3 express sessions to play sports when you don't have time

Here is a question to ask yourself: How to do sports when you don't have time?

Yes, you have noticed that it is too easy to leave your session aside when you are a little tight on the schedule.

But I can't leave you with this lame excuse without doing anything.

Why not drop your workout?

Already, I must admit that it also happens to me to let slip a training session because my program has been modified. However, it is a problem that I want to avoid at all costs.

You know why ?

Because, from the height of my little experience of the last 30 years, I noticed that on a day without training:

1. disturbs the rest of my sports program and my training rhythm;
2. often demotivates me for the rest of the week. You know, the “anyway, my schedule is done for the week” syndrome. Might as well wait until next week to do it well”;
3. makes my next sessions more difficult because I try to compensate. Which is not the most productive in reality.

Well, I say NO! I'm not going to let myself be like that.

It is possible to do an express fitness session in 10 minutes maximum. However, I must warn you first...

Exercising when you don't have time isn't ideal.

The best techniques for working out at home don't take a lot of time, it's true.

You have noticed that the strength training sessions that I recommend are mainly HIIT sessions. These are high intensity workouts that rarely exceed 30 to 45 minutes.

Honestly, 30 minutes isn't very long. But, it is more than enough for a full session .

Sometimes, however, we don't even have half an hour free. And in this case, it is better to devote 10 minutes to an express session, rather than doing nothing.

But if you really want to have results, this kind of session should not become a habit.

For what ?

Because it is undeniable that the volume and frequency of training play an essential role in your results.

In other words, if your training lacks intensity, is too short or too irregular, you will achieve little progress. You will have a hard time losing excess fat or gaining muscle volume.

However, by changing some things, a very short session will allow you not to lose your hard-earned.

You follow me ?

By this I mean that this kind of session will not transcend your results, but will allow you to stay on your momentum rather than regress.

Exercises to favor for an express sports session

The 6 movements of his sessions are proven and require little or no equipment.

I will give you some variations with equipment such as suspension straps, strength strength training resistance bands or a pull-up bar.

The exercises are organized in the form of mini challenges in order to work with the highest possible intensity.

First I'll walk you through each move (with a few variations), then I'll tell you how to organize them into a quick session.

1. Plank

Muscles worked: rectus abdominis (rectus abdominis), external oblique and internal oblique, transverses, pectorals, deltoids (shoulders), quadriceps as well as the deep muscles of the back.

The plank is an isometric exercise. That is to say, it is static. BUT WHAT AN EXERCISE!

You probably know if you've been reading my articles for a while, I consider the plank to be the best exercise for the abdominal strap. And I'm far from the only one to think so.

I would be tempted to say that if there was only one exercise left in the world, it would be this one. At least the choice would be quickly made 😉

To do it well, you have to move your shoulders forward as if you want to push the ground. For the RKC plank, you additionally need to contract your abs, glutes, and quads while clenching your fists together. This increases the difficulty, but also the number of muscles used.

This abs exercise solicits 4 times more the lower abs, 3 times more the external obliques and 2 times more the internal obliques than a classic sheathing exercise.

You will find a complete article on the subject on the site sport-equipements.fr

2. Squats with resistance bands or lunges

Muscles worked: quadriceps, hamstrings (back of thighs), buttocks and abs.
Squats and lunges are basic leg movements. They are particularly effective for the quadriceps (the front of the thighs).

Bodyweight forward-backward lunges:

1. Starting position: standing, hands on hips.
2. Take a big step forward and lower until your back knee almost touches the ground.
3. Return to starting position.
4. Take a big step back (still the same leg) and go down until you touch the knee on the ground.

You repeat this movement for 30 seconds, then you change your supporting leg.
Keep your back straight throughout the exercise.

Squats with resistance bands:

Squats are great for the quadriceps. The problem is that they are less effective without resistance.

So you can use the Bodylastics resistance bands like I do in the pictures. Try to perform an explosive climb, while the descent should be controlled and slower.

If you don't have resistance bands , do squats to increase the difficulty.

3. Wide and narrow push-ups

Muscles worked: pectorals, triceps, deltoids (shoulders), abdominals.

Who has never heard of pumps? I believe almost everyone has tried it at some point. Even your grandmother...

And for good reason, it is the basis of movements for the pectorals and triceps. Without forgetting that the abdominals and the shoulders are solicited too.

If this movement is too difficult for you, you can always put your knees on the ground to perform it.

Conversely, you can make it harder by using resistance bands (like in the pictures below). Another solution is to put your feet on a slightly higher support. The weak point of this 2nd solution is that the muscular effort will be located higher up (top of the pectorals and shoulders).

Hands apart push-ups:

A more distant position of the hands will concentrate the effort on the external part of the large pectorals. It's more like what you would do in a bench press session.

For me, the correct spacing corresponds to the hands placed beyond the width of the shoulders.

Keep your abs tight during the exercise and your back straight. Don't allow your lower back to arch during exercise or your upper back to round out.

This advice is valid for all push-ups (including knees on the floor).

Push-ups close together (shoulder width):

This time, you will keep your hands shoulder-width apart and your elbows will stay along your body to concentrate the effort on the triceps and the central part of the pecs.

Strive to give the strongest possible impulse during the push to gain in explosiveness.

You can even place the hands side by side to pound the triceps (diamond push-ups).

4. Side plank

Muscles worked: external oblique and internal oblique, deltoids (shoulder), gluteus medius, vastus lateralis muscle (part of the quadriceps), peroneus longus muscle, tibialis anterior muscle.

I'm sure you didn't even know you had those muscles. This exercise will make you discover them 😉

For this movement, you only need a floor mat. I recommend a puzzle mat if you often train in the same place (which is far from my case 😀 )

Keep your head and body as straight as possible while holding the position on each side. Your abs should stay tight.

Remember to breathe well throughout the exercise. 

5. Jumping Lunge or Single Leg Squats

Muscles worked: quadriceps, hamstrings (back of thighs), buttocks and abs.

Jumping lunges are very effective for the quadriceps, glutes and hamstrings due to the explosiveness of the movement.

I recommend them if you don't have back problems or are overweight.

However, it is an exercise that I avoid because of the fragility of my lower back. I favor pistol squats instead.

Single leg squats (pistol squats):

For this exercise, I like to use the suspension straps . Of course, some do pistol squats, ie squats balanced on one leg. But it is super difficult!

With TRX straps, you keep the intensity of the exercise without struggling with your balance.

6. Supine pull-ups (chin up) or Rowing

Muscles worked: biceps, forearms, latissimus dorsi, teres major and abdominals.

A real session must necessarily work the biceps and latissimus dorsi. This is exactly the objective of the movement that I propose to you here.

Supine pull-ups (chin up) with a barbell:

To do pull-ups, you need at least a pull-up bar of this type or something equivalent.

As you can see in the photo below, an elastic band can make it easier for you at first. You just have to put the ankle bands around the thighs to hang the strength training band there. Another solution is to rest your feet on a chair to relieve your arms.

You should grab the bar with your hands supinated, that is, palms facing your body. Your hands are about shoulder width apart.

Contract your abs so as not to put tension on your lower back. Pull to bring your chest up to the bar. You must feel the effort of the biceps, but also of the latissimus dorsi.

Rowing in supination with resistance bands :

When I'm on the go, this is the movement I use to replace pull-ups. It is really excellent for latissimus dorsi.

A simple door is enough to fix the anchor supplied with the kit.

There, you now have the exercises. All that remains is to make sessions for the days when you are in a hurry. I call them “ express sessions ”.

Express sessions to play sports when you don't have time

Using only the exercises that I have just presented to you, you could train for a lifetime and create crazy programs.

But they are also enough for you for quick sessions when you do not have enough time for your usual program .

So I'm going to show you 3 different circuits to use in an emergency (even without breaking the ice).

The first aims to replace a full-body session. The other 2 will allow you not to upset your program if you work in half-body (upper body or lower body).

Full circuit (10 minutes)

You should use this circuit if your entire training week is compromised due to your schedule. In this case, you will have to do this circuit 3 to 4 times a week.

If possible, you should not take any rest between exercises. Just enough time to get in place, and presto!

If it is useful for you, download the Tabata Timer app to let you know the exercise changes.

To warm up, do 1 minute of Jumping Jacks.

If you don't even have 10 minutes, you can stop at the end of the 6th exercise. Below 6 minutes, I can't do anything for you 😀

Express session Upper body (6 minutes)

To warm up, do 1 minute of Jumping Jacks.

Lower body express session (8 minutes)

To warm up, do 1 minute of Jumping Jacks.

Conclusion

As I said before, doing an express session is not ideal. But, doing sports when you don't have time is always better than not doing sports at all.

And most importantly, it keeps you on your training momentum. It is indeed too easy to give up after having skipped several sessions.

Did you notice too?

So, don't let the lack of time get the better of your health.