80/20 Training
By Neil Deighton
I think most of you have heard of the 80/20 rule, that being that 20% effort gives 80% of the results for a given task. So lets apply that rule to our training. Don't overthink it, my point is that if you took the fluff out of your training and even cut back on the volume of your main movements you could still maintain pretty well and perhaps even progress, for a short while at least.
Why the hell would i want to do that you ask? Well you wouldnt...ideally you would have the time and energy to train optimally year after year but unfortunately 'life' can sometimes get in the way. At these times it's easy to think 'well i have so much on I'm just going to take a break from training and hit it hard again when I have more time and less stress'.
Below is a training routine designed for these times, rather than have to spend months trying to get back to where you were why not use this period to maintain the muscle and strength that you have or even make some gains. All it takes is 30-45mins of your time twice per week. For the sake of argument we will say you plan to train on a Monday and Thursday.
Session 1- Monday
1) Flat Barbell Benchpress or variation
-Work up to a 6-8RM
-Rest 2min drop the weight and hit a 12-15RM
2) Bent Over Row
-Work up to a 6-8RM
-Rest 2min drop the weight and hit a 12-15RM
Session 2- Thursday
1) Overhead press
-Work up to a 6-8RM
-Rest 2min drop the weight and hit a 12-15RM
2) Squat
-Work up to a 6-8RM
Rest 3-5min drop the weight and hit a 15-20RM
Session 3- Monday
1) Supinated grip pullups
-Aim for 10-12 reps on the first work set
-Rest Paused method (3 sets to failure taking 15 breaths between each set)
-Add weight if possible
2) Deadlift
-Work up to a 6-8RM
-Rest 3-5mins, drop the weight and hit a 12-15RM whilst standing on a 20kg plate
Session 1 would then be repeated on the Thursday. You should look to increase the weight used whilst still hitting the same amount (or more) reps each time you repeat a session so make sure to jot down the weights you used and the reps you did.
Again dont overthink it, for example if you prefer decline benchpress then do that, prefer a slight incline then do that, if you cant do a BW pullup then substitute for 'rack chins' or pulldowns. If you cant free squat then use the next best thing available to you, whether that's a machine squat or a leg press. If the only reason you want to substitute things is because the exercises listed are too much like hard work then id suggest you stop searching for those magic pills youve been after and ask around for some 'man the fck up' powder . The idea here is to put a lot of effort into a couple of movements that give the most 'bang for their buck'.
The exercises laid out here hit the whole of the body front to back in the most time efficient way possible. Instead of losing those hard fought gains why not keep them coming and set yourself up for even bigger things when you're able to devote more time again....