How to get an efficient workout in a small space quickly

• Submariners have very little space, time or equipment to exercise and boarding is prohibited.
• This may sound familiar to people who train at home, in apartments, or small spaces.
• To train like a submariner, focus on compound exercises, says a Royal Navy trainer.

Trying to stay in shape is difficult at the best of times.

Trying to stay in shape while living in a submarine is another matter entirely.

Submariners in the United Kingdom Royal Navy They are often submerged for weeks at a time, and while large warships may have relatively well-equipped gyms and fitness coaches on board, submarines tend to have little more than a rowing machine or exercise bike and a few dumbbells or kettlebells in a boat longer than one meter. through a space of more than a meter, a former submariner and one of the Royal Navy’s senior physical trainers told Insider.

Petty Officer Paul Todd, responsible for physical training for recruits at HMS Raleigh in Cornwall, UK, told Insider in an exclusive visit to the naval base Earlier this year, before submariners go out to sea, they learn how to get a good workout with minimal equipment, in a short amount of time and without jumping. And ultimately, these are useful skills for anyone who needs to exercise in a confined space and can’t jump, like an apartment or bedroom.

There are several reasons why jumping is prohibited: submarines have low ceilings, and this can make them wobbly and easier to spot. The submarine service is known as the “Silent Service” because the Royal Navy claims it operates “unseen, unheard and undetected”.

Todd said that submariners simply won’t be able to do optimal hypertrophy training (muscle building) or plyometrics (explosiveness) like you would in a regular gym, but they can build at least some muscle and move enough to get fit and feel good.

Focus on compound exercises

Whether you’re in a sub or just in a small apartment, you can get a good workout in 20 to 30 minutes with basic equipment (or none at all), Todd said.

Submariners tend to do a lot of interval-based exercises, such as tabata or HIITbut make sure you run the entire body compound exercises that mark basic movement patterns, Todd said.

These are:

Compound movements, such as squats, lunges, deadlifts, and push-ups, are those that recruit multiple muscles at once, making them an efficient way to train.

On the other hand, submariners avoid isolation exercises like biceps curls because they only work a small part of the body, so they’re not effective when you don’t have a lot of time. For this reason, submariners prioritize full-body exercises, Todd said.

However, he emphasizes that there is no one-size-fits-all approach and the most important thing, whether you are on a sub or not, is to find a type of training that you enjoy.