Workouts For The Busy Bodybuilder

Imagine you walk into your local gym ready to crush it and it’s packed to the rafters. And the squat racks and benches are all taken.  

You feel crushed. 

Or your work calls you in early (or you stayed late the night before) because of something important and now you’re pushed for time and low on energy.

So, what do you do now?

Rather than walk out and miss your training altogether or not going to the gym at all, grab one mat, one piece of free weight equipment and find yourself a spot in the gym and get to work.   

The following routines are full-body workouts with a focus on unilateral exercises. You’ll be working on your strength imbalances due to the unilateral nature of using a single piece of equipment and by training one arm, one leg at a time.   

Advantages of unilateral training

1. Improved muscle recruitment – Unilateral training makes you work harder to recruit more muscle fibers for the same movement, such as a forward lunge. Training with one leg recruits abductors and core to stabilize the pelvis while the working leg does a lunge.

2. Reduces muscle imbalances – Training bilaterally all the time leads to strength imbalances and your dominant side can pick up the slack for a weaker side.  For example, favoring one side over the other during a barbell bench press.

3. Core work without crunches – Lifting unilaterally throws your body off-balance, which recruits your entire core area to keep yourself balanced and upright.

4. Improves athleticism – Most movements done on the sporting arena—whether you’re running, throwing or jumping are single limb movements and training them in the gym will only help.

5. Decreased injury risk – Improving muscle recruitment, reducing muscle imbalances while strengthening the core reduces your chances of picking up a training injury.

Training templates

This template is adaptable according to your current training goals. If you want to substitute an isolation exercise (triceps, shoulders, biceps etc.) instead of a core exercise, just do it.

Or if you want to work on strength imbalances in your lower body, do two single-leg exercises instead of one.

1A. Bilateral leg exercise

1B. Upper body pull exercise

1C. Core/isolation exercise

2A. Single leg exercise

2B. Upper body push

2C. Core /isolation exercise

Or if you’re really pushed for time and fat loss is more your goal, set it up a circuit using this template

1A. Bilateral leg exercise

1B.  Upper body pull

1C. Single leg exercise

1D. Upper body push

1E. Core/isolation exercise

Repetition ranges

Use these repetition ranges, dependent on your current goals. 

1. Strength 4-8 reps

2. Muscle 8-12 reps

3. Fat loss 12-15 reps

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Note

Select the weight that allows you to do all the exercises with good form. Do the isolation exercises for 12-15 reps (if using a resistance band keep the reps between 8-15) and core exercises for between 30-60 seconds.

Try to use the same dumbbell, kettlebell, resistance band, weighed barbell for the entire on piece training to decrease transition time between exercises and to avoid hogging equipment.

The repetitions suggested are a guide only. Please feel free to improvise.

And ignore the above suggestions when it comes to the barbell complexes.

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Instructions

After your warm-up, choose your piece of equipment, and the rep range.

Complete the exercises 1A through 1C with little to no rest in between and repeat for a total of 3 rounds. Do the same with 2A through 2C.  

Or when doing the circuit training, limit your rest between exercises and rest 90-120 seconds after each circuit. Do 3-5 total circuits, depending on how much time you have.

Including the warm-up, these training sessions should take you no longer than between 30- 40 minutes.

Read also: Best Rep Range For Building Muscle, Strength, and Endurance

One Dumbbell training examples

1A. Goblet squat

1B. One-arm dumbbell row

1C. Plank with dumbbell transfer

 

2A. Goblet side lunge

2B Single arm floor press

2C. Dumbbell twist

Or

1A. Sumo or goblet squat

1B. Single-arm bent-over row

1C.  Goblet split squat

1D. Single-arm push press

1E. Single-arm lateral raise

 

Other exercises that can be included here are–  single arm bent over rows and push press, good mornings, side planks, reverse lunges, single-leg deadlifts, pullovers, shoulder press, tripod row, straight arm crunch, standing triceps extensions, single-arm biceps curls, single-arm overhead carries, and front and reverse shoulder raises.

Barbell training examples

1A. Back squat

1B. Bent over row

1C. Rollout

 

2A. Split squat

2B. Push press

2C. Anti-rotation exercise

Or

1A. Deadlift

1B. Bent over row

1C. Hang clean

1D. Push press

1E.  Overhead squat

or

1A. Hang clean

1B. Front squat

1C. Push press

1D. Back squat

1E. Behind-the-neck press

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Note

These are barbell complexes. Complete all the reps before moving on to the next exercise. Keep the reps between 4-8 range. Your weakest movement should dictate the weight you use.

The barbell doesn’t touch the ground or is out of your hands until you’re done.

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Resistance band training examples

 

1A. Band squat

1B. Seated row

1C. Overhead triceps extensions

 

2A. Reverse lunge

2B. Tall kneeling shoulder press

2C.  Passive leg lowering – 30 seconds on each leg

Or

1A.  Band squat

1B.  Single-arm bent-over row

1C.  Split squats

1D. Single-arm shoulder press

1E.  Band Front plank

 

Other exercises that can be included here are– push-ups, bent over row, single-arm bent-over row, push press, single-arm push press,  overhead triceps extensions, lawnmower row, reverse lunge, and lateral walk. 

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Note

The color of the band indicates how much resistance the band will give. For example, green band=easy, red band= medium, blue= hard, black= hardest.

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Kettlebell training examples

1A. Kettlebell swings (8-15 reps)

1B. Split stance row

1C. Curl to press to triceps extension

 

2A. Overhead split squat

2B. Single-arm bottoms up press

2C. Turkish get-ups (2 reps on each side)

Or

1A. Offset front squat (do both sides)

1B. Single-arm sumo row

1C. Goblet split squat

1D. Single-arm floor press

1E. Suitcase carry (go till failure on both hands)

 

Other exercises that can be included here are- goblet and offset reverse, forward or side lunges, goblet squats, sumo squats, single-arm push or shoulder press, kettlebell drag plank, kettlebell windmill, pullovers, overhead carry and biceps curls (holding the bell or handles).

Wrapping up

When it’s busy at your gym or you don’t have a lot of time to train, grab your equipment of choice and train.  Please don’t let lack of equipment or time be an excuse to skip your workout because you’re better than that.