Enhancing Speed in Strength Training, Based on Scientific Findings
If you're having a hard time fitting exercise into your busy schedule, you're not alone. Although an efficient workout can be brief, lengthy, or anywhere in between, we frequently view the time commitment required as an obstacle, leading us to believe that starting isn't worthwhile. Thankfully, a research paper by sports scientists has compiled a set of guidelines for time-efficient strength workouts, and their suggestions will help you get the most out of your limited time.
What is the optimal duration for a strength workout?
Any workout is better than none, so in that sense, no workout is too short. The authors of this study suggest that even 15-minute workouts may be effective, as long as you perform enough sets throughout the week.
Think of your workouts in terms of a complete week, and calculate the number of sets you perform for each muscle group. A basic level of strength gains can be achieved with four to twelve sets per muscle group per week. (Generally speaking, two to three sessions of 20 to 30 minutes each are usually sufficient.)
So, how do you accomplish this during such brief sessions? Let's examine the science-backed recommendations.
Eliminate stretching and shorten your warmup
Do you usually begin your workout at the gym by spending 20 minutes on cardio, stretching, and performing a series of warmup exercises? By eliminating unnecessary activities, you can save a significant amount of time (incidentally, this is exactly what I would recommend).
According to the authors of the review, the optimal time-efficient warmup involves focusing on exercise-specific activities and only stretch if your goal is to enhance flexibility.
Therefore, discard stretches except in cases where they are necessary to prepare for the specific exercise you're about to perform. Move on to your "exercise-specific warmups," which consist of performing lighter sets of the exercise you plan to perform later. For instance, if you plan to do barbell squats, begin with squatting an empty barbell and then performing some light weights before loading the barbell for your first working set.
If that doesn't seem sufficient, keep in mind that these are merely guidelines, and feel free to include anything that you enjoy or that improves your workout experience. For further advice on tailoring your warmup, consult our guide to warming up. However, just because you can include something in your warmup does not necessarily mean you must do so.
Select multi-joint, bilateral exercises
The exercises that engage the most muscles in the shortest period are bilateral (using both arms or both legs simultaneously) and involve multiple joint actions rather than just one. These exercises should ideally incorporate both a lifting and lowering motion.
For example, a bicep curl involving one dumbbell is unilateral (using only one arm) and concentrates on a single joint (elbow flexion). A pull-up, on the other hand, employs both arms and involves multiple joint actions (elbow and shoulder flexion). If you've ever performed pull-ups, you'll recognize that they engage virtually every muscle from the waist up. This makes them suitable for time-efficient workouts.
The authors recommend selecting the following three exercises, if possible:
- An upper body pull (such as a pull-up or row)
- An upper body push (such as a bench press, push-up, or overhead press)
- A leg exercise (such as a squat)
Machines and free weights are both viable options, allowing you to substitute the leg press for barbell squats or opt for a chest press machine instead of a bench press station. They prefer barbells to dumbbells, if available, as barbell lifts generally allow for more weight to be lifted than their dumbbell counterparts. Resistance bands and bodyweight exercises can also be effective, provided they prove challenging enough to complete the specified number of reps.
Lift a sufficient weight to perform 6-15 reps
How many reps should you perform in each set? The authors offer two suggestions in response to this frequently debated question.
The ideal scenario is one where you have access to a variety of weights and select weights heavy enough that the last few reps feel challenging. These sets can range from six to fifteen reps, with the last rep not necessarily requiring total failure. (Notice how your movement slows during the last few reps? That's an indication that you're approaching your limit.)
If you don't have access to heavy enough weights, you can perform sets to total failure—with reps ranging from fifteen to forty.
Usually, you'd want to take a break of between two to five minutes between sets, based on the exercise. However, to cut down on time, you can opt for shorter rest periods. If you're a newcomer to weightlifting, a break of one to two minutes might suffice, according to the authors. Despite the reduced time, your muscles will still receive sufficient workout. To further speed up your routine, you can apply some time-tested bodybuilding strategies like pairing exercises together (supersets), reducing the weight and doing multiple sets (drop sets), or pausing between sets (rest-pause sets).
How frequently should I engage in strength training?
Performing full-body workouts twice or thrice a week is ideal. However, the authors emphasize that the key factor is the total amount of exercise you perform, not the number of days you work out. So, if you can only manage one weekly session but spend more time on it, you can effectively achieve a full week's worth of strength training in just one day.
Conversely, if you can only devote 15 minutes a day, but can do so consistently, you might still manage to achieve the same amount of work as someone who exercises twice or thrice a week.
What constitutes a week's training? The authors suggest aiming for 4 to 12 sets per muscle group per week. Four sets per week is relatively low compared to what many gym-goers do, but the objective is to find the minimum required to maintain fitness - so, if you can only manage four, go for it. They mention that research has indicated that beginners to strength training can effectively build muscle with minimal exercise (just 3 sets per week, in certain studies), implying that even a small amount of strength training is worthwhile.
Returning to our three-exercise framework, performing 4 sets of push-ups, 4 sets of pull-ups, and 4 sets of leg exercises would meet your weekly minimum. You can accomplish this in a single day if that's all you can manage, or spread it out over the week. More is generally better, but this should be your minimum goal.
After adopting these time-efficient workout strategies, you might notice improvements in your overall health. Regular short strength workouts can contribute to improved muscle strength and overall health.
By following the guidelines for efficient strength workouts, you can maximize your results in just 15 minutes a day, ensuring that you maintain a healthy lifestyle despite your busy schedule.
