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Think you’re too busy to strength train at work? Try this quick and easy guide
Jan
Do you sit at your desk all day and then find that you’re exhausted, your back hurts, and exercise is the last thing on your mind? I hear you. But working at a desk can be deadlyso I take it regularly strength breaks during the working day is essential for your health and well-being.
Strength training at work may seem like a strange concept, but it’s one of the best things you can do to protect your health and mitigate the effects side effects sedentary work.
Still not sure if you feel like pumping iron at the office? I’ve got your back. As a clinical exercise physiologist, my research focuses on finding new and innovative ways to improve strength training participation rates in the general population.
If you want to improve your mood, energy levels, mental focus and reduce your risk of developing long-term health conditions then read on.
Step 1: Week one and two
Try the following exercises using only your body weight.
The first few weeks are all about building confidence with movement patterns to prepare for adding weights to your routine in week three.
These five exercises do not require any furniture or walls, which saves you the inconvenience of having to use a wall near your colleague’s desk – and they are performed in a standing position, so you don’t have to get on the floor if you want to be in a shared office space.
One set = 12 repetitions and a break for one minute. Repeat each of the five exercises.
You’ll be working on two or three sets in the coming weeks. Fit strength breaks into your day by doing one set of each of the five exercises at the end of each hour – or between meetings.
You should take a break from the screen every hour anyway, so set a timer for every 50 minutes and get a break from the action.
So the first two weeks of strength training will look like this:
Repetitions – 12
Sets – start with one, gradually reaching three
Exercises – five
Weight – body weight
Frequency – twice a week
Step 2: End of the second week
Get some equipment like a kettlebell or some dumbbells. Store your equipment safely near your desk, but where it will be visible as a reminder. This purchase is one of the best investments in your health.
Skip pieces of one to three kilograms, you will outgrow them quickly. Choose a weight that you can grow to in the next four to six weeks.
If you can, try the weight in a store. If you can do 12 or more reps with it, it is too light.
Can’t you get it off the shelf? It’s too heavy – for now.
Can you do two to eight reps with good form and some effort? Then this is the one to take home.
Step 3: Weeks three through eight
Add equipment to the exercises you practiced in step one. For example, the squat now becomes a goblet squat. Repeat the five equipment exercises for four to six weeks.
Once you can easily complete 12 reps with good form, you can increase the challenge in step four.
Your routine for weeks three through eight should look like this:
Repetitions – two to 12 (last rep should be difficult to do with good form)
Sets – two to three
Exercises – the same five exercises
Weight – any external weight
Frequency – twice a week
Step 4: Week Eight+
Find slightly heavier equipment than what you used in step 3.
The goal of strength training is to increase strength, and to achieve this, you should practice lifting heavier weights every four to six weeks. It’s called progressive overload.
There are other ways to overload or stress your muscles – for example by increasing the number of sets or the complexity of the exercises – but when taking strength breaks during the workday, the most effective and efficient method is to add weight.
From week eight, your strength training plan should look like this:
Repetitions – two to 12 (last rep should be difficult to do with good form)
Sets – from two to four
Exercises – the same five exercises
Weight – any external weight, but slightly heavier than in step three
Frequency – two to three times a week
That’s all!
When you start strength training for the first time, you can gain strength relatively quickly. However, as you gain experience and get closer to your genetic potential, gaining and maintaining strength will require more consistent effort.
In my experience, beginners tend to add more reps when strength training becomes too easy, with some even doing sets of 50 or more reps. However, if you want to build and maintain strength, keep your reps much lower by increasing the weight or load instead.
Adding weight (instead of reps) may also be easier. Even though you’ll be working hard to lift something heavy, you’ll only be lifting for a few reps before taking one to three minutes rest between sets – and the heavier you lift, the more longer break it should be.
Strength training helps too immediate benefits. Power breaks provide an immediate boost to our immune system, happiness and productivity – and you should sleep better.
We know it’s a high level strength is the key to a happier, healthier and more independent life, so remember to empower yourself now to invest in your future.
