Workout: Getting Back in Shape

After sharing a cup of coffee with a friend who I shall call P.M., I decided to accompany him to the gym to provide encouragement, support and motivation for his workout. P.M. renewed a commitment to get in better shape and this was his first workout in a couple of weeks. My time was limited to coach him through his workout, but then again, you don't need allot of time to get results if you train properly.

Training properly starts with the quality of the repetition. Muscular tension is created by performing repetitions through a full range of motion, emphasizing the lowering of the weight, eliminating fast or jerky movements, and overloading the muscles properly. Brief and intense exercise is all that is needed to assure maximum results.

I decided to train P.M. in a 3 x 3 fashion in which he would perform an upper body pushing, upper body pulling, and lower body exercise in a circuit fashion. Rest periods were eliminated between exercises too not only reduce the time of the training session, but to place a greater demand on the cardiovascular system, thereby increasing P.M.'s overall fitness level. The repetition range was kept high to reduce stress on the joints.

The Workout:
Round 1
20 reps of DB bench press with 20 lbs.
20 reps of Hammer high row with 45 lbs. (ea.)
20 reps of Stability Ball wall squats
Round 2
20 reps of DB bench press with 20 lbs.
20 reps of Hammer high row with 45 lbs. (ea.)
20 reps of Stability Ball wall squats
20 reps of Stability Ball crunches
Round 3
20 reps of DB bench press with 20 lbs
20 reps of Hammer high row with 45 lbs. (ea.)
20 reps of Stability Ball wall squats
15 reps of Stability Ball back extensions

This brief but intense workout took approximately 17 minutes to complete! After a few stretches, I left P.M. as he performed additional exercise on the elliptical trainer.

A lack of time, as this workout shows, should not be a deterrent to developing stronger muscles, bones, and connective tissue.