The question, then: How do you make that enough? And what should you do differently when the number of sessions goes up? “That’s going to vary a lot person to person, depending on what your goals are,” says Jayson Lee, a personal trainer in New York City. “If your goal is to lose weight, the focus is going to be more on cardio because it burns slightly more calories in a shorter period of time. But if general strength and overall fitness is what you’re after, you’re better off focusing on resistance moves that build muscle mass.” It’s easier to get moderate cardio into your day-to-day without the gym, Lee points out: You can take the stairs at work, bike instead of drive to do errands, walk the dog, and so on. So during you’re dedicated workout minutes, it’s better to make sure you’re covering bases, like lifting, that you aren’t able to do outside of the gym (or your garage). Take a look at what to do, when—whether you have two, three, or five days a week to work out.
Two Days a Week, 30-Minute Workout
Goal: Work major muscle groups with full-body movements. Day 1 (take 10 seconds rest between sets; 20 seconds rest between moves): 5-minute warm up (2-minute walk, 1-minute jog, 90-second run, 30-second sprint) 15 x 4 sets burpees 15 x 4 sets Bavarian split squats 10 x 3 sets pull-ups 60 seconds x 2 mountain climbers 60 seconds x 2 walking lunges with medium-weight dumbbells 60 seconds x 2 farmer’s carry 25 x 4 sets sit-ups Day 2 (take 10 seconds rest between sets; 20 seconds rest between moves): 5-minute warm up (2-minute walk, 1-minute jog, 90-second run, 30-second sprint) 20 x 4 sets push-ups 60 seconds plank x 2 30 seconds side plank left side x 2 30 seconds side plank right side x 2 15 x 3 sets box jumps (choose bench or box height between 2’-3’) 15 x 4 sets triceps dips 15 x 4 sets squat + overhead press with medium-weight dumbbells 15 x 4 sets hanging leg raises
Three Days a Week, 30-Minute Workout
Goal: Add one day of cardio to the above routine, using high-intensity interval training. Day 3 (take 30 seconds rest after each exercise; repeat HIIT sequence five times): 5-minute warm up (2-minute walk, 1-minute jog, 90-second run, 30-second sprint) 30 seconds burpees 30 seconds jumping jacks 30 seconds squat jumps 30 seconds fast-foot sprint 30 seconds running up stairs
Five Days a Week, 30-Minute Workout
Goal: Isolate muscle groups for strength training, and boost lung and heart function with cardio. Day 1 (take 10 seconds rest between sets; 20 seconds rest between moves): 5-minute warm up 15 x 4 sets biceps curls 15 x 4 sets triceps dips 20 x 3 sets pull-ups 15 x 4 sets hanging leg raises 20 x 3 sets push-ups 10 x 4 sets bench press 15 x 4 sets overhead press Day 2: 30 minutes running Day 3 (take 10 seconds rest between sets; 20 seconds rest between moves): 5-minute warm up 20 x 4 sets leg press 20 x 4 sets squats with medium-weight dumbbells 20 x 4 sets lunges 15 x 4 sets Bavarian split squats 10 x 3 sets deadlift 12 x 4 barbell back squat Day 4: 30 minutes biking Day 5 (take 10 seconds rest between sets; 20 seconds rest between moves): 5-minute warm up 25 x 2 sets sit-ups 20 x 4 sets push-ups 20 x 3 sets pull-ups 60 seconds x 2 planks 60 seconds x 2 walking lunges with medium-weight dumbbells 60 seconds x 2 farmer’s carry 60 seconds x 2 burpees 15 x 4 sets step-ups with medium-weight dumbbells 15 x 4 sets Bavarian split squats
