Heavy/Light workout? Frustrations...

[Wizbang]

Recently switched jobs to a much much more active type position, now averaging well above 10k per day before even leaving work as well as starting much earlier in the morning. I am finding myself pretty exhausted Monday-Friday, this is making during the week workouts very difficult and frustrating as I do not feel like I have the energy to really give it 100% effort, I do them but ho hum at best.

I am trying to determine whether a lighter workout during the week and then a max effort type workout on Saturday might be beneficial?

Unfortunately my gym doesn't open early (there are actually no early gyms locally) as I typically am up by 330am so before work is basically not a thing.

Any thoughts?

 

[CJ Smalls]

You could be the big "meat & potatoes" lifts on the weekend, and less taxing isolation lifts during the week.

For example, weekends can be Upper/Lower using compound lifts, and Tues, Wed, Thurs, could be a PPL setup using isolation lifts, and the PPL setup will keep the workouts shorter in length.

 

[Wizbang]

Makes sense, @CJ Smalls! Just reiterating for understanding... Break the workouts down into much smaller bite size pieces during the week. I will have to give that a shot.

 

[CJ Smalls]

Makes sense, @CJ Smalls! Just reiterating for understanding... Break the workouts down into much smaller bite size pieces during the week. I will have to give that a shot.

Or if you'd prefer an extra rest day, instead of a midweek PPL, do an Upper/Lower.

There are many options.

 

[Bricks]

There have been times because of work schedule or circumstances that I've broken a PPL split into more of a "bro split" in order to get the work done.

 

[Wizbang]

There have been times because of work schedule or circumstances that I've broken a PPL split into more of a "bro split" in order to get the work done.

Chest/Arms?

 

[CJ Smalls]

There have been times because of work schedule or circumstances that I've broken a PPL split into more of a "bro split" in order to get the work done.

Yup, common mistake people make is trying to cram their "perfect split" into an imperfect real world situation.

My work schedule changed, then knee surgery, so I'm just running a rotating PP(no L) and getting in whenever I can. If it's 2 days in a week, so be it. If it's 4, so be it. No worries whatsoever.

 

[Bricks]

My split for years was
Legs
Chest/tris/calves
Back/bis
Shoulder/calves

Sometimes when pressed for time or just gassed out after chest or back, I'd move bis or tris to a normal day off together or throw one or the other on with shoulders.

Currently Im busy as fk at work and with this knee injury my programing is:

Chest, delts, tris- Tuesday and Saturday

Back, rear delts, bis- Thursday and Sunday

I've got ongoing left elbow and shoulder issues so I'm doing more with less exercises and less weight.

My knee rehab is at the point where it needs it's own legs day even though it's still minimal. Now doing bike, extensions for quads, seated leg curls, and seated calf, so I can't squeeze it in with upper body days because of time constraints.

It's a temporary training schedule for a few months but I'm able to get done pretty much what I need to maintain. At 60 what you need to do to make gains in hypertrophy you now need to do to maintain what you have and in the end it's a losing battle.

Long answer, but look at your training goals, figure out what you need to do to accomplish those goals, then adapt a schedule that works with the time and energy level you have. Sometimes those goals need to be adjusted some, either temporarily or on a more permanent basis.