I used to think the only way to get really strong was to be in the gym 4-6 times a week. More must be better, right? This worked out fine when I had the time to commit to that regularly, but quickly became complicated when life got busy as our family and business grew.

By necessity I was forced to learn how to not only maintain strength on a busy schedule - but to actually build it. The more I researched, experimented, and implemented new time efficient strategies with myself and my clients, I noticed the results can actually be better with less days in the gym when done correctly.

If you find yourself dealing with a busy schedule and having a hard time fitting in exercise, but still have a desire to get really strong, here are the ingredients you need to focus on to maximize efficiency and results:

1: Prioritize 2-3 Days Of Resistance Training

Bodyweight exercise, cardio, and bodybuilding isolation exercises are not going to cut it if your goal is maximizing your strength in less time. If you want to get really strong, you’re going to have to commit around 1.5-3 hours a week to make that a reality. If that sounds like more than you have available (which in most cases is an issue with priorities more than it is a true schedule issue), then you might want to change your goal and expectations to general health or fitness (AKA the common goal that kills men's strength gains and creates soft men = "I just don't want to get fat"). 

For myself and my clients, I’ve found that two 45 minute lifting sessions per week is the minimum to maximize strength gains, while three 45-60 minute sessions is optimal. 

2: Choose 2 Main Compound Lifts and 2 Accessory Lifts Per Session

If you’re short on time, this formula of 2+2 will make sure you’re maximizing your time and results in the gym, without spending hours a week doing it. Because you’re not training daily, all lifting sessions can and should focus on full body strength.

Choose 1 upper body and 1 lower body compound lift per session with the goal of progressing your strength week to week by using 3 sets of 4-8 reps. Your rest period should be longer for these sets to move as much weight as possible. For your accessory work, choose 1 upper and lower body movement that is either a compound movement, or a movement that addresses a weak muscle group of yours, done at higher reps of 8-12 per movement. Decreasing your rest time or supersetting these exercises can improve efficiency.

3: Keep It Short, But Go Hard

You need to lose the more/longer is better mentality when you’re short on time (or even if time isn’t an issue). Getting strong and going hard, which requires a high intensity, is the secret sauce to your results. If you have 45 minutes - hit it hard and leave. There are lots of ways to achieve a high intensity, but approaches like 5x5 or Reverse Pyramid Training are staples for making sure you’re keeping intensity high.

45-60 minutes is more than enough time to maximize strength and results, as long as your intensity is high enough. You can’t replace a lack of intensity and effort with more volume - this will get you less results and also require more time.

There’s no way around it, if you want to get really strong you have to lift some heavy weights regularly. That doesn’t mean it needs to take a long time, but you do need to progressively overload your muscles to see the best results. Be smart in building up appropriately over time, as going hard is only beneficial if you can stay in the gym for years to come without injury or setback.