Building Strength in Less Time
So you want to build strength, but you do not have a ton of time. Even while quarantining, it can be hard to make the space in your schedule to strength train the way you want. Between Zoom chats, quarantine baking and gardening, and all the new Netflix shows, who has the time to work out? Make no mistake, you still need to put in the work, but it could be possible to get stronger without spending hours performing tedious weight training exercises. A recent study noted a “marked increases in strength and endurance can be attained by resistance-trained individuals with just three 13-min weekly sessions over an 8-wk period, and these gains are similar to that achieved with a substantially greater time commitment.”[1] Previously, “most of us who lift weights probably have heard that, if we hope to gain size, strength and endurance in our muscles, we should aim to complete at least three sets of each exercise during a full session, meaning that we would be expending considerable sweat and time at the gym.” However, this new study suggests that it is the quality of the set, not the quantity, that makes the biggest difference. “What was required was to strain the working muscles to limp exhaustion by the end of each set...In effect, you should be physically unable to complete another repetition at that point, without resting.”[2] Of course, this study should be taken with a grain of salt because it is the first of its kind and the study was run with thirty-four young men who were already physically fit. More studies will need to be run to test the validity of express weight training with increased sample sizes that include more genders, ages, and fitness levels, but it is a start when considering the effects of this style of exercise.
Have you tried express weight training as part of your new year’s resolutions? How did you do? Tag us on social media and show us how you get (Bod•ē) Strong!
*Bod•ē Pro recommends following a healthy approach to weight loss by consulting with your physician or health care professional prior to starting any new exercise or diet plan.
[1] Schoenfeld BJ, Contreras B, Krieger J, Grgic J, Delcastillo K, Belliard R, Alto A. Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019 Jan;51(1):94-103. Doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001764. PubMed PMID: 30153194; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6303131.
[2] Reynolds, Gretchen. “In a Hurry? Try Express Weight Training.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 12 Sept. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/09/12/well/move/in-a-hurry-try-express-weight-training.html.