With work and the general chaos of everyday life getting in the way, many men have a limited amount of time available for exercising and taking care of their bodies. Enter the easy 3-day workout routine.
Since this is only a 3-day workout routine, you can't include each body part and sufficient cardiovascular training in such a short amount of time. The trick to getting a complete workout is to be efficient; so follow this easy 3-day workout routine and you'll be performing a complete body workout in just a few days.
Easy Routine
Usually, training programs are designed to be completed within a 7-day cycle — meaning one day of working out per day of the week. One of the benefits of this easy 3-day workout routine is that it can be scheduled on any given day of the week depending on your availability and the days you feel like going to the gym.
Even though you can choose which days to go to the gym, it is recommended to leave at least one day of rest between each workout.
Here is the suggested combination for your easy 3-day workout routine.
-- Day 1: Chest, back, abdominal muscles, and cardiovascular exercises (30 minutes)
-- Day 2: Day off
-- Day 3: Shoulders, legs, abdominal muscles, and cardiovascular exercises (30 minutes)
-- Day 4: Day off
-- Day 5: Biceps, triceps, abdominal muscles, and cardiovascular exercises (30 minutes)
-- Day 6: Day off
-- Day 7: Day off
Advising you on which specific exercises to perform isn't necessary because everybody has access to different training equipment and they have their preferred exercises for each muscle group. Instead, focus on what muscle groups to combine when exercising and how to efficiently distribute your 3-day workout routine.
Keep in mind that the entire workout shouldn't take more than an hour and a half, including the cardiovascular training. In order to work each muscle group adequately in such a short time, you'll have to carry out 3 sets of 3 exercises for each group.
Each set should consist of 8 to 15 repetitions to allow your muscles to work adequately. It isn't worth lifting heavy weights at low repetitions because a 3-day workout routine isn't designed for those who want to build up strength and mass. This routine is targeted at those who want to maintain their current physique and want to lose a little weight.
To demonstrate how the 3-day workout routine should be carried out, here is a detailed program for day 1:
Chest
-- Incline dumbbell press: 3 sets, 15-12-10 repetitions
-- Flat bench: 3 sets, 15-12-10 repetitions
-- Pec-dec machine flies: 3 sets, 12-12-12 repetitions
Back
-- Lateral pull-downs: 3 sets, 15-12-12 repetitions
-- Cable or barbell rows: 3 sets, 15-12-12 repetitions
-- Hyper extensions: 3 sets, 15-15-15 repetitions
Do the same thing for each of the three days. Include your favorite exercises and don't forget to change them every month or two.
Abs
For your abdominal muscles, perform a combination of sit-ups and leg raises for a total of 6 sets with maximum repetitions for each one of those sets.
Cardio
Finally, finish off the 3-day workout routine with 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise. Use your favorite machine — whether it's the treadmill, the rowing machine or a stationary bicycle — to increase your heart rate and burn excess calories.
As mentioned previously, the total workout shouldn't take more than 60 to 90 minutes. That means you'll have to shorten your rest intervals between each set and avoid socializing with everybody in the gym.
Usually, one or two minutes between sets is plenty of time for your muscles to recuperate.
Another great way to save time is by super-setting the exercises. Super-setting involves performing two exercises back-to-back. For example, when working your abdominal muscles, super set regular sit-ups with leg raises. This way, you will complete your maximum repetitions of sit-ups and, right after, you'll start with leg raises for your maximum number of repetitions.
By "repping it out," you'll really emphasize and burn out the particular muscle group. Consequently, you'll also save time as a result. Super sets can be carried out with all exercises and for each body part.
Work It Out
From getting to work on time to picking up the kids from school, everybody leads the kind of on-the-go lifestyle that rarely has room for an adequate workout. Staying healthy, however, doesn't take as much time as you might think. All you need are 3 days of workout time and you'll be well on your way to staying in shape, in spite of your hectic lifestyle.
More From AskMen.com:
8 Body Pains You Mustn't Ignore
Get Back Into Your Fitness Routine
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox