Time Saving Lifts for the Weight Room

Buckle up! Lots of information coming your way in quick, bullet point format. As this article is about time saving lifts, let’s do as much as possible to speed up the digestion of information.

One disclaimer, though! Building strength is a long-term, slow-moving, crock-potting endeavor. However, let’s agree to set programming and planning to the side (a very hard thing for a strength coach to do), and try to approach building workouts in a vacuum.

If time is short, the best way to prioritize exercise selection is with Total Body emphasis movements. Let’s start there!

Cleans

Hang Clean and Power Clean are barbell lifts that are time saving by nature because they are total body resistance exercises. The main difference between the two is where the barbell starts in relation to the body. Watch these videos to see the difference. Comment at the end of the article if you want know more about the differences.

Power Clean

Hang Clean

• PROS: Total body, dynamic, powerful movements which train the ever important Triple Extension. Can still incorporate adequate rest intervals.
• CONS: Hard to coach. Athletes are at risk of injury when form is poor.
• SOLUTION: Break down the complicated movement in its individual parts and execute as a Complex (see more under Complexes).
• CUES: One of the simplest teaching methods in the Push, Jump, Punch. Whatever approach is taken, keep it simple!
• DANGER: Hurried tempo should never compromise safe technique. This lift is a time saver because the movement is dynamic. Rest appropriately between sets.
• PAYOFF(s): These lifts do not require a spotter. So, include low intensity auxiliary movement to Clean sets as long as athletes are a safe distance from the area of the Cleans.

Core Exercises

Prioritize core training to support the performance of your athletes. Head to our Core Activation playlist on YouTube to start get core training ideas flowing.

• PROS: Supports performance in future training sessions or upcoming competition. By their nature, they can also be surprising mental challenge.
• CONS: The most time saving exercises are bodyweight exercises. So, young athletes may feel cheated if they are not “moving weight around.”
• SOLUTION: Explain core training is more than sculpting abs. Core training protects current strength levels and sets a baseline for future strength gains.
• CUES: “Squeeze ___.” — “Stay tight.” — “FIGHT!” — “__ sec left!”
• DANGER: Potentially, extreme soreness for untrained or undertrained athletes.
• PAYOFF: A healthier, more resilient organism (core training is good for your body)!

Moving on to the next time saving category, we also leave the Total Body movement priority. The following are really time saving strategies more than anything else. They allow the format of a workout to be short and full of varied movements targeting muscle groups.

Circuits

Constant movement, no rest until the end, simple movements targeting different movement patterns or muscle groups! Athletes will be huffing, puffing, sweating, and hopefully smiling because of how much work they complete in a short amount of time.

• PROS: Everybody is moving constantly. Tons of work is being completed in a short amount of time. Muscle endurance adaptations are easily accomplished.
• CONS: Do not expect improvements in power or strength (low number of reps, intentional rest periods, and slower movements correspond with those qualities). You need time for setup.
• SOLUTION: Incorporate plenty of bodyweight movements in the exercise selection to limit setup time. Also, run circuits in stations which limit the amount of bands, dumbbells, etc. If training a huge group, recruit them to put equipment back at the end!
• CUES: Motivate them through fatigue points. Correct technique as necessary.
• DANGER: If an athlete is extremely out of shape or coming back from an injury, watch them closely. Their day can change from good to bad in a hurry if their CNS isn’t ready for the workload.
• PAYOFF: They will feel it! Immediate gratification isn’t always bad!

Be creative and use whatever is at the ready. The sum of the different circuit movements should equal a Total Body workout. In other words, circuits can include movements targeting: quads, hamstrings, calves, core, trapezii, shoulders, triceps, biceps. Or, include fundamental movement patterns like squat, hinge, carry, push, pull, etc.

Complexes

Complete all the reps of one movement. Then, immediately complete all the reps of another movement in succession without dropping the resistance (barbell, dumbbell, kettlebell, etc) and without rest. The completion of each of the movements denotes the end of a set.

• Landmine Row to Press (quickly, safely change position of the body to transition from row to press)

• Power Clean Complex: Deadlift, Power Clean Pull, Power Clean. (Most basic: 1 rep of Deadlift, 1 rep of Power Clean Pull, 1 rep of Power Clean)
• Hang Clean Complex: RDL, Hang Clean Pull, Hang Clean
• Dumbbell Curl Variations

• Skullcrushers to Close Grip Bench
• Plate Mankillers: Upright Row, Front Raise, Curls, Overhead Press, Overhead Tricep Extension… (and reverse order to complete the set)

Combos (Combination Lifts)

Different from Complexes (see above), athletes are to complete 1 rep of multiple movements before executing another repetition cycle. In other words, combining multiple movements to create 1 repetition. Then, continue to repetition number 2, and so on. Create variety by incorporating dumbbells, kettlebells, and bands!

• Curl to Press
• Romanian Deadlift to Shrug
• Shrug to Neck Extension
• Step Up to Reverse Lunge

• Front Squat to Press
• Renegade Row

Preparation

As coaches, we have to deliver bad news or tough love at times. Here is some: the greatest “time saver” is preparation.

Based on experience, some of the most lengthy preparation comes with writing a workout that optimizes a very short amount of time. Short on time also means short on quantity. So, make sure the quality is high level!

Gotta run!