Building Muscle in 30 Minutes a Day – Basic Training

Building muscle in 30 minutes a day

Last Friday, we laid the groundwork for this week's series of posts, Building Muscle in 30 Minutes a Day. Today, we'll jump right into it.

I'm going to show you a workout routine that will build muscle faster than anything you've ever tried before - all in less than 30 minutes a day.

And get this – you'll train every other day!

How cool is that :)

Here are the main concepts that you'll come to know, understand, and love:

  • We'll stick mostly to compound movements that hit multiple body parts at the same time. No isolation exercises here (form the most part).
  • 2-4 sets per exercise, depending on your experience.
  • 6-10 reps are best for adding size.
  • We'll set you up on a 2-way split routine that works wonders.
  • Training is done on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (or some other variation that gives you every other day off from training).

There will be a "Workout A" and a "Workout B" – simply alternate the two every workout.

Here's the plan:

Workout A

  • Squat
  • Calf Press
  • Tricep Extension
  • Barbell Curl

Workout B

  • Bench Press
  • Pull-down
  • Overhead Press

As you can see, the split consists of a "Legs & Arms" day for Workout A and a "Torso" day for Workout B. Do 2-4 sets of 6-10 reps for each exercise above.

You should be able to get through either workout in less than 30 minutes. If you can't, you're resting too long between sets.

The goal with every workout is to push just a little more weight than the last time.

I suggest you use this program for 4 to 6 weeks and then go on a maintenance regimen for a few weeks (2 to 3 weeks). You can learn more about this specific strategy at the Stair Step Training System website.

Remember that eating and recovery have to be done right in order to make any gains in muscle size. More on those later.

Here's the rundown again on what we're covering this week:

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7 Comments

  1. fuad j says:

    man,im up 10kg from last year and not very proud about that. i would like to ask, i got into accident before got a very fragile knee, which exercise would be suitable for me?

  2. billspaced says:

    @ fuad – I’m not a medical doctor, so I’d certainly strongly suggest that you find out what ails you and then take whatever treatment necessary to rehab the knee. I will say that there are a ton of exercises you can do, even if not directly stressing the knee. However, your best bets always are the big compound movements like rows, chins, pushups, bench press, and, unfortunately for you, squats, leg press, and deadlifts.

    Please find a doctor that can help you with your injury, get appropriate physical therapy, and then once you have a clean bill of health, jump into the shallow end of the weight training pool.

  3. Always some awesome content here. Very simple, but effective
    @fuad j: Please, if you have any injuries, see a doctor before embarking on a weight lifting training program. Better to be safe than sorry!

  4. billspaced says:

    @ Morgan – I’m a simple guy :)
    We often make things more complex than need be. Why reinvent the wheel, right?

Trackbacks / Pingbacks

  1. Building Muscle in 30 Minutes a Day – Advanced Training | The Official Muscle-Build.com Blog
  2. Building Muscle in 30 Minutes a Day – Basic Nutrition | The Official Muscle-Build.com Blog
  3. Building Muscle in 30 Minutes a Day – Recovery | The Official Muscle-Build.com Blog

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