You can absolutely make progress with 45 to 60 minute sessions. The key is treating your workout like an appointment, not open-ended gym browsing.
Start with a plan before you walk in. Pick four to six exercises max. If you decide everything on the spot, you burn half your session on indecision and phone scrolling.
Use a simple session structure: one main lift, two secondary lifts, one or two accessories. Keep warm-ups focused and relevant to the first movement. You do not need a 25-minute warm-up for every exercise.
Control rest times. Long rests are useful for heavy compound sets, but many accessories can run on 60 to 90 seconds. Use a timer if you tend to drift.
Supersets are your best friend when used intelligently. Pair non-competing movements, like rows with hamstring curls or curls with calf raises. You keep quality high while saving serious time.
The final piece is intensity. A short workout still needs hard sets. If your effort is low, a 50-minute session becomes a long warm-up. Show up, execute, leave. That is efficient training.