How Many Minutes Do You Need?

One trend in the fitness industry is designing workouts that are so effective and hard that they only need to last several minutes. These programs promise results in as little as seven minutes per day. It's hard to believe, but do these workouts really produce the results they promise? They have some validity. The infamous Tabata intervals, first produced by the Japanese scientist Isha Tabata, show that eight 20-second maximum bursts of effort interspersed with 10 second rest periods produced dramatic improvements in both aerobic and anaerobic fitness.

This trend isn't new. Remember eight-minute abs? Remember Bowflex's claim that you could get a strong, lean body with 3 20-minute workouts? Remember that machine that promised results in as little as 4 minutes per day? It was so expensive that it never really took off. A couple recent examples of this trend come to mind. I saw the 7-Minute Muscle by Jon Benson. Fabrice Ribalde takes it to an extreme with his 1-Rep workout. Body by Jake promises results in 11-minutes per day. Some magazines offer awesome workouts with guaranteed results in just minutes a day.



It makes you wonder why anyone would train for an hour in the gym. Who would train that long when you get results in a fraction of the time?



These programs have a lot of appeal for a couple reasons. First, people just don't think they have the time to train. They have the time, they just don't make the time. That's the crucial difference. If their life depended on training, they'd find a way. These same people always find time for television, video games, happy hour and and one-hour commutes, but can't find the time to take care of thier bodies. That's why "minutes a day" sounds so appealing. They don't have to make any adjustments to thier lifestyle. They can do a few easy exercises at some piont in the day and think that they are going to get results.



Womens' magazines are the worst culprit of this type of nonsense. They promise thier readers "flat abs fast," "get fit fast," and "drop 20 pounds before Christmas." I'm not making these up. I saw them at the grocery store this morning. These claims are of course false but you can print almost anything you want as long as you don't slander somebody.



On the one hand, I think the trainers who design these programs actually care about people getting in shape. I don't think there are many trainers who don't want thier clients to get results. The trainers who promise fast results realize that many people will not even consider using thier program unless it requires minimal time and that results will come fast. If they said their program required hard work, sweat, time, effort, and commitment, they might not capture their audience. Hard work doesn't sell.



However, these trainers are doing a huge dis-service to their audience. They make them believe that they can get results in a few minutes per day, and that results will come quick. They never mention lifestyle factors, such as previous exercise history, injuries, nutrition, posture, or fatigue. They promise thier readers something they can't have: great results with minimal investment. How appealing. Have the strength of a warrior in less than an hour per week.



These workouts are of course ridiculously easy. More often than not they show a model with a beautiful physique. This model of course did not get this body with this workout. Sometimes, the model is even smiling. Let me tell you something. If you're smiling and laughing in your workout, you're not working!



Here's the reality. If you want to get into shape or lose fat, you're going to have to work to do it. There are no shortcuts in life. If something is too good to be true, it's false. You have to invest time and effort to get results. This applies in all aspects of life. I laugh when I hear "hard-earned" money. What money isn't hard-earned? Somewhere, somebody worked hard to create the value of that money.



You cannot have the body of an olympian or champion with minimal investment. If you could, there would be no such thing as an olympian. Olympians are what they are because of the time and effort they invested to achieve their goals. They pushed their limits and never quit. They overran their mind's protective mechanism and expanded their comfort zone. Few people have the inclination to go that far.



So what do you have to do to get into shape? First of all, don't say you want to get into shape. You have to visualize your goal, and then say, I'm going to get into shape. There's a huge difference. Tell somebody you know. Write your goal on an index card and put it in your wallet. Then you need a plan to take you to your goal. Whether you're trying to increase muscle or lose fat, you're going to have to commit for several weaks, maybe even several months.



You have to be consistent too. You can't be discilplined one day and then slack off the next. This has to be a consistent effort every day. Your life has to change. You can't commit to going to the gym for one hour per day and then not change anything for the other 23 hours. In fact, it's those 23 hours will determine whether or not your achieve your goals. You have to adhere to a strict, but palatable nutrition program. You'll have to commit to eight or more hours of sleep. You'll have to skip some social events to make time for workouts. Everything comes with a price.



If you're trying to lose fat, expect to work out every day. You will have to do both strength training, metabolic conditioning, steady state cardio, and high intensity cardio. You will have at most one day off. If you're trying to build muscle, you'll still have to workout several times per week. But the other 23 hours in the day will be just as critical. You will have to have a dedicated recovery and nutrition plan.



One reason why people don't get results is because these trainers keep peddling programs and products that promise maximum results with minimum work. People believe them and then wonder why they don't get results. Becaues results require time and effort! You have to work. You can't do a few sets of easy exercises, and a few wind sprints and then think you'll have the body you want.



I think these programs are a manifestation of one of the worst characteristics of modern society: a short attention span and instant gratification. We want things to happen instantly. We don't want to wait. We want what we desire now. Now, now, now. That's why so many books and magazines use words such as "quick," "fast," "simple", and "easy." Those words are so appealing. I sound pessimistic and cynical, but if our society really did think long-term, we wouldn't be drowning in debt like we are now. The debt that is burdening this nation is a result of our impulse for instant gratification at the expense of the long-term consequences.




Kevin