“I don’t have snake oil handy right now, but I do know that calendula balm made with avocado oil and a bit of beeswax is amazing on burns. Burns from a hot pan or a bad sunburn, it will turn a painful injury into a mild one. It also works very well at reducing inflammation from bee stings and bug bites.
Downside is that depending on how extensive the sunburn is, you’ll have to look like you fell into a vat of vaseline for a day or so.”
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On July 7, 2022, the Giants Live Organization announced that Axle Press and Log Lift World Record holder Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou withdrew from the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic. Sanou withdrew after unforeseen and undisclosed issues with travel to the location of the contest.
Sanou’s withdrawal has unfortunate timing as this year’s Strongman Classic will take place just a few days after, on July 9, 2022, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Two-time Australia’s Strongest Man (ASM) Champion (2017-2018) Eddie Williams is Sanou’s official replacement. At the time of this writing, Sanou has not offered more specifics regarding his travel problems on any of his public platforms.
Sanou’s withdrawal continues a recent string of departures from this year’s Strongman Classic. In mid-June 2022, Georgia’s Konstantine Janashia left the contest as Canada’s Maxime Boudreault filled in. Then, in early July 2022, former Britain’s Strongest Man (2020) Adam Bishop had to pull himself out of the competition after tearing his triceps. Fellow United Kingdom strongman Gavin Bilton took up that empty slot.
With the latest shuffle of athletes at the Strongman Classic now official, here is where the current roster stands:
At 29-years-old, Williams might still be seeking a major international breakthrough as a strongman. While he can boast two ASM titles, the athlete would undoubtedly like to make a bigger name for himself outside of his home country. According to Strongman Archives, Williams hasn’t competed in any contest in over two years. The 2022 Strongman Classic will mark his return.
Notably, Williams has been part of a Giants Live contest before, finishing in seventh place at the 2019 Giants Live North American Open. In addition, on another international stage, during his first and only appearance at the 2019 World’s Strongest Man (WSM), Williams was unable to make it past the Qualifying Round.
To notch a great result, Williams will face tough sledding from a field that features names like defending Strongman Classic Champion Oleksii Novikov and rising stars such as Wild Card Mitchell Hooper. The strongman sphere will ultimately see how Williams manages his return to competition on July 9, 2022, in London, England.
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Australian actor Chris Hemsworth is famous for having a ripped, muscle-bound physique. Nowhere does he perhaps push his physical conditioning and strength more than for his famous role as Marvel’s version of the mythological Norse god, Thor.
On July 6, 2022, Hemsworth used his Instagram profile to share a peek at a workout that helped build his massive chest for the new film Thor: Love and Thunder. The film will be officially released in the United States on July 8, 2022.
Hemsworth is most famous for his part as Thor, but he has starred in several action films throughout his career. Some of them — including a remake of Red Dawn and Netflix’s recent Extraction — have necessitated that the actor maintains his strength and fitness as he moves from project to project.
This specific chest workout is part Hemsworth showing what it takes to look shredded on the silver screen and part promotion for his fitness application, Centr. In between his acting work, the 38-year-old Hemsworth started the app as a way to share advice on how other people can take care of their fitness in the gym and the kitchen. He also says he uses the app to help him streamline his workout process for his roles.
Hemsworth’s Intensity
Hemsworth doesn’t waste any time diving into the session at full steam ahead. It’s apparent that this routine will feature a lot of intensity.
“We’re about to roll into a heavy chest workout, lots of yelling, lots of screaming,” Hemsworth says. “I don’t care where you are. Whether you’re at home, on a bus, on a train, or on a plane, I want to hear you yelling! So move it, get involved!”
Hemsworth’s Chest Workout
Hemsworth performed four movements one after the other for four total rounds. This large grouping of exercise is known as a giant set, and it’s a known way to pack a lot of volume (16 sets in this case) into a short amount of time.
The primary and only advice Hemsworth provides for this routine, aside from short clips of demonstrations, is to take a one-minute rest between each round for recovery. It seems Hemsworth may have taken his words to heart as the actor operates at a fast, energetic pace in the footage.
The gym isn’t the only place Hemsworth went hard for his latest portrayal of Thor. According to Men’s Health, Hemsworth’s trainer Luke Zocchi said the actor ate up to 10 meals a day during filming in 2021 to build enough muscle mass for the role. Given the sample size of Hemsworth’s past work, it’s likely that dedication and diligence paid off.
Hemsworth will reveal his chest and the latest iteration of his stacked build in Thor: Love and Thunder on July 8, 2022.
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On July 6, 2022, the Giants Live organization announced over their Instagram profile that former Britain’s Strongest Man (2020) Adam Bishop has withdrawn from the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic due to an injury.
The news comes less than a week before the contest kicks off on July 9, 2022, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Gavin Bilton, the 2021 UK’s Strongest Man, was revealed to be Bishop’s replacement, rounding out the 12-person roster.
In a later post on his Instagram, Bishop revealed that he was withdrawing from the Strongman Classic because of a recent, unfortunate tear of the medial third of his left triceps tendon during training. The strongman broke down some of the details in the post’s caption.
“I am hoping to speak to a specialist tomorrow [Thursday, July 7, 2022] to decide if I have surgery or not,” Bishop writes. “His decision will determine if I will compete in five weeks. Fingers crossed … Injury is a part of the game, so there is no reason to get stressed over it. Just another small bump in the road.”
The competition Bishop alludes to in his post is the 2022 Giants Live Open and World Deadlift Championships. Those will occur on August 6, 2022, in Cardiff, Wales. It’s apparent Bishop’s status for that contest will be more clear once he has the opinion of a medical professional.
Bilton’s New Shot
As a seasoned veteran with a few years of experience, another shot at the Strongman Classic could prove fruitful for Bilton. In his first appearance at the contest in 2021, the strongman finished in eighth place. That experience might equip him for a better result this year. Some of Bilton’s recent exploits include a third-place result at the 2022 Strongman Champions League Holland and a fourth-place finish in Group 4 of the Qualifying Round at the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM).
Among some of the more noteworthy names on this year’s roster, Bilton will have to beat Oleksii Novikov — the defending Strongman Classic Champion.
Here is where the current 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic roster stands:
2022 Strongman Classic Roster
Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine) — Defending Champion
Evan Singleton (United States) — 2021 second place
With the Strongman Classic just around the corner on July 9, 2022, a victory could be possible for anyone in a competitive field. Novikov will assuredly put his best foot forward for a repeat title, but late additions like Bilton could make that mission difficult.
Everyone knows about the “big minerals.” These are the minerals that show up on nutrition labels or are added to refined grains and sweet cereal. They’re the ones you can buy in drug stores and pharmacies as supplements. But while magnesium, potassium, calcium, selenium, zinc, and iron are all very important for your health, they’re not the only minerals you need to obtain. There are many other minerals that are arguably just as important for health, even though we only need them in trace amounts.
One of the most important trace minerals you need to consider consuming is boron.
What Is Boron Used For?
Boron for Arthritis
While boron won’t be listed on any government recommendations or added to breakfast cereal, it does have benefits for joints. Honestly, it’s probably essential for joints. It’s not “essential” in that your average doctor or health official will know about it but it is essential for proper joint health and function. Taking boron has a supplement if you have any kind of arthritic disorder is a no-brainer. Boron accumulates in cartilage, bone, joints, and synovial fluid (the “lubricating fluid” that sits in the joints); people with arthritis have lower levels of boron in their joints.
A 1994 study found that countries with boron intakes under 1mg/day have elevated rates of arthritis—between 20-70%—while countries with boron intakes between 3 and 10 mg/day have 0-10% arthritis rates.1
And in a human trial, 50% of osteoarthritis patients who received 6 mg/day saw improvement in symptoms, compared to just 10% of the placebo group patients.2
Boron for Bone Health
Boron is good for bones, too. It accumulates in bone, determines how we metabolize and incorporate calcium, and helps regulate bone metabolism.3 Case reports have shown that the bones of patients taking boron are sturdier and harder to cut than bones from people who don’t take boron supplements.
Animal studies show that boron supplementation can alleviate some of the skeletal deformities triggered by vitamin D deficiency. If this holds true in humans, having adequate boron could mean you require less vitamin D for bone health.4
Additional Health Benefits of Boron
While bone, joint, and male hormonal health are why most people take boron, there are many broad benefits associated with supplementation:5
Improved wound healing.
Increased magnesium absorption.
Increased glutathione and superoxide dismutase levels.
Protects against damage wrought by pesticide exposure and heavy metal accumulation.
Improves cognitive function in the elderly.
Improves outcomes in animal models of several cancers, while also reducing the negative effects of chemo preventive medicines.
In other words, boron appears to help us counter many of the problems we face in the modern inflammatory environment.
Taking Boron Supplements
Should men take boron?
Boron is one of the most reliable ways for men to increase free testosterone levels. Taking 10 mg of boron in the morning for 7 days increased free testosterone and reduced estrogen and sex hormone binding globulin—which binds to hormones like testosterone and makes them unavailable for use. It also reduced the inflammatory markers hs-CRP and TNF. Overall, taking boron every day improved the hormonal profile and reduced oxidative stress and inflammation in men.6
Boron seems to increase overall male vitality. In male goats, taking boron increased sperm production, motility, and quality. Boron goats made more sperm and the sperm they produced was stronger and simply better. They were healthier overall, with stronger immune systems and better antioxidant capacities.7
Should women take boron?
Women should also consider boron. While the boost in free testosterone may not seem as relevant for women (though testosterone for women is important, too), studies show that boron supplementation can help them increase bone mineral density and reduce menstrual pain. 89
How much boron should you take?
Most studies use doses between 3-10mg per day. This appears to be safe, well-tolerated, and physiologically normal.
Some people even make their own boron concentrate using Borax, or sodium borate. It’s the stuff you use to kill ants invading your kitchen, use as a cleaning agent, or add to the washing machine. Turns out sodium borate is only toxic to humans in high doses. If you dose it correctly, you can use borax as a dietary supplement. But you have to be careful. Borax is roughly 11.3% boron, so a gram of borax—about a quarter teaspoon’s worth—will contain 113 mg of boron. Add it to a measured volume of water and take small amounts every day to get the desired dose of 3-10 mg.
Why should we supplement boron? Isn’t food enough?
Food isn’t enough in most places. Prunes, raisins, and other dried fruits are probably the best sources, followed by legumes, avocados, wine, and grains. Soil levels (and thus food levels) of boron vary wildly and supplementation is usually required to attain physiological benefits and requirements.
If you’re interested, you can always google “[your location] soil boron levels” to get an idea of how much boron is getting into your locally grown food and groundwater. However, since so many of us eat food grown in other areas, and boron levels in food aren’t really tracked, it can be difficult or impossible to determine how much boron you’re getting in your diet. That’s where a supplement can really help.
Low dose boron supplementation in the 3-10 mg/day range is physiologically normal, safe, and effective. It accumulates in bones and joints when available in the diet and it improves hormonal status, inflammatory markers, and bone metabolism (among other effects) when taken in small doses. All signs point to boron being an important, beneficial trace mineral. I see no reason not to take boron.
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With two second-place finishes in the Classic Physique Division at the last two Mr. Olympias (2020-2021), bodybuilder Terrence Ruffin is close to climbing bodybuilding’s highest mountain. Judging by a recent tease of his arm,shoulder, and chest definition, along with his general upper-body strength and conditioning — it seems the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League athlete might finally be ready to reach the summit.
On July 6, 2022, Ruffin shared a teasing preview of where his upper-body physique stands on his Instagram profile. To a watchful eye, it’s apparent the athlete has spent a lot of time polishing up his frame as the 2022 Mr. Olympia inches ever closer. That contest will take place on December 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
Unlike some other competitors, Ruffin already has a spot in the 2022 Mr. Olympia. According to a release from the IFBB Pro League, the top-three finishers in the Classic Physique at the 2021 Mr. Olympia automatically qualify for this year’s festivities. By virtue of his second-place finish in 2021, Ruffin can fully center his energy on capturing ultimate bodybuilding glory in Las Vegas.
Given his progress with his arms, that plan appears to be going quite well thus far for the 28-year-old athlete.
Ruffin at a Glance
A competitive bodybuilder for roughly six years, Ruffin is no stranger to high-level performance. At just 21-years-old, Ruffin earned his IFBB Pro Card with a win at the 2014 National Physique Committee (NPC) Championships while competing in the Lightweight division. About two years later, he won his first IFBB Pro League contest at the 2016 Tampa Pro in the Men’s Open division.
From there, it’s mostly been smooth sailing for one of bodybuilding’s more prominent active stars. Ruffin generally only seems to get better by the year. For example, he made it back-to-back victories at the Arnold Classic in March 2022 after a relatively close call in 2020.
Here are some of Ruffin’s more noteworthy career results to date:
Terrence Ruffin | Noteworthy Career Results
2014 NPC National Championships (Lightweight) — First place | First career victory | Earned Pro Card
2016 Tampa Pro (Men’s Open) — First place
2016 Kentucky Muscle (Classic Physique) — First place
2016 Mr. Olympia (Classic Physique) — Ninth place
2017 Mr. Olympia (Classic Physique) — Sixth place
2018 Toronto Pro (Classic Physique) — First place
2018 Mr. Olympia (Classic Physique) — Ninth place
2019 Niagara Falls Pro (Classic Physique) — First place
2020 Arnold Classic (Classic Physique) — Second place
2021 Arnold Classic (Classic Physique) — First place
2020-2021 Mr. Olympia (Classic Physique) — Second place
2022 Arnold Classic (Classic Physique) — First place
If Ruffin is to capture his first Classic Physique Olympia title, he faces a challenging field. Among the other notable competitors are three-time reigning Classic Physique Champion (2019-2021) Chris Bumstead and former two-time champ (2017-2018) Breon Ansley. It won’t be an easy task to stand atop the podium in Las Vegas, but it’s one that Ruffin assuredly knows how to prepare for.
The 2022 Mr. Olympia will take place on December 16-18, 2022.
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While many strength sports have vital distinctions regarding strength and muscle demands, nutrition, and competitive standards, sometimes it can pay to learn from others in the sphere. That’s a lesson four-time World’s Strongest Man competitor Rob Kearney, five-time Fittest Man on Earth® (2016-2020) Mat Fraser, and 2021 CrossFit Rookie of the Year Mal O’Brien appeared to take to heart recently.
On July 4, 2022, Fraser shared a video on his YouTube channel where he, O’Brien, and Kearney had a joint training session. The routine was centered around Kearney first teaching the log lift technique to Fraser and O’Brien. Then, he had the duo continue to tackle their arms and shoulderswith heavy dumbbell presses.
Notably, Kearney was recently hired by Fraser’s training company, HWPO (Hard Work Pays Off) as the leader of their new strength program “HWPO Strong.” In a dedicated program throughout the week, Kearney will use his wealth of strongman knowledge to help participants build their strength and conditioning on training days throughout the week. This news would partly explain Kearney’s involvement with Fraser and O’Brien.
As for the log lift, Kearney knows a thing or two about successful technique. In 2019, during the annual World Log Lift Championships, Kearney captured the then-American Record log lift of 213.6 kilograms (471 pounds). Similarly, the strongman once demonstrated he has the strength to properly lift 215-pound dumbbells with one arm in a February 2020 training session with Brian Shaw.
If anyone’s qualified to teach a refresher on both the log lift and circus dumbbell press to two elite athletes like Fraser and O’Brien — whose CrossFit backgrounds veer differently — it’s Kearney.
The trio’s session took place in the since-retired Fraser’s home gym. Fraser is currently training O’Brien for the 2022 CrossFit Games on August 3-7, 2022, in Madison, WI. While the CrossFit Games don’t necessarily feature strongman events specifically, there can be a lot of overhead movements in events that require proper training and technique. There weren’t many overhead movements in the 2021 Individual CrossFit Games aside from some dumbbell overhead squats and a one-rep max snatch.
Since that could always change for this year’s edition, this time with Kearney could help O’Brien prepare for that by polishing up her overhead prowess. Overall, the trio’s training session seems to be an excellent demonstration of what athletes from different disciplines can learn from one another.
Log Lift
After Fraser asks Kearney to provide a walkthrough of the log lift technique, the strongman breaks it down into three segments — the pick, the clean, and the press.
The pick is when an athlete deadlifts the log to their hips for the “lap position,” or where the athlete can rest their weight before exploding it for a roll to a front rack position on their chest. That roll from the hips to the chest is the clean. Kearney says the proper clean technique is to keep the elbows high while the back is fully engaged, allowing the log to stay tight to the body.
Finally, there’s the familiar press. For a proper overhead lockout that involves the lower body, the athlete must slightly dip their legs to press the log from that front rack position. Fraser first practiced the log lift with an empty log that weighed 90 pounds; Kearney critiqued his lower elbow positioning that could throw him off balance with higher weight.
In terms of numbers for the trio, Fraser eventually completed a 104-kilogram (230-pound) log press for two separate reps. Meanwhile, Kearney decided to rep out 158.7 kilograms (350 pounds), and O’Brien locked out a successful 72.6-kilogram (160-pound) split-jerk with the log.
Like the last exercise, Kearney breaks down the heavy dumbbell press technique into segments. First, there’s the clean, where the athlete has to get the dumbbell to the rack position on their deltoids. Then, with the elbow high, a lot of the jerk movement upward is more about getting under the dumbbell rather than trying to press it up. Like the log lift, this requires the athlete to have a measure of leg power rather than solely relying on the shoulders.
Fraser kept his energy on proper technique for the dumbbell press. It didn’t take long for the CrossFit great to understand the rack position and start finishing clean reps. When O’Brien was up, she seemed uncertain about how to finish the dumbbell press at first. Once she understood how the dip could help generate force from the opposite leg, she likewise began to complete some reps.
At the time of this writing, the CrossFit organization has not revealed the workouts for the 2022 CrossFit Games. If there are any strongman-like, overhead events in Madison, WI, O’Brien might have the edge over her peers thanks to Kearney’s guidance.
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On June 29, 2022, weightlifter Katie Estep notched three Junior American Records in the 59-kilogram division at the 2022 USA Weightlifting (USAW) National Championships Week in Las Vegas, NV. Each of those records is also competition bests for Estep. According to the online database of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), the performance gave Estep her fourth victory in six career contests to date.
After demonstrating some of her new strength progress on a sanctioned lifting platform, here are Estep’s top stats from this competition:
Katie Estep (59KG) | 2022 USA Weightlifting National Championships Top Stats
Snatch — 92 kilograms (202.8 pounds) | Junior American Record | All-Time Competition Best
Clean & Jerk — 114 kilograms (251.3 pounds) | Junior American Record | All-Time Competition Best
Total — 206 kilograms (454.1 pounds) | Junior American Record | All-Time Competition Best
At just 17-years-old, Estep is no stranger to notching records, especially at different levels of competition. In 2021, during the IWF Youth World Championships, Estep notched both the snatch (89 kilograms) and total (198 kilograms) Youth World Records for the 55-kilogram division. She also set the Youth American record on the snatch, clean & jerk (109 kilograms), and total.
Approximately eight months later, the young and rising American athlete can lay claim to a few more gold medals and all of the Junior American Records for a 59-kilogram competitor.
Estep at a Glance
Given her youth, Estep’s relative lack of inexperience as a competitive weightlifter should be no surprise. That said, it’s apparent she has had little trouble as an athlete since her first official IWF competition in May 2021. In fact, Estep has generally seen marked progress in just about a year of competition.
Here is Estep’s complete career resume to this stage:
Katie Estep | Complete Career Results
2021 IWF Junior World Championships (55KG) — Eighth place
2021 Pan-American Youth Championships (55KG) — First place
2021 IWF Youth World Championships (55KG) — First place
2021 Junior Pan-American Games (55KG) — First place
2022 IWF Junior World Championships (59KG) — Second place
2022 USAW National Championships (59KG) — First place
At the time of this writing, Estep hasn’t confirmed when she’ll aim to compete next. That said, if she’s able to train well and continue her rapid progression over the coming years, the American athlete could potentially challenge for a spot with Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She’s not the only young women’s weightlifter that could be ready for the Olympics challenge.
Estep’s new top Junior total of 206 kilograms (454.1 pounds) is just 11 kilograms (24.2 pounds) off the best American mark for a Senior 59KG competitor. Team USA member Taylor Wilkins is the current Senior American Record holder on each of the snatch (95 kilograms), clean & jerk (122 kilograms), and total (217 kilograms).
It would be a tall order for anyone to overcome Wilkins for a formal roster spot at this moment in time. Still, the youthful Estep might eventually be in line for it, provided she continues the blazing start to her career. Notably, no American women’s 59-kilogram athlete finished in the top 14 of the results at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. That could mean a spot is up in the air for anyone ready to grab it.
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After a heated contest, bodybuilder Hassan Mostafa is the victor at the 2022 Orlando Pro. The International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League competition — which took place on July 2, 2022, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL — featured 12 athletes in the Men’s Open division.
With a recent June 2022 win at the 2022 Puerto Rico Pro, Mostafa now has two pro contest victories in a relatively short period. It seems his hard work with his conditioning and in training things like his arms, legs, shoulders, and back is paying off. Italy’s Andrea Presti finished in second place, and the United States’ Phil Clahar rounded out the top three.
Here are the final standings of this competition, which featured only the Men’s Open division:
2022 Orlando Pro Results | Men’s Open
Hassan Mostafa — Winner
Andrea Presti
Phil Clahar
Maxx Charles
Tonio Burton
Jonas Giatras
Rasheed Oldacre
Matt Kouba
Martin Hernandez
Jason Lowe
Jameil Hamilton
Walter Martin (Did Not Finish)
Not much appeared to give the different athletes a clear distinction in a tense, competitive affair. Thanks to a win in both main rounds of judging, Mostafa separated himself from the pack and took home the eventual victory.
Usually, the winner of every Men’s Open contest in the bodybuilding season earns automatic qualification to the 2022 Mr. Olympia. That competition will take place on December 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV. Since Mostafa already earned a spot in the Mr. Olympia with a win at the 2022 Puerto Rico Pro, his status remains unchanged. None of the other competitors receive an invitation.
While athletes like Mostafa have already secured their place in the 2022 Mr. Olympia, others in the bodybuilding sphere still have a lot of work to do before December. The easiest path is to win generally any of the allotted contests in the season, but there are other paths to bodybuilding’s most prestigious stage.
The second through fifth-place finishers at the 2022 Orlando Pro — Presti, Clahar, Maxx Charles, and Tonio Burton — all captured Tier 4 points in the Olympia Qualification System. If any of these athletes are in the top three in points in their division by the time qualification ends on November 13, 2022, they would qualify for the 2022 Mr. Olympia.
Notably, after starting in the prejudging, William Martin did not compete in the Finals at the Orlando Pro and has a “DNF” (did not finish) on his official scorecard. At the time of this writing, it is unclear why Martin did not finish.
The next Men’s Open contest on the docket is the 2022 Mr. Big Evolution Pro Portugal. That will occur on July 8-10, 2022, in Cascais, Portugal. Perhaps one of the bodybuilders still seeking an official place in Las Vegas will take advantage and show out in their posing trunks en route to a victory and berth for the 2022 Mr. Olympia.
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You get 24 hours every day. They’re yours to do whatever you want or, more accurately, whatever you need to get done. Once you start subtracting six or seven hours of sleep, eight or nine hours of work, commuting and traveling, time to eat, and, oh yeah, some face time (not FaceTime) with your family, it can be difficult to squeeze in the gym.
Credit: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock
Sure, some people shuffle priorities to find two or more hours per day to train, but for the time-constrained lifter, finding just one hour can be too big a task. Fortunately, short workouts don’t have to mean coming up short on results. Here’s how to make the most from just 20 minutes of well-planned training.
Building strength and power doesn’t require a variety of exercises to hit target muscles from multiple angles. It just requires laser-like focus on some basic movements.
This straightforward approach makes this an ideal goal for brief workouts. Heavy weight, low volume training has been shown to deliver better strength gains than higher volume training. (1) Get in, get some heavy reps on a big lift, then get out to start resting and recovering.
One-Lift Workout
This focused workout requires you to put all your strength-building eggs in one basket. Choose one multi-joint (compound) barbell exercise, like the deadlift or bench press, and work on it for the entire session. Even though there’s a time limit, take three full minutes of rest between each set.
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It’s going to feel like you’re spending more time resting than lifting during this workout because, well, you are. This type of long rest period has been shown to help optimize strength gains and recovery between sets. (2) This will help you make the most of the lifting you do perform. Use an extremely challenging weight without reaching muscular failure.
While this program delivers results, any extremely minimalist training plan is unsuitable for long-term programming because muscle discrepancies and imbalances may potentially develop from limited exercise options. Use this approach as needed, not as an extended long-term solution.
Deadlift
How to Do it: Set up in front of a barbell with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart and the bar nearly touching your shins. Keep a neutral spine as you grab the bar with a palms-down grip. Pull your shoulder-blades back and open your chest. Keep your arms locked straight as you drive through your heels to stand upright. Squeeze your glutes and abs as you reach the top position. Lower the bar quickly but under control. Pause to reset your grip before performing the next repetition.
Sets and Reps: 5 x 2
Rest time: Three minutes between sets.
20-Minute Workout for Muscle
Muscle-building workouts can certainly benefit from multiple exercises per body part and high volume training that requires an hour or two in the gym. However, that’s absolutely not the only way to stimulate growth.
You can keep the training volume low (and, therefore, keep the workouts brief) when you manipulate exercise intensity, reach muscular failure, and even tiptoe beyond failure. This allows you to trigger muscle gains comparable to a high volume approach. (3)
Classic High-Intensity Training
Take a page out of old school bodybuilding and apply some intensity-boosting techniques to reap maximum benefit from just one high-intensity set of an exercise. It’s essential that you warm-up sufficiently, but you only have one working set to get through and there will be some serious muscle burning, so watch the foul language when you’re in the gym.
Credit: Paul Aiken / Shutterstock
Here’s a sample plan for a chest, shoulders, and triceps workout. You can apply the same framework to any muscle group or training split — training one or two exercises per body part with one work set using intensity-boosting techniques.
Low Incline Dumbbell Press
How to Do it: Lie on an incline bench set at a relatively low angle. Keep a palms-down grip while pressing the dumbbells from shoulder-height to meet above your chest. On each rep, pause for three seconds in the stretched position. When muscular failure approaches after eight to 10 reps, remove the pause and perform reps until muscular failure.
Sets and Reps: 1 x 8-10, followed by as many reps as possible.
Rest time: 90 seconds before moving to the next exercise.
Pec-Deck Flye
How to Do it: Sit in a pec-deck machine and grab the handles at shoulder-height. Keep your elbows in line with your shoulders as you squeeze your hands to meet in the middle. Take four seconds to lower the weight on each rep. When muscular failure approaches after 10 to 12 reps, take one second to lower the weight and perform reps until muscular failure.
Sets and Reps: 1 x 10-12, followed by as many reps as possible.
Rest time: 90 seconds before moving to the next exercise.
Lateral Raise
How to Do it: Stand upright with dumbbells in each hand at your side. Perform a standard lateral raise by lifting the weights to shoulder-level while keeping a slight bend in your elbows and your palms pointed down. Hold the top position of each rep for two seconds. After reaching muscular failure, immediately reduce the weight by roughly 50% and perform reps until you reach muscular failure again.
Sets and Reps: 1 x 10-12, followed by one drop set for as many reps as possible.
Rest time: 90 seconds before moving to the next exercise.
Triceps Pushdown
How to Do it: Setup at a high-pulley cable station with a rope handle or EZ-bar attached. Perform a standard triceps pushdown, keeping your elbows pinned to your sides while straightening your arms. After reaching muscular failure in 10-15 reps, immediately reduce the weight by roughly 50% and perform as many reps as possible. After reaching failure again, reduce the weight a second time and perform more reps. Repeat the process until you’ve reached the lightest weight on the stack.
Sets and Reps: 1 x 10-15, followed by multiple drop sets for as many reps as possible.
Rest time: No rest between drop sets.
20-Minute Workout for Fat Loss
Fat loss training doesn’t have to mean marathon-like slogs on the treadmill or lightweight high-rep weight lifting.
Banging out a fast, intense workout can help to burn calories, stimulate your metabolism, and preserve muscle to reveal the lean body you’re after.
Fat-Burning Barbell Complex
A “complex” is essentially a type of circuit training where multiple exercises are performed back-to-back-to-back with a single piece of exercise equipment and a single weight. For example, you might use a 75-pound barbell for five different exercises performed in sequence without changing the weight for each exercise.
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Complexes are a very efficient way to perform multiple sets of multiple movements in minimum time. Always aim to perform each repetition quickly without sacrificing technique. Because of the fast-pace and overall intensity, don’t be surprised by the relatively light weight you’ll be using. The sets shouldn’t approach muscular failure, but your cardiovascular conditioning will quickly become the limiting factor and that light weight will feel heavy enough by the end of the session.
Deadlift
How to Do it: Set up in front of a barbell with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart and the bar nearly touching your shins. Keep a neutral spine as you grab the bar with a palms-down grip. Pull your shoulder-blades back and open your chest. Keep your arms locked straight as you drive through your heels to stand upright. Squeeze your glutes and abs as you reach the top position. Avoid bouncing the weight off the floor between reps.
Sets and Reps: 5 x 6
Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Barbell Row
How to Do it: From the top position of a deadlift, push your glutes back and bend forward at the waist. Keep a palms-down grip on the bar as your arms extend down to stretch. Maintain a neutral spine while you row the bar into your lower abs.
Sets and Reps: 5 x 6
Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Hang Clean
How to Do it: Stand upright with a palms-down grip on the bar, holding the bar in front of your hips. Push your glutes back while bending your knees slightly. Keep a neutral spine as you explode upwards with your legs to drive the bar towards the front of your shoulders. Allow your elbows to “flip” under the bar as you catch it in the top position. Drop the weight back to hip-height and perform the next rep.
Sets and Reps: 5 x 6
Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Thruster
How to Do it: This is a hybrid front squat/shoulder press movement. Hold the bar across the fronts of your shoulders as you squat down as deep as possible, as if performing a front squat. As you rise into the standing position, perform a shoulder press to lockout the bar overhead. Lower the bar to your shoulders and descend into another deep front squat. On the last rep of each set, carefully lower the bar behind your neck to rest on your traps.
Sets and Reps: 5 x 6
Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Reverse Lunge
How to Do it: Hold the bar across your traps and upper back. Step backwards with one leg and descend into a lunge position. Keep your shoulders back and your torso upright. Alternate legs each rep to perform a total of six repetitions.
Sets and Reps: 5 x 3 per leg.
Rest time: Rest 60 seconds before repeating the first exercise.
20-Minute Bodyweight Workout
When your schedule is tight, performing a bodyweight workout will always be an appealing and effective option.
Bodyweight training can be done anywhere and anytime, so the need to drive to and from a gym is completely eliminated and you don’t need to fight any crowds for equipment.
EMOM Bodyweight Workout
Get the most from limited training time with an EMOM workout — performing a set every minute on the minute instead of performing a set, resting a certain amount of time, and performing another set. This method lets you squeeze more training volume into a predetermined amount of time.
This specific bodyweight workout cranks up the intensity by also incorporating supersets to fit even more work into each time period. For the duration, you’ll perform two exercises back-to-back and rest for the remainder of a minute before repeating the exercises.
T-Push-Up
How to Do it: Begin in a push-up position with a straight line from your heels to your neck. Lower your body to the ground and straighten your arms. From the top position, shift your weight onto one hand and rotate at the shoulder. Your weight should be supported on one hand and one foot while you face sideways. Reach your free arm to the ceiling and don’t allow your hips to sink. Lower yourself under control and return to the push-up position. Perform another push-up and rotate onto the opposite hand.
Sets and Reps: 3 reps per side, 12 minutes total.
Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Reverse Lunge
How to Do it: Pull your shoulders back and keep your torso upright. Step backwards with one leg and descend into a lunge position. Perform all reps with one leg before switching sides.
Sets and Reps: 3 reps per leg, 12 minutes total.
Rest time: Rest until the next minute begins and then repeat the previous exercise (Note: this is not the same as resting one minute).
V-Up
How to Do it: Lie flat on the ground with your legs straight and your hands by your sides. Keep your legs straight while raising both feet towards the ceiling and reaching both hands towards your feet. Lower your hands and legs under control. Don’t bounce your heels off the ground between reps.
Sets and Reps: 10 reps, five minutes total.
Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Squat
How to Do it: Stand with your feet more than shoulder-width apart. Keep your upper body upright as you descend into a deep squat. On the last rep of each set, hold the bottom position for five seconds.
Sets and Reps: 5 reps, five minutes total.
Rest time: Rest until the next minute begins and then repeat the previous exercise.
Never Skip the Warm-Up
Just because you don’t have much time to train is no excuse to skimp on a thorough warm-up. Warm-ups are an effective way to reduce the risk of injuries and improve performance. (4)(5)
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If you think it’s hard to find time to get to the gym, keep skipping your warm-up and then try finding time to get to physical therapy. Or just be sure to implement a general warm-up followed by some exercise-specific movements for your training day. That’s a much better idea.
Quick and Complete Warm-up
Squat: Stand with your feet more than shoulder-width apart. Keep your upper body upright as you descend into a squat. Adjust your depth based on your mobility and comfort. Aim to squat progressively deeper as the warm-up continues. Perform 10 reps before moving to the next exercise.
Band Pull-Apart: Take a resistance band with a palms-down grip and hold the band at arms-length in front of you. Pull both hands back until the band touches your chest. Hold the contraction for two seconds. Return to the starting position under control. Perform 10 reps before moving to the next exercise.
Side Lunge to High Knee: Stand with your feet together. Take a wide step to the side with one leg to the side and keep it straight as you bend the other leg. Stand upright and bring the far leg in to your center, raising the knee to waist-height before returning your feet together. Perform three reps with one leg, followed by three reps with the other leg, before moving to the next exercise.
Push-Up Plus: Perform a basic push-up, supporting your body weight on your hands and toes. Don’t allow your hips to sag down or arch high up. With your arms locked out in the top position of each rep, continue driving your hands into the ground while spreading your shoulder blades apart. Perform five repetitions before repeating the first exercise. Perform two to four total sets of the entire circuit.
Time Enough at Last
Whether it’s busy season at the office or you just can’t find the energy to grind through a long training session, you don’t have to compromise results just because you’re grabbing a quick workout. If you can maintain focus for the duration of your average sitcom (minus commercials), you can not only stay on track, but you can keep the results rolling in.
References
Mangine, G. T., Hoffman, J. R., Gonzalez, A. M., Townsend, J. R., Wells, A. J., Jajtner, A. R., Beyer, K. S., Boone, C. H., Miramonti, A. A., Wang, R., LaMonica, M. B., Fukuda, D. H., Ratamess, N. A., & Stout, J. R. (2015). The effect of training volume and intensity on improvements in muscular strength and size in resistance-trained men. Physiological reports, 3(8), e12472. https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.12472
de Salles, B. F., Simão, R., Miranda, F., Novaes, J., Lemos, A., & Willardson, J. M. (2009). Rest interval between sets in strength training. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 39(9), 765–777. https://doi.org/10.2165/11315230-000000000-00000
Wernbom, M., Augustsson, J., & Thomeé, R. (2007). The influence of frequency, intensity, volume and mode of strength training on whole muscle cross-sectional area in humans. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 37(3), 225–264. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200737030-00004
Woods, K., Bishop, P., & Jones, E. (2007). Warm-up and stretching in the prevention of muscular injury. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 37(12), 1089–1099. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200737120-00006
Fradkin, A. J., Zazryn, T. R., & Smoliga, J. M. (2010). Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 24(1), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c643a0
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