A lot of things can be time consuming, whether you're a 9-5 employee, a parent or a student, your schedule might be full of tasks.
Building muscle mass can be a tough task if you have a busy schedule. It is really hard to spend 2 hours a day at gym, prepare your meals and take a good shower, all this while getting enough sleep and doing your tasks.
I decided to write this comprehensive guide to help busy folks achieve their desired physique, so let's dive into the article.
Best tips to build muscle with a busy schedule:
1) Hit the gym at least once a week:
You should aim for 5 days of exercise per week, but if you're super busy you can opt for less training days.
Even one day of exercise per week is enough for beginners to see some increases in muscle mass.
For advanced athletes, training once a week is enough to preserve muscle gains.
In a study, two groups of adults were to perform one set of exercises to muscular fatigue, first group trained once a week, the other group twice a week
2) Focus on compound exercises:
When it comes to building muscle on a busy schedule, compound exercises are the best answer.
Unlike isolation exercises, compound exercises engage multiple muscle groups at once, making it a perfect choice if you want to save time at gym.
The following exercises will target almost all the important muscles in your body:
Bench press:
Probably the most popular exercise in bodybuilding, the bench press trains the pectoral muscles in addition to triceps and anterior deltoids.
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| Bench press is a great complex workout |
Deadlift:
Another great workout to incorporate into your program is the deadlift. This exercise engages a lot of muscles: Quadriceps, hamstrings, lower back, traps and forearms.
Squat:
This workout recruits most of your lower body muscles: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves and adductor muscles of the hip.
Pullup:
A must do exercise for your back muscles, this simple workout targets your
Lats, Traps and Rhomboids.
It is necessary to change the width of your grip in order to stimulate various muscles of your back.
Overhead Press:
This workout is perfect for building massive upper body, it recruits your Deltoid and Tricep muscles in addition to upper chest and upper back muscles.
3) Pay attention to your diet:
A good diet is the key to building a great physique. Having a full schedule shouldn't prevent you from maintaining a healthy balanced diet.
Here are a few diet tips for building muscle with a busy schedule:
Avoid junk food:
Full of calories and low in nutritional value, junk food should be avoided if you're serious about building a great physique.
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| Junk food highly damages your muscle gains |
Opt for healthy carbs:
Healthy carbs found in sweet potatoes, oats and are complex carbs that are slow to digest and absorb, making you feel full for a long time while also providing the calories needed for your muscle growth.
Get enough protein:
As with any bodybuilding diet, a high quantity of protein should be included in your diet to ensure maximum muscle growth.
It is advised to include 100 grams of protein in your daily diet, this can be found in foods such as: Eggs, Chicken breast, Tuna, Salmon, Oysters and Dairy products.
4) Lift heavier weights:
Heavy weights are a great way to stimulate muscle growth and hypertrophy. Using progressive overload is a great way to lift heavier weights.
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| Lift big if you want to get big |
Progressive overload in simple terms is a method where you gradually increase the weights you lift in order to keep stimulating your muscles.
5) Consider supplements:
Supplements are a great way to speed up your muscle growth and recovery, enhance your performance and increase strength.
Natural supplements such as Creatine, Whey protein, Casein protein and Omega 3's are some of the most popular bodybuilding supplements.
Creatine: Creatine is a popular supplement that enhances muscle strength and power by increasing the production of ATP, the energy currency of cells.
It also aids in muscle recovery and promotes lean muscle mass gain.
Whey Protein: Whey protein is a fast-digesting protein source that helps in muscle repair and growth.
It contains all essential amino acids, making it an ideal post-workout supplement to support muscle recovery and enhance protein synthesis.
Casein Protein: Casein protein is a slow-digesting protein that provides a sustained release of amino acids to the muscles, making it beneficial for overnight recovery.
It helps prevent muscle breakdown and promotes muscle growth during periods of fasting or prolonged periods without food.
Omega-3s: Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties that aid in reducing exercise-induced inflammation and promoting faster recovery.
They also enhance muscle protein synthesis, improve joint health, and support overall cardiovascular health, making them an excellent addition to any muscle-building regimen.
6) Be patient:
Working out less days means slower progress in terms of strength and hypertrophy. So you have to be patient before you see any results.
Noticeable changes usually occur within 2-3 months of optimal exercise, good diet and quality sleep.
Conclusion
Building muscle on a busy schedule can be a tough task, but it's not impossible. With a bit of dedication and smart work you can achieve the desired results.
Training for at least once a week, training with heavy weights and compound exercises are all workout hacks you can use to build muscle in less time.
Good diet and enough rest are essential for your post workout muscle recovery and growth, so add lots of protein and complex carbs to your diet and make sure to get at least 8 hours quality sleep every day.
Muscle building supplements are another great way to boost your muscle growth, some natural supplements like Creatine, Whey protein, Casein protein and Omega 3's are great for muscle performance and recovery.
It is important to notice that building muscle on a busy schedule takes some time especially if you're training less than 3 days a week, so patience is the key to great muscle gains.
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