Training when you only have three hours a week
How to get real results on two or three sessions a week, and what to cut when time is short.
Three hours a week is enough. It’s more than most people who look like they train actually do. The trick is spending it on the right things.
Two sessions a week
Full body, both days. Each session: a squat or a hinge, a push, a pull, and one thing for your weak point. Three sets each, 45–60 minutes. Two well-run sessions like this beat five sloppy ones.
Three sessions a week
Same idea, alternate a squat-focused day and a hinge-focused day, and the third day is whichever you did least recently. Add a short carry or conditioning finisher if you have five minutes left.
What to cut when you’re short
In order: warm-up fluff, isolation exercises, rest between accessory sets, and finally the accessory exercises themselves. Never cut the main lift or its warm-up sets.
What to add when you can’t get to the gym
A 20-minute walk. Not because it burns a lot of calories, but because it keeps the habit alive and makes the next gym session easier to show up for.
The rule that saves the week
A 25-minute session you actually do is worth more than the 60-minute session you skipped. If time is short, do the main lift for three sets and leave. You’re still training.