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New study shows you can exercise less and see better results — here’s exactly how
Even as a personal trainer, I don’t enjoy spending hours in the gym. Like many people, I have work and other commitments to take care of, which means I’m often found shoehorning workouts into my day rather than building a routine around them.
If you can relate, it’s good news: a new study says you can actually exercise less and see better results when strength training. Read that again.
If you believe the “less is more” approach to life is best, then there’s something to it when lifting weights for strength gains. Instead of lighter weights, higher rep counts and longer gym stints, more efficient, direct and intense workouts with heavier weights could be your savior.
Here’s how to maximize efficiency and still see gym gains, according to the research.
What is the study?
Researchers of a study published in SportRxiv, aptly part-titled “Is there too much of a good thing?” examined training volume per session and its impact on hypertrophy (muscle growth) and strength training outcomes.
Up front, the study does have its limitations, but the research indicates that just two heavy and “direct” sets per session can lead to strength gains.
What’s more, a program with “low per-session volume and an emphasis on frequency of approximately 2-3 sessions per week” could “maximize short-to-moderate term strength gain.” In other words? You don’t need crazy reps or sets to see results.
Although more sets per session can (of course) still help you build strength and lean muscle size, there was a tapering off around 11 sets per session for hypertrophy and two “direct” sets of an exercise per session for strength training.
What do the results mean?
It’s not exactly news that different types of exercise require varying approaches to training. You wouldn’t train the same way for swimming as you would for cycling, and the same goes for lifting weights.
Strength training has long been associated with heavy weights and fewer reps while lifting to a near-maximal effort per exercise.
In comparison, hypertrophy training (the process of building muscle) is associated with the mid-range approach when it comes to reps, sets and load (as a very general rule of thumb, anything around roughly 8 to 12 reps, 3 to 4 sets and a sub-maximal load is seen as “standard”).
Then there’s endurance training, which traditionally adopts a high-rep, low-load approach, increasing your muscles’ ability to withstand tension for longer periods.
Of course, I’m summarizing. If you’re interested in how to train for strength, endurance and muscle growth, I’ve written a guide on hypertrophy vs strength training.
What does this mean for your training routine?
Don’t just throw around extra reps and sets without reason. Depending on your goals, you might consider adding extra load instead and working to near failure with reps.
And as I’ve always said, rest days matter, so making the most of them will ensure your muscles can rest, recover and rebuild, maximizing your efforts when you do exercise.
If you plan to slash reps or sets, you’ll need to ensure the exercise feels challenging, which means adding volume and/or intensity. The progressive overload method — the process of slowly increasing volume over time to get your gains and avoid plateau — can include adding sets or reps in the absence of load.
But according to this research, load, direct training and two to three focused sessions per week can save you time, making workouts more efficient.
This way, muscles are stimulated and undergo stress without pumping out the extra reps — this breaking down and building up of muscle fibers is the very foundation of building muscle and strength.
Verdict
My golden rule is to warm up the exercise you plan to do, starting with your bodyweight (depending on the exercise, of course), then taking a couple of minutes for warm-up sets to hit your working weight. You’re looking to reach the last few reps with good form, but it should feel like you can’t do much more.
In terms of training frequency, this will differ for everyone based on time, goals and experience. This study recommends two to three sessions per week, which I agree with from my training experience. You don’t need to be in the gym five days a week to see results, but your efforts should be focused when you hit them.
Try not to overcomplicate your routine with fluffy exercises and avoid unnecessary sets or reps. Keep it simple and read my guide above on strength training and hypertrophy principles for training guidelines.
Focus on four to six compound exercises per workout using a suitable load for your ability. Get it right, and even 30 minutes spent training can transform your body over time.
If you do reduce your gym time, remember that light cardio and walking (I’ve listed some suggestions below) are your best friends, as are rest days and several short stretching and mobility routines where you can fit them in — even if just before or after your workouts.
If you take nothing else away from this study, take away this: you can get more from shorter, intentional workouts than just going through the motions — make those last reps brutal, and that doesn’t mean adding sets or reps.
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