Gym time cut from 5 days down to 2?!

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halikini

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Normally I go to the gym 5 days a week, work out for an hour to 1 1/2 hours. Because of my work schedule, and the fact that the gyms in my area close at 8 or 9pm and open at 6am, I have only been getting to the gym 3 times a week if I'm lucky but usually only twice.

I do a lot of leg, back, arm/shoulder, ab and core exercises and wanted to know how I can make sure I'm doing everything without pushing myself too far within those 2 or 3 days and pulling muscles.
 
tell us what you are doing if your doing alot then your probably doing to much you really just want to focus on your main exercises for each part.
 
Lots of people have built home gyms to use or to supplement their regular gym. I use my home gym on holidays that my regular gym is closed. Is this an option?
 
halikini said:
Normally I go to the gym 5 days a week, work out for an hour to 1 1/2 hours. Because of my work schedule, and the fact that the gyms in my area close at 8 or 9pm and open at 6am, I have only been getting to the gym 3 times a week if I'm lucky but usually only twice.

I do a lot of leg, back, arm/shoulder, ab and core exercises and wanted to know how I can make sure I'm doing everything without pushing myself too far within those 2 or 3 days and pulling muscles.
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First it would help if you tell us what you do.

Then we can look at what you are doing, and see if it is too much. Also going to the gym 2 times a week is fine. You can supplement with workouts at home. It's just a matter of splitting up what you are doing so that you do a balanced workout.
 
I'd love to have a home gym to use on the weekend (my gym closes at 12pm Sat/Sun), but unfortunately my apartment is too small for it.

I'm using 3 different types of leg presses - bear with me here because I don't know proper names for everything - I do the different types of squats (and calf raises w/different weights) 2 reps of 15 each on all 3. Rowing reverse lunge-like squats w/a 20lb weighted bar (rowing motion w/each reverse lunge) do 15 each leg. The machine you sit on and either push your legs out or pull them in (works inner/outer thigh & side butt muscles), 2 reps of 15. Lunges w/weighted ball, 15 and Squats w/weights, 15.

Legs/arms - big exercise ball behind my back against the wall, I squat then as I stand, I curl the weights. 3 sets of 8 w/10 pause between sets.

For arms/upper back/shoulders - Lat machine (sit & pull down), 2 reps of 15. Incline, 2 reps of 10 (just went up a plate in weights, so I do less). W/Free weights: Shoulder raises, 2 reps of 15. Curls, 2 reps of 15. Biceps (stand leaning forward and bring your arms from the curling positing, backwards) 2 reps of 15. And instead of using the bench, I use a ball w/just my head on it and my body is sort of like in the plank position w/weight in each hand, almost like a bench press, I do 2 reps of 10 (just went up w/weight).

Abs/lower back - "reach for the rope" - 20 x2, toe touch - 20 x2, alternating toe touch - 20 x2. Reverse crunch 20 x2, side crunches w/bosu 15 x2. Leg lift/arm lift (where you touch left toe w/right arm), 15 each side. V-sit hold 5 times, holding for 30 secs each time. Leg plank hold, 5 times alternating legs, 30 secs each. Cross legged crunches, 20 w/legs crossed on the floor, 20 with legs crossed up (almost like reverse crunch) and 20 w/legs crossed reverse crunch.

Plank for 1 minute, 4 times. Lying butt push-up, 30 secs x4. Ball twist (legs on ball, hands on floor, twist side-to-side), do for 1 min. Back extensions, 2 reps of 15 going forward and 2 reps of 15 going backward.

It looks like a lot when you type it out but when you stretch it over 5 days, it's really not. My question is, how to I span this over 3 days without killing myself and my muscles.
 
WOW...lol that was kind of hard un take in all at once but i think i may have it. ok well it seems like even know you are doing to many exercises. and to shorten the amount of time you workout you are going to have to dramatically decrese the number of exercises.

leg presses squats and lunges just do 1 type of each. that all you need 3 sets by 15 reps
then you can do maybe calf raises and quad extenstions.

back do lat pulldowns like you said you do lat raises fron and sie with dumbells and should presses with dumbell. maybe one or to more for shoulders and back

arms same thing don't kill yourself do only 3-4 exercises 2 machine, and 2 free weight 2-3 sets each

keep doing your core and abs stuff
do cardio for sure days on or even at home whatever you have to do to keep that. eat healthy you should be fine

don't over exert yourself take it easy and youll be fine cutting down days
look exercises up if you don't know what they are or to get new ideas
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There are bodyweight exercises that can be performed anywhere. Throw in some ankle weights and you've got more. Or resistance bands.
 
ankle weights yes my sister and i hike all the time she uses ankle wieght and i use a weighted vest both really good idears. toss some wieght on while your walkin or doing cardio and there you go goodone joe didn't even think to tell anyone about those things
 
gribbs1469 said:
ankle weights yes my sister and i hike all the time she uses ankle wieght and i use a weighted vest both really good idears. toss some wieght on while your walkin or doing cardio and there you go goodone joe didn't even think to tell anyone about those things
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A weighted vest yes, as it evenly distributes the weight around your body but put an additional and unnatural weight on your ankles? They've been linked with causing tendon and ligament damage through causing you to walk or run with an unnatural stride and then risk hyper extending once you've taken them off

Sorry, but ankle weights belong in the bin along with the chest expanders. Even if they aren't dangerous they don't really do anything. If you want bigger legs then squat and deadlift, even if you need to improvise a weight to lift, like making a sandbag
 
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