It’s a situation familiar to many of us.
We’ve just started a new fitness regime, it’s going well for the first few weeks, but then our work schedule changes.
Suddenly the two hours per day we previously set aside for working out has shrunk right down to half an hour, and you can’t exactly just do a quarter of the reps on the same exercises.
It’s a problem that Tom Exton faced, and it’s one that he has found a way to adjust to with a carefully managed programme – and it’s much more manageable than one might think.
Exton works two jobs – he’s an investment banker during the day and runs LDN Muscle with his brother in the evenings, leaving him with a routine that he admits is sub-optimal but is still much more effective than most.
“I try to go to the gym five times a week and stay on one muscle group per day,” the self-styled ‘fittest city worker in London’ tells JOE.
“The optimal approach is to focus on most groups twice a week but that’s not possible for me. In terms of my plan, I will – for instance – do chest Monday, arms Tuesday, back Wednesday, shoulders Thursday and legs Friday.”
When we ask him about the most important aspects for those looking to stick to a fitness regime – whether or not they’re working towards a specific goal – he doesn’t miss a beat.
“It’s better to stick to something 70% optimal 100% of the time than something 100% optimal that you can’t commit to,” he says.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPA26irAoNr/?taken-by=tge_ldnm
Since co-founding LDN Muscle back in 2013, Exton has seen himself fall into a routine which he admits is pretty tiring, at least when it comes to quality of life.
“I get up between 6:00 and 6:30, write some emails before work,” he says.
“I start work at 8.30, which isn’t too bad actually, and try to get to the gym every day for a half hour sometime between 12 and 2.
“Then I get home between 6 and 6.30 and work until 1am”
With only half an hour to work with each day, he has to be selective and find workouts which help him get the most achieved in the shortest space of time.
And even if you’re not as constricted as Exton, a more time-efficient workout means more time to devote to meal prep in order to ensure all aspects of your health and fitness are on point.
Sexy meal prep for one of our #LDNMLadies over on Instagram ahead of her first week!😍👙
👇https://t.co/TEplFmUJtR pic.twitter.com/deCkX54lhe— LDNM (@LDN_Muscle) February 21, 2016
On the subject of meal prep, he admits it’s not a must for everyone – you just need to know your calories and macros – but it can be a real help for those more inexperienced to stick to a strict plan when it comes to diet.
“Simple fat loss is about being at a calorific deficit, being sensible with how you eat,” he explains.
“This doesn’t mean you have to stick to fad diets, just know your calories and macros
“Obviously some things clearly help, like eating whole foods, but people think you need to sit down with loads of tupperware – you don’t if you know your calories and macros and know what’s in the meals you eat.
“If you’re starting out, it might be a good idea to get your head round macros and maybe do a bit of a reset and start a food diary in order to work out what you’re taking in and take it from there.”
There are a few more basics that ought to help you, and they’re not all as dramatic as putting a week’s worth of meals in tupperware or turning everything you do upside down.
Sometimes small changes can be a big help – things as simple as going into the gym with a proper plan, rather than meandering between machines, and sorting out your rest periods.
“So many people go to the gym and struggle because they don’t properly time their rest periods. Chances are you don’t get the most out of your session if you waste time faffing around.
“Also it helps to have a firm idea of what you’re going to do when you go in, rather than just going back and forth between machines, and put your headphones in so people don’t talk to you.
“Basically if you want to get the most out of a workout in a short amount of time it can help to be a bit antisocial.”
So, aside from being antisocial, what does Tom Exton recommend if you’re pushed for time but want to get (or stay) in shape?
Ab workout
This ab workout is based on three simple exercises that you can do in the gym: Cable crunches, Bosu crunches (you can use a swiss ball instead) and reverse crunches. For this workout, do three sets of 10 for each exercise, so 90 reps in total. It’s a nice, quick, easy workout and one you can definitely fit into your lunch break if you’re struggling for time. Aim to have around 45-60 seconds rest between each set.
Shoulder workout
This workout consists of four main exercises followed by a brutal finisher. Before starting your workout, make sure you warm up. For this I would suggest doing a five-minute row, dynamic stretches and reduced weight sets.
1) Seated dumbbell press – 4 sets of 8 reps
2) Barbell upright rows – 3 sets of 10 reps
3) High cable rows – 4 sets of 10 reps (isometric hold with each rep). At the peak of each contraction have a one second pause and then release slowly
4) Front plate raises superset into dumbbell lateral raises – 3 sets of 10 reps, followed by superset 10 reps.
5) Finisher – start off with press ups on dumbbells (one rep) up on to your knees and one rep of lateral raises. Keep going with these until you are doing 10 reps of press ups and 10 reps of lateral arm raises. After that, enjoy your DOMS because trust me it’s going to hurt.
Chest Workout
This workout consists of five main exercises:
Chest press – 3 sets of 10 reps
Incline dumbbell press – 3 reps of 12 sets
Incline flyes – 3 sets of 8 reps drop set, 10 reps
Hammer press into incline press ups – 2 sets of 10 reps until failure
Tricep push downs – 7 sets of 12-15 reps
Quick fire back workout
The first exercise will be 8 reps, the second exercise will be 12 reps and the third exercise 15 reps. Make sure you have minimum rest in between exercises and about 90 seconds rest between each tri-set. You’re going to do 3-5 sets of the tri sets, depending on the amount of time you have available. If you’re a beginner go for three, if you’re more advanced try and aim for five. The first exercise is the lateral pull down, the second one is with a pair of dumbbells and will be reverse flyes and the third dumbbell shrugs.
Muscle Building Arm workout
This arm workout will hit both biceps and triceps and leave you feeling pumped as you head back to the office. Leave 45 seconds between each bicep and tricep exercise followed by two super sets.
Close Grip bench press – 3 sets of 9 reps (the last set push yourself to failure)
Barbell curls – 3 sets of 9 reps ( the last set push yourself to failure)
Dumbbell skull crushes – 3 sets of 10 reps (final set add a drop set)
There are two main things you want to focus on. The first is volume, so make sure you increase your volume each week (reps x your set x your weight). As long as you increase one of those each week, you will start to see progression.
The second thing you want to focus on is the mechanical tension. So slowing down the eccentric phase, which in this case is lowering phase to ensure you’re not going too fast.
Tom Exton is the co-founder of LDN Muscle. For more health and fitness advice or to download one of the guides visit www.ldnmuscle.com
