The most important thing I've learned about nutrition is you need to deserve your carbs.
- Charles Polliquin
This one is for those weekend warriors who are racking up hours in New York City board rooms or putting in serious time at home during the week. One of the big secrets to a long and happy life is to keep your body conditioned and moving well. Skipping workouts during the week might be necessary, but it does mean you need to pack them into your weekend. In short, you've got to earn that brunch every New Yorker loves so much.
This week we are turning to Muscle and Fitness for some tips on how to maximize your weekend hours when you can't get out during the week. New Yorkers are known for their long, grueling work hours but they're also known for their competitive type- A personalities. The perfect combination for taking your "weekend warrior" up a notch (or two!)
Ready for the plan by Lee Boyce, CPT? Here we go!
Pressed for time during the week? Get a full-body blast with this weekend-only workout.
It’s not ideal, but it happens.
Sometimes, we just don’t have enough time in the week to get to the gym. As a coach, I work with a lot of mid-aged family men and women, who often spend their business weeks on planes, then in meetings, then at client dinners, then passed out by 10PM in a hotel room, only to do it again the next day.
It’s the recipe to throw off any training consistency, regardless of the absolute best intentions. As a result, these weekend husbands and dads end up having to turn into weekend warriors in the gym, using Friday afternoon until Sunday night to cram in their training volume for the week.
Of course, this is less than desirable, but I suppose it’s the lesser of two evils when compared to the option of not training at all. Luckily, I’m ready to help. If you’re confined to Friday to Sunday workout days, then here are some ground rules to think about.
RULE #1: FOCUS ON MOVEMENTS, NOT MUSCLES
It makes the most sense not to isolate, regardless of what your goals are. Given that you’re only training a maximum of three days out of the week, it’s reasonable to confirm that you won’t get the greatest results if you’re after size, due to the fact that it’s just too infrequent. Making sure you’re moving properly is the name of the game here if you want any shreds of strength you have left, to be maintained. I like arranging my clients’ workouts in the patterns of vertical and horizontal pushing and pulling. This will encourage the body to use big movement patterns like the deadlift, standing press, bench press, squat, lunge, pull up, and row. They belong in your workout as the “core” movements, around which other assistance exercise can and should take second place. These choices will give you the most bang for your buck. Be sure to arrange them in the planes of motion that they fit into.
RULE #2: SQUAT ON TWO OF THE THREE DAYS
On two out of the three days (ideally Friday and Sunday), you need to perform a squat pattern. It’s going to be important to help you deal with an axially loaded barbell, which can induce plenty of hormonal release to aid muscle development. I’d recommend squatting for more volume on one of the days, and squatting for more max strength on another. The biggest mistake you can make as a weekend warrior is to neglect adequately training the lower body.
RULE #3: MAKE SUNDAY THE MOST METABOLICALLY CHALLENGING
If you’re not about to train for 5 days following your last workout, it’s a good idea to go out with a bang. It can be by means of switching the workout system to more of a conditioning-based circuit style method, or it can be as simple as moderating the rest intervals, workloads and exercise pairings in order to tap into an increased metabolic demand. The good thing about training in this fashion is, you can potentiate fat loss for up to 38 hours following the workout, according to recent research. May as well cut into the days you’re inactive by leaving things off in a really good place. Wouldn’t you agree?
WEEKEND WARRIOR ROUTINE
Without further delay, here it is. Assuming you’re in the gym from Friday to Sunday, follow this program to get the most out of your time spent.
DAY 1 (FRIDAY) – VERTICAL PUSH/PULL, HIP-DOMINANT
A) BB Box Squat – 5x5. Perform ramping sets of 3 reps each, until you reach your working load for your first set of 5. Rest up to 3 minutes between sets.
B) Pull Ups – 5x10. If your 10 rep max involves weight, then perform weighted pull ups instead. Rest 2 minutes between sets.
C) Romanian Deadlift– 4x8-10. Be sure to touch the bar to the floor, using full ROM. Remember to keep a flat back. Rest 2 minutes between sets.
D) Seated DB Shoulder Press (Neutral grip) – 4x8-10. Use a slow negative (eccentric) phase on each rep, and pause on the shoulders for a 1 second count. Rest 2 minutes between sets.
E) Hanging Leg Raises – 4x10. Rest as long as needed between sets
DAY 2 (SATURDAY) – HORIZONTAL PUSH/PULL
A1) Seated Rows – 15 reps
A2) BB Bench Press – 10 reps
Perform 4 rounds. Rest 2 minutes between rounds.
B1) Walking Lunge – 20 steps
B2) Glute Hamstring Raise – 8 reps
Perform 4 rounds. Rest 2 minutes between rounds.
C1) Under-the-Bar Rows – Max Reps
C2) Push Ups – Max Reps
Perform 4 rounds. Rest as long as needed between rounds.
DAY 3 (SUNDAY) – VERTICAL PUSH/PULL, KNEE-DOMINANT
A) Front Squat – 8x8. Rest a MAXIMUM of 1 minute between sets. This will involve significantly lighter weight than you normally front squat for 8 reps. I suggest to use 60% of your current 8RM.
B1) Chin Ups (palms – in) – 10 reps
B2) BB Push Press – 10 reps
Rest 90 seconds between rounds. Perform 4 rounds.
C) Rear Leg Elevated Split Squat – 4x10/leg. Rest 90 seconds between rounds.
D) Half-Kneeling Press – 3x15/arm. Using a single dumbbell, take a knee, and perform a strict shoulder press with the same side arm as the down knee.
E) Post Workout burnout – 2 minute leg press. Load a leg press with 2 plates on either side, and perform as many reps as possible without racking the weight, for 2 minutes. Set your timer and get ready to burn!
Who Said Weekends are for Relaxing?
It’s simple. If you’re in a pinch, you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do. In the case of the busy workhorse, that means you’ll have to make do with a killer weekend program to keep your strength and size up to snuff. If you’re a frequent trainee with a few bad work weeks ahead, this one’s for you. If you’re someone who regularly tries to kill it on the weekend, then here’s a bit of structure to aid your quest for muscle.