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This super-compact gym workout is ideal for those days when time is in short supply. The session plan is chock full of big compound exercises which ensures that every major muscle group is engaged. And because the training volume is high, your aerobic system will be activated for the duration of the workout. This, you’ll be able to squeeze into 30 minutes a full body workout that delivers many desirable fitness benefits.
To ensure that a variation of training abilities is catered for, I’ve created three separate session plans. So, whether you identify yourself as a beginner, intermediate, or advanced exerciser, there’s a workout here for you. Furthermore, in the hints and tips section below, I outline a few ideas of how the plans can be modified to a specific training goal.
30 minute gym workout FAQ
But before getting stuck into the sessions, you might want to review the following frequently asked gym workout questions. The answers aim to clarify a few common training misunderstandings in addition to shedding light on the purpose of the training tasks selected.
Can a gym workout help build strength?
A 30 minute gym workout consisting of resistance exercises is more than sufficient to increase strength. New exercisers often fall into the false belief that you can only build bigger stronger muscles through long enduring training sessions. For some, it may come as a surprise to learn that such sessions can impede performance gains.
In the NSCA’s Guide to Training Program Design, the contributing authors make it clear that too much pumping iron puts us at risk of overtraining. After reviewing an extensive body of research literature, the authors conclude that two to six sets of three to eight reps are optimal for promoting ‘substantial strength increases’ in both ‘training and untrained athletes,’ (NSCA’s Guide to Training Program Design).
Thirty minutes afford ample time to apply that prescribed set and rep range to one or two muscle groups.
Is 30 minutes enough to train the whole body?
The objective of a ‘total body’ routine is to target all the major muscle groups in a single sitting. This outcome is most effectively achieved by prioritising maximal-stimulation multi-joint exercises – such as sumo squats, deadlifts, and power cleans – over isolation movements – shrugs, biceps curls, and triceps extensions.
Because multi-joint exercises (also called compound lifts) involve two or more muscle groups, they are time-efficient. Applying the NSCA’s set-rep ratios to six carefully selected compound lifts would enable you to train every area of the body in 30 minutes. If you kept rest periods brief, you’d likely finish your workout with time to spare.
Can I burn fat in a 30 minute workout
According to many leading sources, 30 minutes is plenty long enough to burn fat. A study at the University of Birmingham showed that the body starts to metabolise fat after as little as 7 minutes of activity. However, this depends on the exercise and type of training method selected.
In the Birmingham study, researchers used the HIIT (high-intensity interval training) protocol. Participants were required to peddle furiously on a stationary bike for 20 seconds. Each interval was concluded with a rest of equal duration. After just six sets the body had started to break down fat for fuel. When compared to conventional weight-loss methods, to provoke the same physiological response as those six high-intensity bouts, you’d have to run at a steady pace for around 20 minutes.
To cut a long answer short. If you want to reduce your weight and trim up, you’ll need to include HIIT and steady-state aerobic exercise into your gym routines.
30 minute gym workout
The 30 minute gym workout below has been designed to develop whole-body muscle endurance. Thus, the volume (expressed by the number of sets multiplied by the number of reps performed) is a few notches higher than a strength session. Also, the intensity (expressed by the amount of weight lifted) and post-set recovery period are low.
As mentioned briefly in the introduction, there are three plans of varying difficulty to choose from. The workout structure doesn’t change. What distinguishes the plans are the exercises. The beginner, as you might expect, is comprised primarily of machine-based isolation exercises.
The intermediate and advanced plans, by contrast, feature complex compound movement. To further increase the training demands, an explosive plyometric extension can be added to some exercises.
A final point. For those who want to maximise every minute of the workout (and perhaps pit themselves against a physical challenge), you can convert the plan into a series of short-duration AMRAPs (as many reps as possible). Instead of completing sets and reps, set a countdown timer (for 3, 4 or 5 minutes) and aim to complete as many reps as possible. During a brief rest break, make a note of your score before starting the next exercise.
Key training points
Warm up well before starting your workout. If you don’t have time for a full 10-minute warm-up, select a low resistance for the first two sets. (Alternatively, use this all-purpose Gym Warm-up >)
Choose the plan that reflects your level of training ability and exercise experience.
Once you’ve decided on the plan, progress down the list of exercises.
Remember to prioritise the quality of your form over the quantity of weight lifted.
30 minute gym training hints and tips
Throughout the FAQ, I outlined several ways your gym workout could be reformatted to target a specific training goal. As they stand, the three plans promote muscle endurance and marginal gains in functional strength. But if you want to focus purely on building strength, the workouts can be easily adapted to align with that goal. Reflecting on the NSCA’s guidelines, to ‘optimise’ for strength, you would reduce the set and rep ranges while increasing the loads lifted.
Conversely, modifying the plans to emphasise fitness conditioning or promote fat loss is merely a matter of turning the training dials in the opposite direction to the strength protocol. By increasing the sets and reps and reducing the intensity and rest, the workout will more accurately mirror your goals. The clarity will be sharper still if you integrate bouts of high-intensity interval training.
The exercise order, you may have noticed, decreases in complexity. That is to say, the most technically challenging exercises are positioned at the start of the plan and the least challenging at the end. This ensures that you are performing the complex movements when you are least fatigued. As well as enabling you to maximise your performance during those early lifts, this strategy is a recognised method of reducing injury risk. With that said, if you decide to replace a preexisting exercise, remember to position it appropriately.
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About Adam Priest –
A former Royal Marines Commando, Adam Priest is a content writer, college lecturer, and health and fitness coach. He is also a fitness author and contributor to other websites. Connect with Adam at info@hungry4fitness.co.uk.