BUSY MAN’S TRAINING PLAN

This plan from Matt Durkin, exercise and nutrition expert at SCI-MX, will help you build your best physique with just 90 minutes of training each week

Lack of time is the most commonly cited reason for either not exercising at all, or exercising less than you should. However, it is perfectly possible to get into fantastic shape in less than 90 minutes per week. This no-fuss plan will help you boost your strength, size and cardiovascular fitness.

Make sure you have a good base level of fitness and have a health check-up by your doctor before starting this programme, as it’s intense and demanding. But it’s also rewarding and energising, helping to put you in a great frame of mind to hit your other weekly goals.

Strength training

The resistance training part of the programme is pretty simple: hit all major muscle groups for a total of 3 sets each, resting no more than 75 seconds between sets. On the first two sets, aim to stop 1 or 2 reps before failure. On the final set, go to failure.

Rep ranges are not too important, as long as you get close to failure – anywhere from 8-15. Choose an appropriate weight for the movement and strength level, and lift with excellent form, feeling the target muscle groups stretch and contract. To really stress the muscles, take 3 seconds to perform the negative part of the rep (i.e. lowering the weight to your chest on a bench press) and then be forceful with the positive portion of the rep.

Here is a sample programme that outlines the exercises and working muscle groups. It can be adjusted depending on the equipment available to you. Keep track of the weights you lifted and for how many reps. Try adding weight or reps every session, while maintaining the same form. That will ensure you progressively overload the muscles, giving the stimulus they require to get bigger and stronger.

Perform two workouts per week on non-consecutive days. Each should take less than 30 minutes to complete.