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30 MINUTE PHYSIQUE

30 MINUTE PHYSIQUE

Maximizing our physiques with 30 minute workouts

I'm a practical garage gym bro & certified personal trainer. I focus on effective, time efficient workouts to build muscle and lose fat, so you look and feel better.

On this site, I am specifically focusing on promoting the "30 Minute Physique" lifestyle, and will be sharing my journey of getting as jacked as possible via 30 minute workouts.

Check out my Gumroad page to join my email list and peruse my ebooks and programs for sale: https://garagegymbro.gumroad.com/

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To Track or Not to Track Calories? Oh the Drama

Due to life circumstances and major life changes, I haven't tracked my calorie or macro intake since late February. Each year I take a month or 2 break from tracking. This year, it's just been somewhat of a necessity. I don't have the time, mental energy, bandwidth or desire for it. Now, I eat pretty similarly – broadly speaking – day to day. So I mostly track food just out of habit, not necessity. I think that's a major benefit of spending months or years diligently tracking

30minutephysique

21 hours ago6 min read

Want to Join my Next Cohort? (Free Personal Training Opportunity)

Quick Announcement! I’m rolling out a FREE 6 week program on my training app (aptly called, "Benen's Gym"). Due to the fact that I’m charged by the app based on the number of clients I have using the app, slots will be limited to 10 people (I’ve already got a troop of paid clients using the app). You’ll get all the perks of training with me (messaging, tracking, support), just without the cost. The plan is 3 sessions per week and just 15 minutes per session. I usually promot

30minutephysique

2 days ago2 min read

4 Quick Facts about Exercise and Motivation (Supported by Research)

1. Most people don't lift solely for aesthetics. In fact, a recent study found that aesthetics isn't even in the top 3 reasons most people train. The majority of lifters lift primarily for: improved health, increased confidence, and social connection. It just so happens that when you focus on these 3 things, the aesthetics take care of itself as a byproduct. 2. Motivation happens as a result of exercise. If you wait to get motivated, you'll waste your life waiting and become

30minutephysique

3 days ago2 min read

Progressive Overload Made Easy

Pick 9-12 exercises. Find your 5-6 rep max for each of those exercises. Stick with that weight until you're able to get 10-12 reps with your former 5-6 rep max weight. Progressive overloading via repetition ramping is a simple, effective, under-utilized method for maximizing muscle gains without sapping your nervous system or putting unnecessary stress on your tendons and joints. This method is ideal for those whose goal is hypertrophy and general health & fitness. It is less

30minutephysique

5 days ago3 min read

Don't Let Your Environment Destroy Your Lifestyle

I saw a post recently about Japan's 4% obesity rate compared to the US's obesity rate of 40%. I really focused on the lifestyle differences. While Japanese culture seems to be very walking oriented (and generally spending time outside, even just doing very light activities), US culture is seen as more indoor and driving oriented. I couldn't help but think about how even different parts of the US have very different regional lifestyles. In fact, I've observed the same discrepa

30minutephysique

6 days ago5 min read

Go Outside

Go Outside

Go Outside

Spend more time outside! Take your normal, day-to-day — especially, social — activities and make an effort to do them while outside. It seems silly, but being outdoors makes even the most mundane activities more fulfilling and exciting. When I'm working remotely (which I do at least a couple hours per day since opening up more online training slots), I take the laptop outside and set up on my back patio. When I'm on the phone with clients for our weekly check-in calls, I'm o

30minutephysique

May 202 min read

Dead Bugs

Dead Bugs are a great exercise for the pelvic floor, core, and so much more. https://youtube.com/shorts/ONwROLkFls8?si=V6ftYWe4d2p82BWF Do 1-3 sets for 10-20 reps, or simply do timed sets up to 30 seconds for each set. You can play around with different/more advanced variations by holding a pair of dumbbells, holding a kettlebell, using resistance bands, an exercise ball, or even ankle weights. Plenty of options. Dead bugs teach the core, hips, and even the upper body muscles

30minutephysique

May 191 min read

The RKC Deep 6 Kettlebell Workout

Here is a brief YouTube video demonstrating and explaining the workout for those that want to watch and listen: https://youtube.com/shorts/6nAeWRaDB3Q?si=UH424FVv0w7tCtCf For the full writeup, continue reading. The RKC is the Russian Kettlebell Challenge — an organization that popularized kettlebell training and introduced the world to this "hard style" kettlebell method back around 2001. The RKC Deep 6 is a kettlebell circuit designed by the RKC to practice the big 6 fundame

30minutephysique

May 173 min read

Quick Reminder: Nutrition and Health are NOT Complicated

Stop pretending nutrition is complicated. Eat mostly whole foods. Eggs Meat Fish Birds Fruit Vegetables Milk Cottage cheese Natural (zero added sugar) juice Jasmine Rice Sourdough bread Potatoes Honey Oats Nuts/nut butters Olive oil Butter I like to eat peanut butter and local jams, as well – largely for extra calories and flavor enhancement. Enjoy occasional treats (I sure do). You don't need to be perfect. You just need to keep things simple, sustainable, enjoyable, and con

30minutephysique

May 161 min read

Make the Time to Make the Gains (Sample Workout)

You really ought to be carving out time (even just 20 minutes, a few times per week) to dedicate to resistance training. Nothing will have a better overall impact on the quality of your life. Below is a sample leg session I did last week after a busy day. Quick 7:30pm leg workout in the living room with 1×28kg/62lb kettlebell. Warm up: leg raises x 20, glute bridges x 15 Ex 1: offset kettlebell reverse lunge-3×10/10 Ex 2: single leg RDL-10/10, 10/10, 8/8 Ex 3: offset kettlebe

30minutephysique

May 101 min read

My 2 Favorite Training Splits and Which one YOU should Do

People go round and round about training splits all the time. Everyone has an opinion. The bottom line, though, is you should do the split that fits your schedule, motivates you, and that you enjoy. And for heavens' sake – you're not marrying any training split, so if you want to change up your training split every several months, go for it! With that in mind, today I'll share my general feelings on my 2 favorite splits for myself and my clients, along with when I would use o

30minutephysique

May 613 min read

First Lifting Session at the New Spot

05/04/2026 Workout of the Day. Pull First session in the new backyard. My gym is still pretty sparse, since my moving truck won't be here until Wednesday night. But, I've got a couple kettlebells, a pair of 30 pound dumbbells, and my body – which is enough to get any job done. Since I have no pullup station at the moment (a most dreadful situation), I decided to swap my usual pullups in this session for single arm kettlebell high pulls – a fun little kettlebell ballistic tha

30minutephysique

May 42 min read

May Lifting Club

What's up guys? I'm running a few days late on the program this month. I just finished a 5 day drive moving from Idaho to Alabama. The next month will be probably even busier than the previous month, judging on the condition the house I just moved into was left. Therefore, this month, we're doing a PPL 3X variation. That's Pull, Push, Legs split with just 3 exercises per session and 3 sets per exercise (giving just 9 sets per session). These sessions are quick, effective, an

30minutephysique

May 31 min read

3 Simple Steps to Improve your Body

Struggling to improve your body composition? Simplify. Eat more protein. Get stronger on your lifts within the 6-12 rep range. Oh – and make sure you're consistently lifting 3-5 days per week.

30minutephysique

May 21 min read

[Nearly] On the Road Again...

[Nearly] On the Road Again...

[Nearly] On the Road Again...

Spine and grip training day (or past 2 days really) has been going well. Only a day and a half left until I make the 2,500 mile drive. Looking forward to taking some fishing stops and Nomadic lifting stops (I'll have a few kettlebells and dumbbells in the front seat of my truck, just waiting to be hoisted about) along the journey. I'm gonna miss this place – and the people – more than any other. Hope to move back some day, even if it's just seasonally. By the way, I'm opening

30minutephysique

Apr 261 min read

15 Minute Workouts can Work Great!

Time and energy are on a premium this month. I'm relying on 15-20 minute workouts, and you know what? They work great. I'm able to focus and train hard, very briefly, move the needle of progress, and get on with my current work (final couple weeks working full time in-person at this current location), building new business (online and in-person 2,040 miles away), and dealing with all the stuff that goes along with selling a house on this side of the country while getting rea

30minutephysique

Apr 223 min read

15-25 Minute Leg Workouts

How to design a 15-25 minute leg workout that'll produce gains. The skinny: Pick 3 exercises 1 squat pattern/quad and glute dominant 1 hinge pattern/glute and hamstring dominant 1 calf raise variation Do 2-3 sets of each exercise Take each set fairly close to failure. Video summary: https://youtube.com/shorts/hEtFE77fyQI?si=OT3VxOioeRMvS9MV

30minutephysique

Apr 191 min read

Another 15 Minute Leg Session

04/18/2026 Workout of the Day. Leg Day, bros Took a break from work and packing to hit this 15 minute leg session. 2 sets of 3 different exercises. Each set taken pretty close to failure. Nasty pump acquired (one of the benefits of lifting for many years is you get wayyyyy more stimulus and pump from wayyyyy less volume than during the early years), quads, posterior chain, and calves all sufficiently fatigued, but not slaughtered (I got stuff to do, after all). I don't plan t

30minutephysique

Apr 192 min read

Don't Procrastinate. Become the Best Version of Yourself TODAY

Changing habits and behavior becomes more and more difficult with each passing year. If you're not satisfied with your body, make the behavior changes NOW. Do NOT wait! The odds of success diminish with each day that you say, "I'll do it later." Procrastination is also a trained behavior and habit. Kick that lousy pig (aka, habit) to the curb. Adapting a practice of physical activity has a trickle down effect of positively impacting every other area of your life. Seriously. T

30minutephysique

Apr 174 min read

The 15 Minute Solution

04/08/2026 Workout of the Day. 10 mile river walk/hike with the doggos this morning. Then, tonight I did a 15 minute (yes, you're reading that right) PUSH session in the backyard. Times they are a-busy and, apparently, stressful, currently in my life. But, I'm embracing it and adapting. This ain't the first time I've been strapped for time due to being in the midst of a major life altering event (and I presume it won't be the last), and as someone that has made almost all my

30minutephysique

Apr 122 min read

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HELLO

I'm a practical garage gym bro, who happens to also be a certified personal trainer, strength & conditioning coach, and an uncertified writer. I promote simple, but effective practices to maximize strength, hypertrophy, and body composition.

On this site, I am specifically focusing on promoting the "30 Minute Physique" lifestyle, and will be sharing my journey of getting as jacked as possible via 30 minute workouts.

Check out my Gumroad page to join my email list and peruse my ebooks and programs for sale: https://garagegymbro.gumroad.com/

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