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30-Minute Workouts for Busy Clients

One of the most common excuses for skipping workouts is, “I don’t have time!” But as a fitness professional, you know that time shouldn’t be an excuse. It’s crucial to make time for keeping our bodies healthy.

With everyone busier than ever, fitness often takes a backseat. As personal trainers, whether online or in person, it’s our job to show people the benefits of exercise and how they can improve their health in a short amount of time.

Even if someone is short on time, their workout doesn’t have to be limited. You can create a quick and effective circuit workout! In just 30 minutes, you can boost your client’s heart rate and guide them through at least two circuits focusing on core, balance, reaction, and strength training. Here’s how to do it:

5 Steps to a Great workout for busy clients

Here’s a simple plan to get your client through a quick but effective workout:

30-Minute Workouts for Busy Clients
  1. Start with Foam Rolling: Have your client foam roll their “hot spots”—the areas where you noticed imbalances during their assessment. Spend about five minutes on this.
  2. Warm-Up on the Elliptical: Next, if you have an elliptical trainer, have your client use it. Make sure they maintain good posture and count out loud to 10, 20, or 30, depending on their fitness level. This helps warm up their stabilizing muscles. The elliptical is great because it uses the glutes more, helping with hip extension, unlike the treadmill, which focuses on hip flexion. If an elliptical isn’t available, a treadmill works too!
  3. Core and Balance Circuit: Move into core and balance exercises. Start with planks (adjust them based on your client’s ability), then do single-leg balances with reaches. Aim for 12 reps for the core exercises and 10 for balance. This part should take about seven minutes. Afterward, let your client rest for 30 seconds before moving on to resistance training.
  4. Reactive and Resistance Circuit: Next, do another circuit that includes chest, back, shoulders, and legs exercises. Aim to keep your client’s heart rate up, which is great for cardiovascular health and calorie burning. If needed, you can skip biceps and triceps exercises depending on your client’s goals.
  5. Cool Down with Stretching: Finish up with some static stretches to help restore muscle balance and prevent imbalances in the future.

This routine keeps things quick, effective, and efficient for a busy schedule!

30-minute workout for beginners

No matter if your client is just starting out, has some experience, or is already a fitness pro, you can fit a great workout into just 30 minutes.

30-Minute Workouts for Busy Clients
30-Minute Workouts for Busy Clients

Here’s a simple workout plan perfect for beginners.

BEGINNER
Body PartExerciseSetsRepsIntensityTempoRest Interval
CorePlank/Prone iso-abs212Bodyweight4/2/10
BalanceSingle-leg balance210Bodyweight4/2/10
= 6.4 minutes
Body PartExerciseSetsRepsIntensityTempoRest Interval
ChestBall Dumbbell (DB) press21260%4/2/10
BackBall DB row21260%4/2/10
ShouldersSingle-leg scaption21260%4/2/10
LegsSingle-leg squat21260%4/2/145 sec.
    = 11.1 minutes

Including self-myofascial release and cardio brings the total workout to 27.5 minutes. For the final few minutes, wrap up with some static stretches to help your client cool down. Focus on stretching any tight muscles you found during your assessment.

30 minute workout for the intermediate client

INTERMEDIATE
Body PartExerciseSetsRepsIntensityTempoRest Interval
CoreBall crunches21075%4/2/10
BalanceSingle-leg squat21075%4/2/10
= 4.5 minutes
Body PartExerciseSetsRepsIntensityTempoRest Interval
ChestBench press3875%2/0/2 Str0
ChestBall pushups3875%4/2/1 Stab.0
BackLat pulldown3875%2/0/2 Str0
BackBall DB cobra3875%4/2/1 Stab.0
Shoulders2-arm scaption3875%2/0/2 Str0
ShouldersBall combo #13875%4/2/1 Stab.0
LegsSquat3875%2/0/2 Str60 sec.
LegsSingle-leg Romanian deadlift3875%4/2/1 Stab.60 sec.
= 19 minutes

When you include self-myofascial release and cardio, the total workout comes to 29 minutes. Use any extra time to cool your client down with some static stretches. This will help prevent muscle imbalances and keep them feeling great.

30 minute routine for an advanced client

For advanced clients, swap out cardio for dynamic flexibility during the warm-up. Here’s a quick routine:

30-Minute Workouts for Busy Clients
30-Minute Workouts for Busy Clients
  • Prisoner squats: 20 reps
  • Push-ups with rotation: 10 total (5 each direction)
  • Single-leg squats: 10 per leg
  • Walking lunges with a twist: 10 total (5 per leg)

Do each exercise in a circuit, moving quickly from one to the next. This should take about five minutes.

ADVANCED
Body PartExerciseSetsRepsIntensityTempoRest Interval
CoreCable rotations21080%1/0/10
BalanceMulti-Planar (MP) hops w/stabilization21080%1/0/130sec.
= 3 minutes
Body PartExerciseSetsRepsIntensityTempoRest Interval
ChestBench press3585%As fast as possible0
ChestMedicine Ball (MB) chest pass3810% of bodyweightAs fast as possible0
BackSeated row3585%As fast as possible0
BackMB soccer throw3810% of bodyweightAs fast as possible0
ShouldersSeated overhead press3585%As fast as possible0
ShouldersMB soccer throw3810% of bodyweightAs fast as possible0
LegsSquat3585%As fast as possible120 sec.
LegsJump squats3810% of bodyweightAs fast as possible120 sec.
= 8.6 minutes

When you include self-myofascial release and cardio, the total workout comes to 21.6 minutes. Use any leftover time to cool your client down with static stretches to prevent muscle imbalances.

Short sessions like this give your clients a balanced workout that keeps their heart rate up and burns more calories. Remind them that making their health a priority is worth the effort and just a few minutes of exercise can add years of good health to their lives!