How to increase muscles and pump strength if there is almost no time

As a rule, strength training includes 8-10 exercises, each of which is performed in two to four sets of 3-12 repetitions, with a rest of 2-5 minutes between them. One class takes 45 to 60 minutes, training is held two to three times a week.

But it only works in the short term. If you practice in this way constantly, the muscles will not grow as significantly as with a larger number of sets. For example, one meta-analysis found that one to four sets would provide a 5% increase in muscle, while five to nine would increase muscle by 7%, and more than 10 would increase muscle by 10%.

But how to distribute them is your business. For example, if you have one full day off, you can do a long workout and complete almost the entire norm at once. Or choose frequent, but super short classes of 15 minutes each and evenly distribute the weekly volume.

If it is not possible to do four sets for all muscle groups, give preference to pumping the legs - strong thigh muscles require a greater load than arms, shoulders and chest. For example, you can perform three approaches a week for the legs, and leave one for the upper muscles.

Muscles grow equally well when working with heavy shells (more than 60% of the one-repetition maximum (1RM)) for a small number of repetitions (less than 15), and during longer approaches with a light load.

But in the last option, for good growth, it is necessary to bring the muscles to failure, while this is not necessary when using submaximal scales.

If you only manage to exercise at home, choose the number of sets and repetitions that will bring your muscles to failure. This may make your workouts longer in time, but at the same time, it will surely ensure a good increase in muscle mass.

It is better to emphasize multi-joint movements - those that involve several muscle groups at once. For example, squats, lunges, presses and pull-ups with a barbell and on simulators.

In one meta-analysis, it was found that if you add single-joint upper body movements to multi-joint movements, the muscles will grow no more than when performing only the first ones. So is there any point in spending time curling your arms with dumbbells?

In fact, only three multi-joint exercises will help to involve almost all the main muscle groups: traction, pressing and leg movement. For example, squats with a barbell on the back, bench press and chest pull on a block machine.

In the hall, choose bilateral exercises - for both limbs at once. To increase the load at home, you can try unilateral movements, for example, squats on one leg or push-ups on one arm.

Rest between sets is necessary so that the muscles have time to get rid of lactic acid and replenish the reserves of chemicals necessary for full contraction.

As a rule, they wait 3–5 minutes before the next approach (or even more, if there is an interesting interlocutor), but this is not necessary at all.

In a meta-analysis of 23 scientific papers, it was found that even a short break of less than 60 seconds can provide a good increase in strength. But for optimal results, it is still better to rest a little longer.

There are several training options that will help reduce the time of work and at the same time better load the muscles.

Supersets are two or more exercises performed back-to-back with little or no rest. Most often, such a combination combines movements for different muscle groups so that some have time to rest while others work.

Try to include the following exercises in the superset:

This method of training can be no less effective than the traditional option with rest after each set.

In one study of 15 trained men, 8 weeks of bench press and deadlift supersets produced the same strength gains as traditional sets. At the same time, the superset group spent half as much time on training.

However, you should not do heavy multi-joint exercises with free weights one after the other: squats with a barbell on your back or chest, deadlifts, bench presses, and movements with heavy dumbbells. Due to the fatigue of the nervous system, you may not be able to handle heavy weight and get injured.

Drop-set is a method of working with weights, in which the athlete performs an approach to muscle failure, after which he reduces the working weight and without rest does the next set. However, this is of little use at home, as projectiles of different weights will be needed. But if you have collapsible dumbbells or expanders with different resistance, you can try.

You can use both the usual drop sets described above, and triple sets - with two changes in weight and three mini-approaches.

Two studies have confirmed that drop sets are just as (or more) effective for building muscle as traditional reps with rest and the same weight. And at the same time, it takes several times less time.

As for exercises, for safety, it is better not to take options with free weights: bench press or standing with a barbell or dumbbells, squats with a barbell. When you are tired, you may not be able to handle the weight and get injured.

Instead, try safer options: seated bench press, bench press to chest and abs, bench press, leg press.

Rest-pause is a method of strength training in which you perform an exercise with a heavy weight until the muscles fail, then rest for 20 seconds and continue to work in this manner until you complete all the intended repetitions.

Compared to regular sets with a long rest, this option reduces the training time by about 85%, loads the muscles better and provides a good stimulus for growth.

For example, in an experiment, one group of participants performed three sets of six repetitions at 80% of their one-repetition maximum with a break of 2-3 minutes, and the other group performed the same 18 repetitions, but with the "rest-pause" method.

The difference in time was 22 minutes, and the increase in strength was the same. Moreover, in the "rest-pause" group, the thigh muscles increased significantly more.

But at the same time, due to a short break and full-time work, this method of training is perceived as quite difficult and is suitable only for well-prepared people.

The warm-up can be divided into two categories:

The combination of these two types of warm-up helps to increase the one-repetition maximum, but such a large weight is rarely used in training.

When working with an average intensity (80% of 1RM), the benefits of a general warm-up are less obvious. For example, in one study, 10 minutes on an exercise bike or 10 repetitions at 50% of the load did not help participants complete more repetitions or delay the onset of fatigue in squatting and arm flexion.

In another experiment, it was found that a special warm-up increases peak power in the chin-up. And it doesn't matter if they do a general exam before that or not.

In addition, a meta-analysis of 21 scientific papers found no evidence that general warm-up helps protect against injury.

For many athletes, training necessarily ends with stretching, regardless of whether they have mobility issues or not.

At the same time, none of the types of delay, including passive stretching, have significant recovery benefits after training, do not protect against injuries and delayed muscle soreness. So you can safely skip this point and go home after the last approach.