Lower volume, higher intensity.

Increase the weight, lower the reps and sets. You don’t need 4 sets of 10-12 reps to see maximal muscle gain. If you’re past the very beginning stage of lifting (6ish months) it’s time to start upping the intensity and getting out of the gym sooner.

A common myth in lifting is that more volume = more gains. This is simply not true. If you do more than what’s ideal, you’ll at best get diminished returns and at worst hinder you progress and take longer than necessary to recover. You don’t need more volume, you need the right amount of volume. That’s gonna be about 10-15 sets per muscle group, taken within 0-3 reps from failure weekly.

What this looks like. Do 2-3 exercises for your targeted muscle group, 2-3 sets each in the 8-10 rep range. Count the main mover of the exercise as 1 set and the secondary mover as .5. For example, on your Push Day: Incline bench press: 3 sets of 8 reps. (Counts as 3 for chest, 1.5 for shoulders, 1.5 for triceps) Dips: 3 sets of 8 (Counts as 3 for chest and 1.5 for triceps). DB shoulder press: 3 sets of 8. Lateral raise: 3 sets of 10. Tricep overhead extension: 3 sets of 10. Do this twice a week and you have In total: Chest: 12 sets - Shoulders: 15 sets - Triceps: 12 sets. Assuming you rest 1.5-2 minutes between sets and move at a moderate pace, your workout should take about 45 minutes.

How to utilize this for the holidays. Honestly, this is how I like to have my client’s workout all the time. However, if you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to start implementing this higher intensity lower volume style workout to get in and out of the gym. Increase your weight by 5-10lbs, drop a set, go down to 8 reps and see what you think.