Time is seldom on our side. And for many of us, the idea of five or six 60-minute workouts each week isn’t just unattainable. It’s actually laughable.

But we’ve seen time and again that, with the right approach, marathon gym sessions aren’t necessary. The 3-3-30 method pares your training back to the basics, then adds a simple framework that keeps you working hard while progressively overloading your muscles.

The premise is simple: train three days a week, perform three exercises per session and spend 30 minutes training. One pushing movement, one pulling movement and one lower-body exercise. Ten minutes each.

No sprawling exercise lists. Just a handful of movements, a clock and some numbers to beat.

Each session is built around three 10-minute AMRAPs (as many reps as possible), with one block dedicated to each movement.

Across those three blocks, you’ll train your full body using:

The idea is to plug your favourite movements – or the ones you know you need to improve most – into these blocks. Create your own weekly template of nine exercises, three in each of your three sessions, then repeat that template for four weeks.

The exercises stay the same. Your goal is simply to keep posting higher scores.

For each movement, start a 10-minute timer. Your goal is to accumulate as many high-quality reps as possible, resting between sets as needed. This isn’t 10 minutes of continuous lifting.

Depending on the movement, you can use the opening part of the block to build up to your working weight. If you’ve already warmed up beforehand, you can start the clock immediately with your working sets instead. Just remember that a separate warm-up and equipment changes will add to the total session time.

Heavy doesn’t mean a one-rep max. Choose a weight you can perform for around 5-10 controlled reps when fresh. Break the work into manageable sets, resting enough to maintain good technique. You don’t need to take every set to failure.

Record exactly how many reps you complete and at what weight. If you change the weight during the block, record those sets separately.

The next time you perform that movement, try to beat those numbers.

If you like tracking the numbers, calculate your total weight lifted (TWL):

Weight lifted × total reps = TWL

For example, a 100kg bench press performed for 60 total reps across your 10-minute block gives you a TWL of 6,000kg. That’s simply an example, not a target.

Next time, you can beat that score by performing more reps with the same weight, or by adding a small amount of weight while matching your previous rep total.

If you use several different weights, calculate the total for each and add them together.

Either way, the goal is to increase what you can do within the same time limit. Keep the movement, range of motion and technique consistent. If you shorten your reps simply to improve your score, you’re only cheating yourself out of progress.

For bodyweight movements, keep things simple: record your total reps alongside any assistance or added resistance.

Once you’ve established your baseline, repeat the same weekly template for four weeks, aiming to improve your numbers wherever possible.

Although this method contains just 90 minutes of training blocks each week, every block gives you something concrete to work towards. You know what you achieved last time, and you know what you’re trying to beat.

After four weeks, reassess. Swap in some new exercises, shuffle the order or stick with the movements that are working. If you introduce a new exercise, establish a fresh baseline before trying to improve it.

The aim is to keep your training simple enough to repeat while giving yourself a clear reason to keep pushing the intensity and make the most of the time you have.

Train on whichever days best suit your schedule – don’t feel obliged to follow a Monday/Wednesday/Friday split. Make it work for you.

Perform each exercise in its own 10-minute block, completing all 10 minutes before moving on to the next movement.

Monday

Push – Dumbbell bench press

Pull – Chest-supported dumbbell row

Lower body – Heavy goblet squat

Wednesday

Push – Seated dumbbell shoulder press

Pull – Pull-ups

Lower body – Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

Friday

Push – Incline dumbbell bench press

Pull – Pendlay row

Lower body – Dumbbell reverse lunge

For dumbbell movements, log the combined weight of both dumbbells consistently. For reverse lunges, alternate legs and count each individual lunge as one rep, keeping the total even between sides.

Repeat this week for four weeks, recording your weights and reps after every block. When the same movement comes around again, you’ll have a clear target waiting.

With almost 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath coach and writer, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds.    

As our fitness editor he prides himself on keeping Men’s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable and credible fitness information, whether that’s through writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, taking deep dives into the science behind muscle building and fat loss or exploring the psychology of performance and recovery.   

Whilst constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is a lover of the practical as much as the theory and regularly puts his training to the test tackling everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions, to ultra marathons, to multiple 24 hour workout stints and (extremely unofficial) world record attempts.   

 You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey, or simply hold up a sign for ‘free pizza’ and wait for him to appear.