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Gaining strength and muscle is one of the most common goals in the gym. However, many people find it impossible, thinking that if they don't train 5 days a week, they will never be able to achieve their goals. But this doesn't have to be the case.
A recent study involving almost 15,000 participants has shown that even with minimal training we can achieve great results . They specifically talked about a 20-minute session once a week , which is really very little for those who are used to following a strict fitness routine.
The study was carried out over a period of years and proved that these workouts were indeed effective, but that as our bodies became accustomed to them, their effectiveness would diminish over time. Although they also claimed that this could be due to a lack of variety in training, not to the frequency of it.
But what did the participants' workouts consist of? They basically consisted of 6 exercises with machines that worked the entire body, and which were performed until muscle failure in a slow and controlled manner. They had to do between 4 and 6 repetitions and increase the weight as their strength and fitness level increased. Basic strength training exercises were included, such as the bench press, leg press and pulley pulldown.
According to the results obtained, the participants managed to gain strength and muscle significantly and quickly in the first year of training. From then on, progress was slower, but continued. In 7 years, they managed to increase their strength by 70%.
Experts recommend strength training at least 3 days a week , and for more experienced people, between 4 and 5. It will also depend on our pace and lifestyle, the time we have and what other activities we combine with our gym sessions.
So it's clear that training just one day a week won't be as effective in achieving our goals. But what we can learn from this study is that we shouldn't stop training even if we have to do it infrequently.
Many times, when we have busy weeks we will think “why am I going to go to the gym one day if I can’t go more”, without taking into account that even if we train a little, we will already be taking care of our health. In addition, there are times when one effective session is worth much more than 5 in which we are so tired that we cannot give our all.
Strength training is essential for aging well and, above all, for preventing the risk of developing certain diseases. Doing it, even if we can only do it once a week for 20 minutes, will always be better for us than lying on the sofa.
In those cases where we can train infrequently and for a short time, it is best to opt for compound exercises that work the entire body and allow us to work with more intensity than isolated exercises.
These may include squats , bench presses, lunges, hip thrusts, pull-ups, or push-ups. We can also include exercises that incorporate some cardio if we want to work on other abilities, such as the classic CrossFit snatches, box step-ups, or step-ups…
The most important thing is to be able to give our all, to challenge our bodies week after week and to motivate ourselves to keep going. Only then will we be able to achieve all our goals.
[via GQ Spain]
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