Now you’re ready to take on the week ahead with renewed energy and accomplish your biggest goals. A weekend warrior isn’t made by accident. It’s a purposeful lifestyle: finding time to exercise amidst the hustle and bustle of work, family, and life can be a real challenge. But just because your schedule is packed doesn’t mean you can’t achieve your fitness goals!
The weekend warrior workout is the perfect solution for busy people who want to squeeze in an effective training session on their days off.
Whether you’re a busy professional, parent, or anyone with limited free time, this plan will help you maximize your weekends for health and fitness success.
In this complete guide, we will cover:
- The benefits of weekend warrior workouts
- Sample weekend-workout schedule and routines
- Lifestyle tips for weekend warriors
- Frequently asked questions
Let’s get started with the perks of weekend warrior workouts!
Why Weekend Workouts Are Great for Busy Schedules
There are several excellent reasons why focusing your exercise time at the weekends can be highly effective:
- More free time – Weekends tend to have fewer obligations and more flexibility, allowing you to carve out a significant block for working out. You don’t have to squeeze in brief sessions between meetings and errands.
- Improved consistency – Having set weekend workout plans makes you far more likely to follow through versus trying to fit in random sessions after draining workdays. The structure keeps you consistent.
- Enhanced mental health – Exercise releases endorphins, which boosts your mood and focus. This refreshes you before Monday’s work stress kicks in again.
- Accountability – Having workout buddies, apps, or devices that log your activity keeps you accountable on the weekends. It’s harder to skip when others are notified.
- Greater calorie burn – Focusing your exercise into 2-3 longer sessions versus shorter snippets allows you to burn more calorie per workout. This can boost weight loss.
As you can see, weekend warrior workouts set you up for fitness success by taking advantage of extra free time and enhancing consistency. You’ll reap all the usual benefits of exercise like fat burning, strength building, heart health, brain boosts, and much more; just condensed into awesome weekend sessions.
Now let’s get into how to structure your weekend warrior workout schedule:
Sample Weekend Workout Schedule
The key to maximizing your weekends for fitness is having a planned structure ahead of time. This prevents wasting time figuring out last-minute workouts and helps hold you accountable.
Aim to schedule 2-3 workout sessions per weekend, allowing for at least a rest day. Listen to your body and take additional rest days as needed.
Here is a sample workout on the weekend’s schedule:
Saturday
Morning workout
- 30 minutes HIIT circuits or cardio
Afternoon workout
- 60 minutes of strength training
Longer combined workout
- 20 minutes HIIT or cardio warmup
- 40 minutes of strength training
- A cooldown and stretching session
Sunday
Morning workout
- 60 minutes of cardio (long run, cycling, swimming, etc.)
Afternoon workout
- Light 30-minute yoga, Pilates, or stretching session
Longer combined workout
- A warmup jog
- 40 minutes of strength training
- 10 minutes of core and flexibility training
This schedule allows you to hit all major fitness domains between the two days:
- Cardio and conditioning
- Strength training
- Core focus
- Recovery via yoga, Pilates, etc.
But you can always shift days around; depending on your preferences. The key is carving out 1–2-hour time devoted to exercise on both weekend days.
Now let’s explore some more specific workout routines to try:
Weekend Warrior Workout Routines
Having go-to workout routines for your weekend sessions is key for time efficiency and results. Here are some awesome weekend warrior workouts to add to your fitness arsenal:
Total Body HIIT Workout
Warmup: A 5-minute jog or jumping jacks
Workout: Perform 30-60s of each exercise back-to-back with 30s rest between rounds. Complete 3-5 rounds total:
- Burpees
- Push-Ups
- Bodyweight squats
- Lunge jumps
- Plank shoulder taps
Cooldown: A 5-minute light jog and stretching
This high-intensity interval routine torches calories while building full body strength and endurance. The condensed time works great for weekend warriors.
Lower Body and Core Strength Workout
Warmup: A 5-minute stair climb
Workout: Perform 10-15 reps of each exercise as alternating supersets. Complete 3 rounds total:
Superset A:
- Goblet squats
- Sumo deadlifts
Superset B:
- Curtsy lunge to side plank
- Bridge march
Superset C:
- Step-ups
- Hip thrusts
Cooldown: A 5-minute light cycle and stretching
Smoking your glutes, quads, and hamstrings while hitting your core will leave you walking funny the next day! Do this one when you have time to recover afterwards.
Upper Body Strength and Conditioning
Warmup: A 5-minute rowing machine session
Workout: Perform each exercise as a superset with 30-s rest between. Complete 3-4 rounds:
Superset A:
- Push-Ups
- Bent over rows
Superset B:
- Shoulder press
- Triceps dips
Superset C:
- Bicep curls into an overhead press
- Plank rows into push-ups
Cooldown: A 5-minute stretch
This workout combines strength moves with cardiovascular conditioning for a killer upper body burn. It’s also effective with minimal equipment, just dumbbells or resistance bands!
Long Cardio Session
Choose one or combine:
- 60-minute trail run
- 90-minute bike ride
- 45–60-minute swim
- 60-minute rowing machine circuit
- 90-minute hike
- 60-minute cardio class
Cooldown: A 10-minute light walk and flexibility training
Nothing beats a long steady-state cardio session for overall fat burning, heart health, endurance, and mental clarity. It’s smart to pick low-impact activities like swimming, biking, or the elliptical if doing high mileage to avoid excessive muscle fatigue.
Yoga and Mobility Session
- 10 minutes light warmup flow
- 20 minutes lower body yoga sequence
- 20 minutes upper body yoga sequence
- 10 minutes of core and hip stretches
- 10 minutes of relaxation and meditation
Counteract a hard week of training with a rejuvenating yoga and mobility session. This improves flexibility, aids recovery, and reduces injury risk – perfect after a long run or heavy strength training day. Prioritize this on Sunday’s rest day.
These are just a few of the endless possibilities for outstanding weekend workouts. Switch it up each week or repeat favourites that align with your goals. Just be sure to structure them ahead of time on your calendar!
Now let’s cover some lifestyle strategies to support your weekend warrior training:
Lifestyle Tips for Weekend Warriors
Optimizing other areas of your lifestyle will help you get the most out of workout sessions. Here are some key tips for weekend warriors:
- Hydrate consistently – Drink plenty of water and electrolyte beverages before, during, and after workouts. Proper hydration boosts performance and recovery.
- Fuel up properly – Eat nutritious meals and snacks all weekend to power workouts. Carbs before training and protein afterwards are key.
- Get enough sleep – Prioritize nightly 7-9 hours of sleep, going to bed early if needed. Good sleep enhances workout recovery.
- Schedule workouts first – Block workout times on your calendar before anything else each weekend. This prevents conflicts and blow-offs.
- Prepare gear ahead – Have workout clothes, shoes, water bottles, etc., ready each weekend. This prevents wasting time scrambling to get ready.
- Stick to the schedule – Follow your plan each weekend, barring illness or injury. Discipline is crucial for results.
- Recover fully – Take 1-2 rest days each week for complete recovery, especially after long or intense training days.
- Pair up – Working out with a partner or group keeps you accountable on weekends. You can motivate each other to stick to the plan.
With these lifestyle strategies, your weekend-only workout will be optimized for success. Consistency is the most important factor when working with a limited schedule; weekend warriors know how to make every minute count.
Wake up early and chase the sunrise on a energizing run. Stay up late to squeeze in one more set of squats by moonlight.
Now let’s address some frequently asked questions:
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you build muscle and lose fat with just weekend workouts?
You can make impressive body composition changes with weekend training if the sessions are intense and productive enough. Just eat in a modest calorie deficit while consuming sufficient protein.
How should you structure weekend workouts around an active job?
If you’re already active during weekdays, focus weekends on strength training. The lifting will perfectly complement the calorie burn from an active job without overtraining risk.
Should you work out both weekend days or take one day off?
It depends on your recovery capacity and goals. Working out both days is optimal for most goals, but take off one day if you need more rest, especially after long or intense training days.
What if you can’t exercise one weekend – how do you get back on track?
Don’t sweat one missed weekend – resume your plan the following week. Avoid thinking in extremes of perfect adherence versus quitting. Life happens – keep perspective.
Can beginners handle high-intensity weekend workouts?
Take it slow if you’re starting out. Focus on establishing the habit with easier cardio and basic bodyweight sessions. Build up duration and intensity as conditioning improves.
What if family activities consume weekends?
Get creative by waking up early for workouts, doing family bike rides or hikes, following workout videos during kid naps, etc.; enlist your family’s support.
Should you join a gym to have access to more equipment?
It’s not essential, but it helps open up more workout possibilities. See if you can make do with home equipment before committing to a gym membership.
Conclusion
These tips help you implement an awesome weekend warrior workout plan that fits your busy lifestyle! The key is tailoring the routines and schedule to your needs while utilizing weekends as much as possible.
With commitment and consistency, you can achieve impressive fitness results and overall health benefits with the weekend warrior exercise & mentality. Your improved energy, body composition, and well-being will make the time investment worth it.
Thank you for reading our article on weekend warrior workouts. We hope you enjoyed it and learned something new. At Movement District, we are dedicated to helping you achieve your fitness and health goals with our innovative and effective training programs. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a daily exerciser, we have the perfect program for you.
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