Working out in college is hard.
I’m not gonna sugarcoat it because it’s true.
If working out in college was easy, there would be no reason for me to have this website or even continue finishing this sentence.
However, finding the time to train or even fit in the slightest bit of exercise can be a challenge if you don’t approach it with a solid plan.
Otherwise, your homework and class schedule are going to eat you alive like the demogorgon from Stranger Things.
Luckily for you I wasted a whole Saturday and wrote this nice article to help you get your ass in gear and start working out on a consistent basis.
You Think You Have to Spend Every Waking Minute in the Gym
So you’re ready to start working out, but of course, how do you make the time?
We all know that training for strength, muscle-building, or leanness requires a huge time commitment.
“Yep, I was gonna go up a few levels in Skyrim, but now I decided to ‘get in shape’ like a moron.”
Just chillax for a second, dude.
It’s actually easier to get started with weight training or calisthenics than you think because you definitely don’t have to put in as much time as you did for that research paper you put off until the last minute.
So let’s actually break down a reasonable time commitment in order to reach certain fitness goals…
How Many Days Per Week Should You Workout?
If your goal is novice or intermediate strength, you should expect to train 3-4 times per week.
Any more isn’t necessary for this experience level.
Once you build up a solid strength base…
- Squatting 2x your own weight
- Benching 1x your own weight
- Deadlifting 2x your weight
- Pressing 0.75x your weight
Then it’ll take some more complicated programming and possibly more days to improve.
But in the early stages, giving at least 24 hours for your muscles to recover between sessions is ideal.
Does that seem reasonable to you?
How Long Should Each Workout Session Be?
You really don’t need to workout for more than an hour at a time.
(And even that’s often more than necessary.)
If you focus on just compound lifts, you can be in and out of the gym in 30 minutes.
Add a few isolation moves to your college workout plan and you jack that time up to about an hour.
3 times per week doesn’t sound horrible, right?
How Many Exercises Should You Do in Each Session of Your College Fitness Plan?
All these questions I’m answering are subject to debate based on your own personal goals for working out in college.
However, there are excellent programs that will have you do only one exercise per session.
You read that right… only one exercise.
I’m actually referring to the Big But Boring variation of Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 in which you take the main compound lift, follow the wave scheduling reps, and then perform 5 sets of 10 with 50% of the weight on the same exercise.
If you wanted, that could be the end of your workout.
Of course, Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 is a strength program meant to create improvements in the main lifts (Squats, Deadlifts, and Bench Press), but even 2-3 other accessory movements is plenty to develop a nice, balanced physique.
So really, don’t stress so much about the time.
You can make it work.
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You Think You Can’t Eat Your Favorite Foods Anymore
“Oh shit. Now that I started working out, I have to eat really clean and disgusting shit now, right?
I mean, that’s what [MR YOUTUBE BODYBUILDER] said so it’s true.”
Nope.
Actually, this mindset that you have to eat completely clean foods to see gains in the gym isn’t really the norm and I’ll give you a good reason…
Following a Very Restrictive Diet Leads to Failure
When was the last time someone told you you couldn’t do something anymore?
Did you go… “Great!”
Of course not.
Unnecessary rules leads to dissent, meaning you’re going to feel the urge to quit even more than before you heard there were limitations.
That’s why I encourage everyone who wants to improve their physique or body composition to…
Learn to Eat by IIFYM
If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) is an eating principle in which you cover all the macronutrient requirement needs for your personal goals however best fits your lifestyle.
What do I mean?
I mean that not everyone has to eat chicken and brown rice to build muscle.
Nope.
Why not cottage cheese and tortillas?
It’s just another protein source and carb source together.
In fact, I often eat something commonly referred to as “unclean” almost every single day of the week including:
- Ice cream
- Cake
- Donuts
- Macaroni and cheese
The only thing that matters is that whatever protein, fats, and carb targets I set up, I need to make sure they’re satisfied by the end of the day no matter what I ate.
Find Healthier Versions of Your Favorite Foods
I will honestly say that you can fit almost any food into your diet when you follow IIFYM.
The problem is that your calories and macros will dictate in what quantity that you’re allowed to eat those foods.
That’s the kicker.
Of course, the way to get around that is by simply researching and coming up with some healthier and less caloric-dense versions of those foods.
For example…
- Pizza crust made out of cauliflower instead of dough
- Ice cream made from bananas instead of cream and sugar
- Pancakes made out of protein powder and bananas (again) instead of Bisquick and flour
These are great alternatives and they’re actually really tasty (speaking from personal experience).
You Think Your Workouts Have to “Confuse” Your Muscles
I don’t know where the fuck this whole muscle confusion bullshit came from, but it needs to go away.
I think I remember the first time I saw something about muscle confusion and it was almost a decade ago…
(Cue the harp music.)
I was sitting at home in my parent’s house, bored on a Sunday morning, flipping through the crappy infomercials until I saw one particular ad that caught my eye…
…P90X.
Wow! Look at Tony Horton jump and kick and push! Gee willikers! He’s doing something completely different for every workout!
That must be the ticket!
Muscle Confusion was Created for People with No Motivation
The real reason muscle confusion exists is not because it’s actually better for you than something more consistent and boring.
(Because it’s not.)
It exists because these big fitness companies did a bunch of surveys and market research and learned that one of the reasons people said they didn’t like to workout is because it was too… boring.
So the company executives shuffled up to their offices, took another line of blow with a hundred dollar bill, and thought…
“How can we market a workout to people who don’t like to workout?”
And muscle confusion was born.
The problem is… muscle confusion just flat out doesn’t work.
Progressive Overload Requires Boring, Repetitive Workouts
As much as changing up your routine by jumping on boxes one week and then doing barbell squats on a yoga ball the next week sounds awesome…
(Does it though?)
The only real way you can build really epic strength, endurance, or muscle size working out in college, is by doing the same movements over and over and over again.
For someone who’s never trained before, it sounds really boring.
However, that’s how it works.
You simply do the same exercise and make short-term goals of either adding more weight to the bar or more reps in each session.
And that leads to the question – which exercises should you do when you’re working out in college?
Focus on Getting Strong in the Main Compound Lifts
The focal point of your workouts should be compound lifts that work multiple muscle groups.
These are exercises like:
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Overhead press
- Bench press
I talk about my personal favorites here.
But let’s move on to more of your issues…
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You Think You Can’t Afford It
Hey, I’ve been there.
I remember when I was getting my bachelor’s degree, even living at home and having all my own meals cooked for me… it still felt like I didn’t have any money.
- I was carpooling with my friends whenever we went anywhere.
- I was buying from the dollar menu at Taco Bell.
- Before I started school I was training at Planet Fitness on their $10/month plan.
(That was the worst thing I ever did.)
Despite all those “setbacks”, I still managed to build a modest physique and strength base and I have some advice for you…
Use Your College’s Free Gym
When I first got the idea of strength training, I was actually too nervous to workout in the campus rec center.
I mean, there were a ton of really big guys in their who were intimidating and I felt like I didn’t know what the heck I was doing.
(I know that sounds like a lame Planet Fitness commercial, but that’s the truth.)
In reality, if you want to build a solid strength base at the fastest rate, working out on a respectable muscle-building program using barbells and dumbbells is one of the best ways to do it.
If you’re not going to your gym, you’re not taking advantage of a service that you’re already paying for…
(And god knows your college wants to charge you for anything and everything.)
Workout at Home or In Your Dorm Room
Now, if I can’t convince you to go to the gym because you’re intimidated or you can’t afford it because your college is a piece of crap, there’s always the choice of doing a college dorm workout.
That’s what this guy Nate did and he lost over 100 lbs in the process.
Plus, with the way these “at-home” programs are written these days, they’re actually very good at creating progressive overload.
The programs I recommend include:
Here’s a video I did on a few exercises to get you started.
Ask for a Gym Membership for You Birthday or Christmas
Do you remember what you asked for Christmas last year?
I’ll bet it was some video game, a tablet, a computer, maybe a drone or something…
If you don’t get access to a gym because of your financial situation, why not put yourself out there and ask for it from Santa?
I’m sure he’ll get it for you because he listens and he’s definitely real.
Only Go Shopping at “Big Box” or Discount Stores
I’ve mentioned this in my Muscle Foods Cheat Sheet for Poor College Students, but you shouldn’t buy your groceries at the normal grocery stores.
I’m talking about places like Giant Eagle and Wegmans.
They’re well-stocked and have high-quality items, blah, blah, blah…
…but they’re expensive as shit.
That’s why even me, with a full time job, I only shop at discount stores for my foods gains.
This includes:
- Sam’s Club
- Costco
- Marc’s (I think it’s an Ohio chain)
- ALDI
- Save-A-Lot
Healthy food isn’t that expensive and it’s even more affordable when you actually give a crap where you buy it from.
Working Out Makes You Feel Exhausted
After a long day of class or a part-time (maybe full-time) job, the last thing you want to do is load up a barbell and work yourself into a frenzy.
Hell, it takes all the effort you can muster just to click the button on the Netflix.
(Or is that just me?)
Well… you’ll be happy to hear that not all effective training leads to utter exhaustion.
In fact, I find that I’m rarely overly fatigued when I get done training and I suspect that you’re making some mistakes during your sessions.
Here’s what I recommend for working out in college, but still make great progress in the gym…
Don’t Do as Many Exercises in Each Session
Who told you that you need to isolate every single muscle in each session?
In reality, even very advanced lifters with decades of lifting experience under their belt only do 3-4 exercises each session.
Seriously, some of the most popular (and effective) training programs follow this philosophy including:
If you focus on one compound lift and 2-3 accessory movements working out in college in each session, that should be enough to either shred down or get huge.
Stop Doing Sets to Failure
This is a very bodybuilder mentality, but you don’t need to work every set to complete failure in order for your muscles to grow.
This was a lesson taught by professional bodybuilders and we all stood by, looked at them, and thought…
“Well, they’re ripped and huge. I guess lifting to failure is a good thing.”
…and then we forgot that these guys are pumped full of anabolic steroids and that they can build muscle by sitting on the couch without even touching a weight.
(Yep, that’s a proven fact.)
Muscle Soreness is Not the Sign of a Good Workout
There’s been a number of studies done on this subject, but when you work your muscles to the point of forcing adaptation through progressive overload…
…you’re not always sore.
I’ve had hundreds of workouts by now and honestly maybe only a handful of them I felt really exhausted.
(And that was when I was running on 5 hours of sleep or less… struggling through my master’s program.)
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You See Working Out in College as a Chore
Now if you read that headline and thought, “Yep, that’s me”… you’re probably not ready to be convinced otherwise.
You’re most likely at the point in your life where you’re not seeking strong self-improvement and that’s OK.
Someday, you’re going to get off your ass, look yourself in the mirror, and finally commit to the idea that you want to be the best version of yourself that you possibly can be.
When that day comes, you’ll realize that physically transforming your body is part of that goal.
And if you’ve already decided that you’re ready for it, but you still don’t know how to get past the idea that working out sucks… here’s how you might get started…
Start Working Out in College with a Friend or Accountability Partner
One reason why you might be having a hard time adopting a fitness lifestyle is because it’s boring by yourself.
Let’s face it – Activities with your buddies automatically seem more fun.
(Plus there’s often a competitive aspect to it as well.)
That’s why I encourage your to train with a friend who wants the same goals or find an accountability partner that’s willing to keep you on track and share advice as you both progress together.
Get Social and Post Your Progress
As corny as it sounds, but posting your progress through social media not only increases the chances that you’ll stick to working out in college, but it invites feedback and a fun atmosphere.
Yes, we all like to make fun of the person online who constantly posts pictures of their protein shakes but honestly… props to that person for going at it so long.
And once you start making it public what your goals are… it’s inevitable that others will come out of the woodwork to comment and pat you on the back.
I mean, it takes no real effort to…
- Start an Instagram account and post your gym pictures
- Sign up for Fitocracy (a complete fitness-based social network)
- Vlog about your experiences on YouTube and gain a following
- Join a weightlifting club at your school and attend weekly meetings to share ideas
But this is what it really takes to convince yourself that working out isn’t a “chore”…
Here’s How to Actually Get Addicted to Fitness for College Students
I’ve been training and dieting for years and didn’t start seeing real results until I finally systematized my fitness lifestyle and got myself addicted to it.
This advice might sound weird, but it actually works…
1. Make Working Out a System of Beating Short-Term Goals
Making a goal to grow 17 inch arms is something that’s probably years away and focusing intently on it is a surefire way to burn yourself out and quit.
However, if you constantly set smaller, short-term goals like…
- Lose 1 lb of body fat this week
- Add 5 lbs to my bench press this week
- Add 15 lbs to my deadlift by the end of the month
…then you have reasonable goals that you can work towards, beat them, and then bask in your glory.
And as you put more of these goals under your belt, you strengthen the psychological triggers in your self-esteem as you frequent working out in college.
2. Reward Yourself for Training with Large, Satisfying Meals
I do a combination of intermittent fasting and carb cycling that allows me to eat really large meals on a daily basis.
However, I save my giant, king meals for right after I work out.
And I’ll tell ya… even on days where I’m completely exhausted from work, I still step into the squat rack and load up the bar because I know that I’m going to have a giant feast sitting in front of me when I’m done.
That’s enough motivation right there.
3. When You’re Done Training Take Progress Photos as Soon as You Leave the Gym
So you know all those guys that take mirror selfies as soon as they’re done working out?
Do you think those guys hate working out in college?
Nope.
In fact, those pictures are huge motivators for them because they get to capture a moment in time in which they look and feel their best.
Don’t hate on them for that.
DO hate on them for the fact that they make that really stupid kissy face though.
Why Do You Hate Working Out in College?
I hope after reading this you don’t completely hate the idea of working out in college and you’re ready to approach it as an opportunity to transform rather than this “thing” you have to do because your health professor told you to.
If you have any lingering thoughts… leave them here in a comment.
Why do you hate working out in college and how can you change that?