprint, you can slow back down to your initial cruising speed.
Cool Down (5 minutes)	Progressively reduce speed and cool down for the final 5 minutes.	End with a lower body stretching routine if time permits.

Notes:

• You can pick whatever form of low-impact cardio you like. Typically a spin bike or elliptical is best, but feel free to do what you enjoy and can be consistent with.

The Best Workout Plan for Extremely Busy People: Don’t Forget About Your Diet

Before you go off and running with the best workout plan for extremely busy people, there’s one last thing I’d like to discuss.

Nutrition.

Because while having a dialed in workout routine is really important, your progress kind of depends on all of those things you do outside of the gym, too.

And your diet is a BIG one.

Let’s quickly summarize a few of the key points that will help you match your workout plan with your health and body composition goals.

• If you want to lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit, which means you’re consuming fewer calories from food than your body burns each day. I’ve got an article that maps out absolutely everything you need to know.
• If you want to build muscle, you need to be in a calorie surplus. You guessed it. This means you need to eat slightly more calories than your body burns. Once again, I’ve got a resource for you.
• If your goal goes beyond building muscle or burning fat, and you want to increase your training performance, I’d highly recommend eating at maintenance, or in a slight surplus.

There are no foods you CAN’T eat, or HAVE TO eat.

There’s no diet plan you MUST be on.

Take those principles I listed, and be flexible with your diet. Find ways to enjoy the foods you eat, and make them fit within your goals.

Eat mostly whole, nutrient-dense foods.

But allow yourself some indulges here and there, too.

If you do that, and if you can be consistent with the best workout plan for extremely busy people, you’ll make MASSIVE amounts of progress.

I promise.

I Hope This Helps!

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading this article! I hope it helped you map out a plan for your workouts.

If you think you need a little bit of additional support, and you’d like to give online fitness coaching a try, then check out my coaching page. I work with people all over the world to…

• Build muscle
• Burn fat
• Develop healthy lifestyle habits

We can create a customized program that works, and I’ll be there every step of the way to help you with your journey.

Thanks again!

Have a great day 🙂

~ Chris