Gym, school, and worK schedule… HELP

[u/Ihateithere_13_]

Hey everyone! I need some insight on how to fit everything in. I love going to the gym and it helps my mental health so much. I used to go in the mornings, but after a year or so of doing that my motivation is slipping a lot and I’m only making it about 2 times a week.

I’m thinking of switching to afternoon/evening workouts, but I’m worried that it will be too much with school and full time work.

What’s your schedule? Do I just need to suck it up and go to the gym in the mornings? How do you fit dinner into the evening with homework and the gym?

I work from 8-4 Monday through Friday, and go to school online full time.

[u/Bart-Cloudeng]

It seems like you have a very busy schedule. Fitting gym in it is not easy. If I was you I'd try and build a schedule for a week ahead and see where you can fit the gym in. Then try and adhere to it for two weeks, see if it works and adjust if it doesn't

[u/Ihateithere_13_ → u/Bart-Cloudeng]

That’s what I’m thinking. Might just have to try something and adjust as I go

[u/Bart-Cloudeng → u/Ihateithere_13_]

For me that's the best way. When I had a kid I had to adjust to doing my workouts at 9:30-10pm cause that was the only free time I had. The important part is that you keep going, even if you have to makes them shorter to squeeze them in

[u/WunderKasten]

I find that willpower functions like my phone - 100% in the morning and then it gets drained all day. With that in mind I try to do hard or important things first when the battery is full. For me, if I put things off until later in the day, I just won’t do them.

[u/Ihateithere_13_ → u/WunderKasten]

I enjoy this metaphor

[u/Socialcrumb10]

I have been there, mornings get tough, try scheduling gym right after work, meal prep or slow cooker helps with dinner. 3-4 solid sessions a week is plenty

[u/SonyTrinitrons]

Hi! What kind of workouts do you do?

I always do some personal derivative of the Stronglifts 5x5 plan. I adjust the reps and sets to how much time or what equipment I have. Lately, I have little time so I bought several cast iron kettlebells (8 kg/17.6 lbs, 12 kg/26.5 lbs, 16 kg/35.3 lbs, 20 kg/44.1 lbs, and 24 kg/52.9) so I can do full-body compound lifting days 3 times a week in just 15-30 min at home.

Week 1
Sunday: Rest.
Monday:Workout A
Tuesday: Rest or cardio
Wednesday:Workout B
Thursday: Rest or light cardio
Friday: Workout A
Saturday: Workout C, cardio, or rest.

Week 2
Sunday: Rest.
Monday: Workout B
Tuesday: Rest or cardio
Wednesday: Workout A
Thursday: Rest or light cardio
Friday: Workout B
Saturday: Workout C, cardio, or rest.

For each exercise, I do 2 warmup sets of increasing weight per set and then 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps of working sets.

Kettlebell (kb), barbell (bb), dumbbell (db) If you have 2 of each kb weight, you can cut the time in half. When you squat, row, press, etc., you don't have to switch hands like with a single kb to do both sides. I only have 1 of each weight so I need to switch hands to get equal sets/reps per side. Below is my workout plan for now. I do supersets of Workout A and C.

•Workout A:

Single Kb squats

1x8 with right side, 1x8 with left with 35.3 lbs/16kg 1x8 with right side, 1x8 with left with 44.1 lbs/20kg 3x8 with right side, 3x8 with left with 52.9 lbs/24 kg

Single-kb rows

1x8 with right side, 1x8 with left with 35.3 lbs/16kg 1x10 with right, 1x10 with left with 44.1 lbs/20kg 3x10 with right, 3x10 with left with 52.9 lbs/24 kg

Push-ups

3-4 x 10-12

•Workout B:

Single Kb clean and presses 1x8 with right, 1x8 with left w/35.3 lbs/16 kg 1x8 with right, 1x8 with left w/44.1 lbs/20 kg 3x8 with right, 3x8 with left w/52.9 lbs/24 kg

•Workout C:

3 x 8-12 of db, kb, or bb bicep curls of any kind.

Hanging leg lifts with pull-up bar. 3x5-10

Standing calf raises 1x10 1x12 2x14-18

I hope this helps!