
Late last year, I introduced the idea of the minimum effective dose: the lowest dose to produce a desired outcome. Whether it’s calorie intake, exercise, sunlight, carbohydrates, or work habits, we often think we need much more than we actually do to get the results we want. Why crank out those extra reps, put in those extra few hours, choke down another chicken breast if they won’t make you any more prepared to handle what life dishes out? Failing to heed the minimum effective dose costs you money, time, and mental real estate. Figuring out the minimum effective dose for the various inputs shaping our days can make us more efficient and open up the rest of our life to do the things we actually want to do.
What, exactly, are the minimum effective doses for exercise? How little do I have to train to stay and/or get fit? And what kind of effects can we expect to get from said minimal doses?
The answers to those questions will depend on who’s asking, but we have a few specific examples of people maintaining, improving, or radically transforming their fitness levels with minimum effective doses of exercise. Let’s take a look.
Cardiovascular de-conditioning during the off season is a big issue in cardiovascular-intensive sports like soccer. The last thing many athletes want to do after a grueling season is to resume even more-grueling training on a regular basis. Understandable, but then they come back a couple months later and suck wind for a few weeks until they’ve regained their endurance. What if there were a quick and dirty, efficient way to train and maintain your endurance in the off-season — or any season, for the average person who doesn’t want to work out more than he has to work out?
In 2014, semi-pro soccer players were placed on one of two off-season training regimens:
High intensity interval training, once a week.
High intensity interval training, once every two weeks.
Both HIIT regimens used identical training loads, and it was fairly brutal: five 4-minute high intensity rounds at 87-97% of maximum heart rate. No mention of rest intervals, but I’d imagine they were at least several minutes long to allow them to recover sufficiently. Whether they did it every week or every two weeks, the soccer players maintained their VO2max. There was no cardiovascular advantage to doing it every week. Those biweekly sessions would have been miserable, but they were over pretty quickly, leaving the soccer players plenty of time to work on sport-specific skills and other forms of training (or, you know, reading, going out to dinner with friends and family, hiking, watching good movies, etc). In fact, those players running HIIT every other week also trained a couple hours every week, mostly strength training; the every week group trained over five additional hours a week.
We all (think we) know how to improve aerobic fitness: cardio. Whatever that means. But cardio, at least how most people envision it, takes forever and is pretty darn boring. What if you could improve your aerobic fitness while also improving your muscular endurance — the amount of work your muscles can endure, the amount of time you can keep your force output high — in a fraction of the time?
Four times a week for four weeks, adult females performed a single four-minute Tabata protocol with a single exercise. Exercise choices included burpees, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, or squat thrusts. Another group ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes at 85% max heart rate.
After four weeks, their fitness levels were evaluated. While the treadmill group enjoyed a 7% improvement in aerobic capacity, the interval group improved theirs by 8%. And when it came to muscle endurance, the interval group saw massive gains:
Most importantly, the women found the Tabata exercise protocols more enjoyable and sustainable than the aerobic exercise protocol. Their “intention to engage” in exercise was higher than in the aerobic group.
All that in just 16 minutes of work a week.
What does “physical fitness” mean to you? In my book, it’s a combination of strength, strength-endurance, and aerobic capacity. The ability to go hard, go fast, and go long. A pair of researchers came up with a “7 minute workout” designed to improve these physical capacities in as little time as possible. The exercises are basic, but effective (as is always the case, right?). Each one is to be performed for 30 seconds with 10 seconds of rest in between exercises.
Solid list of movements, eh? This year, researchers tested the 7 minute workout. A cohort of men and women were divided into three groups. One group did a 7-minute circuit training workout three times a week, another group did a 14-minute circuit training workout three times a week, and the third group was sedentary. The 14-minute and 7-minute groups performed the same circuit exercises; the 14-minute group just did them twice.
Both exercising groups enjoyed improvements in muscular endurance. The males in both groups also got stronger, while the females improved their aerobic capacity. Training for 14 minutes (which is fairly minimal to begin with) wasn’t necessary to obtain results.
You’ve probably heard me discuss mitochondrial biogenesis: the creation of entirely new mitochondria. This is important because mitochondria are the power plants of the cell and ultimately the body. They metabolize fuel and convert it into useable energy. The more mitochondria you have, and the better they work, the more fat and glucose you’re going to utilize. And since energy overload is toxic to our cells and predictive of many disease states (diabetes, inflammatory conditions, etc) having more mitochondria on hand will keep you healthier for longer. How much exercise do you actually have to do to promote mitochondrial biogenesis?
Not a huge amount, but you will probably have to sprint. In the short term, a workout consisting of four 30-second all-out cycling sprints activated mitochondrial biogenesis in the skeletal muscle of human subjects in one study. Shorter sprints work, too. In fact, a program consisting of three sets of five 4-second (yes, four seconds!) treadmill sprints with 20 seconds of rest in between each sprint, done three times per week for four weeks up-regulated molecular signaling associated with mitochondrial biogenesis. You could do that during a commercial break.
I’ve also talked about the importance of maintaining good insulin sensitivity and how exercise can hep in that regard. Turns out that it doesn’t take much to see a positive effect. Research indicates that four to six 30 second bouts of all-out sprint cycling with four minutes of rest done three times a week improves insulin sensitivity in already-active and sedentary young adults. Measurements were taken 72 hours post training, just to be sure that the improved insulin sensitivity wasn’t a result of acute exercise effects. That’s 6-8 minutes a week of actual work for massive improvements.
Visit most fitness communities online and walking gets short shrift. Walking isn’t exercise, they’ll say. It’s a poor substitute for “real” movement that invariably involves grunting, heavy weights, gallons of milk, and chalk. Not to take away from the heavy lifting, because that stuff is indispensable. But walking isn’t useless; it’s essential. There’s even evidence that a tiny amount of walking at a moderate pace — 15 minutes’ worth, to be exact — is enough to blunt the postprandial spike in glucose that can occur in people and lead to real problems down the line. Make that walking “brisk” and you can cut the necessary volume down to a single 21 minute bout while enjoying beneficial effects on postprandial insulin.
So don’t let anyone tell you those short post-meal strolls aren’t helping. They are. They represent a minimal yet highly effective dose of movement that improves your ability to handle blood sugar spikes after meals and regulate your fasting blood sugar throughout the day. More intense, higher volume training certainly improves blood sugar control, too, but a short walk after meals is the simplest, easiest, and most minimal.
Furthermore, many of these protocols will have crossover effects with each other. You don’t have to — and probably shouldn’t — do all of them, because then you’ve just constructed a high volume training regimen.
Not so daunting, is it?
What are your minimal effective doses for exercise? How little have you gotten away with while enjoying improved health, fitness, and vitality? I’m always looking for ways to cut back on training while retaining the effects, so have at it down below!
Thanks for reading, everyone.
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77 Comments on "5 Ways to Get the Most Bang for Your Workout Buck"
I’m 32 weeks pregnant so exercise is becoming more challenging, but I think I’ll try out the 7 minute workout after my walk today!
Focus on upper body strength right now. Get those arms and shoulders and back ready for carrying the kid and more laundry..
Fantastic article, thanks Mark! Perfectly timed for me! I’m trying to return to regular workouts 7 months after having a baby by c-section so both time and energy are limited! Thank you!
My opinion
Isn’t 2-4 hours of training martial arts enough strenuous without your pre-workout? Adding the pre-workout might be redundant…
Wish you smiling training days,
B
Normally I would agree with you, but the training revolves more around the techniques so typically it is pretty low intensity. I would equate it to a mixture of slow and medium cardio, depending on what we’re doing.
I would do those high intensity exercises on a separate day in full and not as you described. You are targeting a different type of muscle fibres and body processes by high intensity and low intensity martial arts techniques.
Unless you are training martial arts every single day. Then your teacher knows which protocol is best to strengthen your body and how to incorporate this routine into your protocol.
When I was practicing martial arts we had technique’s trainings and strength trainings on separate days.
Hi, Mark,
Thank you. Would you be so kind to say a few words what regime could work as you are stating doing all of them would make the workout protocol too strenous and ineffective.
Is my idea below on the protocol OK?
week 1
MON 5x 4-minutes intervals
TUE 30-sec bike sprints
WED Tabata
THU 4-sec all-out sprints
FRI Tabata
SAT 30-sec bike sprints
SUN rest day
week 2
MON 7-minute workout
TUE 4-sec all-out sprints
WED Tabata
THU 30-sec bike sprints
FRI Tabata
SAT 4-sec all-out sprints
SUN rest day
Walking daily.
Can I add sprint intervals to Tabata day instead of doing them on a separate day?
Wish you all happy workouts, 🙂
Borut
Ok, I’m a little confused. What’s the difference between the Tabatas and the Interval training? It looks about the same, but one is a couple of times a week and the other is once every two weeks?
Interval:
5 times of 4 minutes of high intensity
Tabata:
Only one 4 minutes exercise, Tabata style, 20 seconds max intensity, then 10 seconds rest, you have 8 20 seconds rounds to complete
I don’t much care about my health but I enjoy lifting weights, and I like to look good, so I do as much weight lifting as I can given my age.
I understand that some people do not enjoy exercising but if you’re the kind of person who does enjoy it, it’s hard to wrap your mind around the concept of minimizing time spent exercising. To me it’s like suggesting that I minimize the time I spend having sex.
Amen. I may be a freak, but I actually enjoy exercising, look forward to it, and can’t comprehend those who dread it. I get it if you’re not in shape, but once there, other then real fatique and time issues, what’s to complain about?
is this a maintenance protocol or could someone who still has weight to lose follow these guidelines as well? Thanks
I believe the general consensus around here is that exercise plays a pretty limited role in weight loss. That was certainly my experience. Focusing seriously on nutrition yielded much greater results than the months I spent sweating it out on the elliptical.
Still, if you’re interested in working your way towards a serious calorie deficit, these exercises- being short and focused- don’t sound very effective for achieving that state.
Yep, my experience too. I lost 40 pounds doing nothing more than Paleo while beached with a screwed-up knee. My “exercise” consisted of hobbling to the bathroom a few times a day. In addition to losing weight, I streamlined my body amazingly solely by eliminating grain products. Bottom line: Exercise for muscle tone and fitness but diet for weight loss.
I think Mark’s Primal Blueprint excercises from the book are all we need. It is very effective and minimal.
Pushups
Pullups
Squats
Planks
Sprint once every 7-10 days
20-30 minute workouts twice a week.
It doesn’t get any simpler than that.
For an hour and 15 minutes a week, you will be in fantastic shape.
In my own experience working out didn’t seem to have a gigantic impact on weight loss when I was really overweight (50ish pounds). However, it became essential to deal with the last 15 or so when I plateaued. I actually really upped the carbs at that point too.
This is a perfectly timed newsletter! I really wanted to get back into bodyweight exercise after a few minor lifting injuries but was floundering with what to do until I found the 12 minute athlete app and it’s basically everything mentioned here rolled into one. It really kicks my butt and has me gasping for air! So now I don’t feel like I neglected anything and I can feel great about my choice. I think I’ll throw in some sprints and that should be it. Thanks Mark!
I really need to try tabata. I like intervals. Well, I don’t like them. But you know what I mean.
Great stuff Mark.
It’s stuff most people know; you should sprint, you should take walks, you should do some form of resistance training, etc.
But to see the acute benefits of each is informative.
Am 65, female, both knees replaced in January. Am doing great. Would someone offer advice on training that avoids sprints or any running and any kneeling. Both are not helpful for long life of implants. Am enjoying weight training but love being efficient.
I have knee issues too from years of terrible running form. No replacements but some major restrictions on what I can tolerate. I do “sprint” intervals with kettlebell swings & I believe they are actually helping my knees! Just bend the knees as far as you feel comfortable, start with light weight (you don’t even really need a kettlebell– a dumbbell will do) & listen to your body. I hope that helps!
I generally detest malls, but the one thing they’re good for is walking in inclement weather. My hoop dance group even used to meet in an underused mall in the winter for playtime!
Sprint a little, lift a little, walk a lot. That’s pretty much the conclusion I’ve come to over the past couple years myself.
Wondering how horseback riding stands in for walking? I ride about 45 minutes most days at moderate intensity (jumping and dressage, not noodling down the trail) and hope it’s a good stand-in, because I have trouble finding time for long walks as well.
Walking frequently gets sold short by the gym junkies, but it’s an excellent way to gently work almost every muscle in the body, particularly as one gets older. Done outdoors (versus on a treadmill), it’s never boring. You don’t need any special equipment, and it can be done in all types of weather and in almost any locale.
That said, I think horseback riding is probably a good stand-in for walking since the rider doesn’t just sit there like a lump on a pickle. There is plenty of subtle body motion going on.
AMEN
Lump on a pickle, I love it! Gonna’ use that one.
Sprint a little, walk a lot and just do things around the house that need to be done and make them into an exercise….like when you need to vacuum, muscle all the furniture around, mow and work in the yard, clean stuff up and move it around.
Wake up with a combination of pushups and planks.
…does…not…compute…
What are these strange concepts? Vacuum? Mow?
🙂
A 4 second all-out sprint???? How? I’ve barely taken 4 strides?
Actually 4 seconds is long enough to get at least 10-12 full strides. Your legs go super fast when you are sprinting. I think you’d take more than one stride per second even walking.
Really? Do the legs go super-fast when sprinting?
I’m not doing world class sprints. Im average height, avg stride better than avg shape..super fast legs….lol!
Friend and I are scheduled to test the 4 second “all-out” Sprint tomorrow.
Great article Mark! What would you say is the MED for hypertrophy?
That would be Occam’s Protocol, as laid out by Tim Ferriss. There’s a couple of detailed chapters on it in his book, The Four Hour Body. Plus a short blog post here: http://fourhourworkweek.com/2007/04/29/from-geek-to-freak-how-i-gained-34-lbs-of-muscle-in-4-weeks/
I’m off to the gym to do some bike Tabatas and rower sprints…
If I’m honest, it was what I had planned anyway for tonight, but I shall enjoy it all the more for knowing I can do a short session and then sit in the sauna for longer, and all because I’m doing good for myself!
A good book for those who want to pursue this topic in a little more in-depth is “Body by Science” by John Little and Doug McGuff. It gives you the science behind why less is often more when you are trying to get fit.
I’m puzzled & disappointed that only the men achieved strength gains in number 3. Do you have any idea why women only saw aerobic gains?
Back in the old days of MDA Mark would answer people’s questions here on the comments board. I know you’re busy these days with you’re empire growing as large as it has but maybe you could employ one or two certified primal folks to read all the comments every day and offer responses. It’s frustrating that we have questions to things in your awesome posts and never get answers anymore. Don’t leave us hangin’ Mark!!
This is a great post! So many people fail to start because they hate ‘exercise’ and think it is too time consuming. This will be a great resource to get people moving!
I really like bodyweight training, for the simple fact that it has proved the best way to keep my exercise discipline. I have been applying this ‘minimalist’ routine with great results for quite a while.
I probably don’t invest more than 10 minutes a day, and I look and feel great. It’s all about consistency and small gains adding up, and bodyweight training is conducive to that. There is always floor around.
My routine is:
Push ups
Squats
Handstand pushups (the variation with my legs on a chair, not the full type)
Pull ups
I just finished eating a big ass salad. I think I’ll go for a 15 minute walk.
Anything is better than nothing of course, but I’m surprised to see Mark discussing the idea of minimum effective doses of movement, as opposed to continuing to advocate for lots of movement spread throughout the day, week, month, year, life.
I see a distinction here, pdiddy, between getting the most out of your dedicated workouts (e.g. time at the gym), and daily movement, general activity, play, and so on.
good point. not an either/or situation!
Also it’s more realistic. I’m at my computer for way too long every day. So when I move, I move a lot – intensely. I don’t have the luxury of spreading out moderate movement throughout the day. You tell someone they can improve their health in seven minutes of intense exercise three time per week and they are sold.
for the folks with knee”issues” ( or even with good knees) try the pool!
use a jogging belt to help keep your form,and you can ” sprint” in the water w/out any impact. plus its a great upper body workout as well!
… and to carry on from Dale’s comment above, if you are walking in a pool try using pool gloves (webbed – wet suit material) and it adds some resistance for upper body workout.
The tabata sounds nice. The question i have for this study is ” what was the fitness level of the test subjects at the start of the study?” if they were newbies such results would be wonderful. If they were experienced fit folks the results would be more than awesome! The fitter i get the more “work” it takes to improve. Where a person is on the fitness spectrum makes a difference. Remember folks, question everything!
Warning to others. Never ever, ever start a Sprint from a full stop. Jog into it if you like your knees.
Nice blog post..
I love that you still read all the comments, Mark. That’s certainly a challenge in and of itself and quite commendable. I love this post, as it speaks to what Clay said. So many people work seemingly endless hours at a computer. Tell them that a complete workout intense enough to make real gains can be accomplished in seven minutes, and I think you have a winning idea. Thanks for this post, and really, all of them!
The minimum dose concept is HUGE!
That being said, addressing functional exercises is important. A ‘minimum’ dose type program will be much more beneficial if the exercises themselves are functional patterns. I like to use the 7 Primal Movement Patterns by Paul Check in a lot of my programs.
Love the Primal Blueprint Fitness eBook Mark. Really helps me with my programming and is super easy to follow!
Are these the kind of ideas we should expect in the Primal Endurance book?
Precision Nutrition has a pretty cool minimalist workout laid out there:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/minimal-exercise
When I workout I tend to always have a sweat on, so I move to my sets quickly for me it is effective I don’t know if it will work with others, also I want to keep my heart rate up, my two cents 🙂
Awesome article. I bookmarked it and plan to come back to it in the future.
Great points on creating balanced fitness.
Yes I tried the 7 day workout and it is effective. Thank you for sharing this article. The only thing I would like to add is that I recently got a spin bike and found that to be more effective and better than walking especially since I live in a place where temperatures can soar to 50 degrees in the summers and walking isn’t always an option.
Hi. I am a triathlete and train 20-25 hours a week. My daily calorie needs are between 4000 and 5000 kcal. Which foods do you recommend for me to use to substitute bread? Should it be oats and rice? Is corn (corn galettes/cakes) also good?
Great stuff! it’s really awesome and informative article for workout buck. Many many thanks for sharing with us.
Thanks.