If you’re spending every night in the gym trying to get bigger and stronger, research suggests you might be playing a stupid game.
In fact, if you’re between the ages of 20 and 35, one strength training session each week is all you need to maintain strength and muscle size.
Experts say it’s enough to do one set of each weightlifting exercise in each session. Research shows this involves a combination of deadlifts, pull-ups, and shoulder presses, and is most effective when done for about an hour total.
Fitness experts have now defined what they call the “minimum effective dose,” the minimum amount of exercise required for muscles to shrink or become weak.
Research shows that just working out for about an hour once a week can keep you fit for at least seven months.
This particular indicator was first identified by doctors. 2021 survey Published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Fitness experts are now pointing out the importance of this equation for encouraging people to exercise and not being intimidated by unattainable goals.
Fitness expert and powerlifter Greg Nuckols says, “Many people find that even though they had to put in a lot of effort to gain strength, it takes the same amount of effort to maintain it. I think that will happen,” he said. stylist.
“Knowing that you can maintain almost all of the strength you’ve built with a small investment of time can be helpful if you don’t have the time or motivation to train for long hours at the gym.”
Research has revealed the exact exercises you should do to build muscle and keep your heart healthy.
The original study by researchers at the U.S. Army Institute of Environmental Medicine found that minimum motor thresholds vary based on a number of factors, including age. If you’re over 35, you’ll probably need two sessions a week, 2-3 sets per exercise.
Also, they primarily focused on weightlifters for their study, and not other forms of training, and muscle strength was only maintained for a total of seven months.
According to the authors, the key lies in intensity, not frequency, of training.
As long as you maintain the intensity of your workouts, meaning you lift the same weight, you should be able to maintain your strength with just one session per week, the authors found.
another study A paper published in the Journal Frontiers in 2021 found that you can actually get stronger than using the “minimum effective amount” training volume for 6 to 12 weeks.
Despite the old adage “if you don’t use it, you lose it,” it actually takes relatively little effort for your body to maintain the muscle mass it builds, says Bryant Stanford. Professor of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology at the University of Hannover.
He wrote in the Courier-Journal: “You just need to put moderate stress on your muscles on a regular basis.”
He explained that even everyday activities like climbing stairs or carrying things often remind the body to maintain muscle mass.
Nuckolls said the main drawback of this strategy is that it may not have the same cardiovascular and metabolic benefits.
Experts agree that maintaining personal fitness benefits lifelong health.
According to research Strength training is a great way to support bone strength, improve mobility, and prevent chronic diseases associated with aging.
“Everyone needs to think about how to build a strong muscle foundation to prepare for the loss of muscle and strength that we experience as we age,” said Barb Nicklaus, a gerontologist at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. National Institute on Aging.
So if you have time to train hard every day, that’s great. But the key, says Nuckols, is to stick to what you can control.
