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<\/p>\nFor many men, staying fit is not a question of motivation, but of finding time between work, family and other daily demands. But staying fit doesn’t always require hours at the gym or an elaborate workout routine.<\/p>\n
With a few targeted exercises, the right technique and consistency, even a busy man can build strength, improve his posture and boost his endurance.<\/p>\n
Raju Michael, 26, a fitness trainer at Adus Fit Club in Mwiki, Kasarani, shares five exercises men can incorporate into their routines without letting a packed schedule get in the way.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have been a trainer for five years,\u201d he says. He did not start behind the desk. \u201cI started as a client, but I knew I could be a trainer too,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Because he once stood where his clients stand, he keeps his advice plain. Warm up, work on the key moves, then go home. That path gives him a clear view of what a newcomer needs. The plan must be short, clear and easy to repeat on a tired day.<\/p>\n
100 push ups <\/p>\n
The warm-up comes first, and it needs no machine. \u201c100 push-ups. That is a warm-up for men,\u201d he says. \u201cThat number sounds big, so cut it into small sets.\u201d<\/p>\n
He drops to the mat, places his hands just wider than his shoulders and holds his body in one straight line.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep your body straight from head to heels,\u201d he says. \u201cLower your chest to the floor and press up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Back on his feet, he taps his chest, his shoulders and the\u00a0backs of his arms. \u201cThe pushup wakes all of these, and it raises the heart rate, so the weights feel lighter when you reach them,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep your stomach tight and your neck relaxed. If the floor is too hard, place your hands on a bench to lower the slope. By the third week, the sets will feel smaller.\u201d<\/p>\n
One-arm dumbbell row <\/p>\n
Next he walks to a flat bench with a dumbbell in his hand. \u201cWith the body warm, start on the back,\u201d he says. \u201cA strong back gives a man his posture. You can do one-arm rows.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is the first main move, the one-arm dumbbell row. \u201cPlace one hand and one knee on a flat bench and let the other arm hang straight down with the dumbbell,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
He pulls the weight to his hip in one smooth motion. \u201cPull the weight toward your hip, like you are starting a lawn mower,\u201d he says. \u201cSqueeze your shoulder blade at the top and lower the weight slowly.\u201d<\/p>\n
He sets the dumbbell down. \u201cThis move builds the wide muscles of the back and the arm that pulls,\u201d he says. \u201cIt also pulls the shoulders back, so the slouch from long hours at a desk begins to fade.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Raju Michael performs a leg press during his routine workout at Adus Fit Club Gym in Nairobi on October 15, 2026.<\/p>\n
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group<\/p>\n
Then he holds up three fingers.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery workout, you have to do three sets,\u201d he says. \u201cDo all your reps on one side, then switch. Start with a weight you can pull 10 times with a still body.\u201d<\/p>\n
He adds the rest rule. \u201cBefore you move, you have to rest for one minute, and then you rest between the sets.\u201d<\/p>\n
Biceps curl <\/p>\n
Now he turns to the arms, for the man who wants his biceps to push against his shirt sleeves. The second move is the biceps curl. \u201cYou can use a dumbbell or a barbell,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
He stands tall and pins his elbows to his ribs. \u201cCurl the weight up until your forearms touch your biceps, then lower it for a slow count of three,\u201d he says, lifting the dumbbell in slow motion.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not swing your back to cheat the weight up. The curl builds the front of the upper arm, the muscle people notice first.\u201d He turns his palms to face each other. \u201cThere are hammer curls; you can use a dumbbell,\u201d he says. \u201cThat one adds thickness to the forearm and the upper arm.\u201d<\/p>\n
He explains the reps next. \u201cYou can do 12 reps, 10 reps, or more,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen the last two reps feel hard, you are in the right zone.\u201d He lifts a heavier pair of dumbbells and shows how his reps slow down. \u201cWhen you talk about weight, you reduce reps,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Chest exercises <\/p>\n
Next comes the chest, and a broad chest makes a shirt hang well. He walks to the incline bench and taps the bar on its rack.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are not many chest exercises. You can choose four exercises,\u201d he says. \u201cThis one earns its place.\u201d<\/p>\n
The move is the incline chest press with a barbell. He sets the bench at a gentle slope and lies back with his feet flat on the floor. \u201cLift the bar off the rack and lower it to your upper chest,\u201d he says. \u201cPress it up until your arms are straight.\u201d<\/p>\n
He sits up and points to the top of his chest. \u201cThe slope shifts the work to the upper chest and the front of the shoulders, the part that fills the top of a shirt,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cAsk a friend to stand behind the bench, because heavy bars need a spotter. Breathe in as the bar comes down and out as it goes up. Start with the empty bar if you are new, and add small plates each week. Three sets of 10 is a fair start.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stays on the same slope and swaps the bar for two dumbbells. This is the fourth move, the inclined dumbbell press. \u201cThere is an incline, you can use a dumbbell,\u201d he says. He holds a dumbbell in each hand over his chest. \u201cLower them to the sides of your chest, then drive them up and bring them close at the top,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cDumbbells make each arm work on its own, so the weaker side cannot hide. The bar lets you lift heavy, and the dumbbells let you lift smart,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/raju2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\u00a0Raju Michael performs a triceps pushdown using a cable machine during his routine workout at Adus Fit Club Gym in Nairobi on October 15, 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group<\/p>\n
\u201cChoose a pair you can lift ten times without shaking. Breathe out as you press and keep your back resting on the bench.\u201d After his last rep, he lets the weights rest on his knees. \u201cRest one minute between sets, and then move on,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Leg exercises <\/p>\n
Now he looks down at the legs, because a strong man should walk like one. The fourth move is the leg extension on the machine. He sits with his back flat against the pad and hooks his ankles under the roller.<\/p>\n
\u201cStraighten your knees until your legs are level, hold for one second, then lower slowly,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis move works the front of the thighs, the quadriceps. Strong thighs hold the knees steady, help you climb stairs, and give your walk a firm rhythm.\u201d<\/p>\n
He taps the weight pin. \u201cKeep the weight light enough to control, and aim for twelve slow reps,\u201d he says. \u201cNever kick the weight up with force, because that stresses the joint.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rope skipping <\/p>\n
Rope skipping closes the session, and it fits into any bag. Raju pulls a rope from his gym bag and loops it over his hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the last leg set, skip for three rounds of one minute each,\u201d he says. He bounces lightly on the balls of his feet. \u201cLand softly and keep your elbows close. The rope burns fat, lifts the heart rate and teaches the legs to stay light. It also takes no space, so you can skip in a car park or a small room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then he says, \u201cEveryone has their own programme.\u201d He adds, \u201cFor a man with a tight schedule, the rope is a fast and cheap finisher. In week one, skip in short bursts of 30 seconds and rest. Add time each week.\u201d<\/p>\n
Raju then draws out the week.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrain three days in a week,\u201d he says. \u201cMake Monday a chest and shoulder day, Wednesday a back and biceps day, and Friday a leg day with deadlifts.\u201d<\/p>\n
He writes the push-up warm-up at the top of each day and the rope at the bottom. \u201cDo not train hard on back-to-back days, because muscles need a day to heal,\u201d he says. \u201cUse the days between for a short walk.\u201d<\/p>\n
A short session is a real session. \u201c45 minutes is enough when you do not chat between sets. You can train before work and still reach the office on time.\u201d He adds a last reminder.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you finish your workouts, you stretch, go home, make sure you eat well, and get enough rest,\u201d he says. \u201cEat a real meal, drink water and sleep well. Muscles grow when you rest, not only when you lift.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked how long it takes to see results, Raju says they arrive sooner than most men expect.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt starts in the third week,\u201d he says. Ninety days, about three months. \u201cYou have changed,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
The back stands tall. The legs walk with weight and purpose. Small wins show early, like getting up from the floor with ease. \u201cThat is the first improvement,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
A busy schedule does not block fitness. It only asks for a smart plan, and now every man has one.<\/p>\n