Time is, perhaps, the most frequently cited obstacle to exercise. It is also the worst excuse. Something is always better than nothing, but how little is “something”?
I saw an article that suggested the minimum three lifts in training for muscle strength are the squat, bent-over row, and the bench press. (I note that these are the minimum for muscle strength. Muscle endurance requires a far greater variation of movement patterns to prevent overuse injury.) Personally, I prefer to limit the “minimum” to variations of the squat, deadlift, bench, row, and overhead press. I refer to these as the “basic five.” Arguably, the deadlift works muscles similarly to the squat and may be excused, but that may be short sighted. The overhead press is also a rather essential movement pattern. Minimally, it should be argued that strength training should include the squat, the hip hinge (e.g., deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, or other posterior chain movements), horizontal push/pull, and vertical push/pull movements. Additionally, exercises should be included to stress the muscles of the core. As such, many will include carries (e.g., suitcase, farmer, etc.) in the “essentials” list. The minimum three list is accurate for a “bare minimum”, but time dedicated to exercise should not be so limited that one cannot include the deadlift, overhead press, and some core work. Indeed, the core is minimally involved in the execution of the barbell squat, deadlift, bent-over row, and overhead press. (I deemphasize the bench here, because core activation involved but is largely dependent on the variation and the technique. Better for overall core activation would be a strict and properly executed pushup.)
So, “how often?” now becomes the question. The best answer is: as often as will produce a minimal adaptive response or more. This is largely individualized, but experience tells me that three training sessions per week is minimal to see any appreciable results. This can be whole-body (and probably should be if you want to see better results) or it can be a partial split. By partial split, I would not suggest a split that removes a major muscle group. Many beginner programs that are three-days-a-week will include squats in ever workout and another priority movement. As such, one might have an A/B split that includes a squat variation in every workout and alternating bench + row and deadlift + overhead press variations. A minimum of 3 sets of each exercise can easily be accomplished in as little as 30 minutes (depending on rest periods and the degree to which one “supersets” the exercises). Remember, eliminating wasted time in the gym allows the opportunity to accomplish more.
So, three is the minimum sessions per week for strength training, but what about cardiorespiratory endurance (and muscle endurance). I would suggest an additional three sessions per week. I think it less than ideal to combine strength and endurance in a single workout, though it is possible. (If concurrent training is unavoidable, emphasize the priority adaptation, e.g., strength or endurance, first.) If one is unavoidably short on time, keep in mind that to be most effective the exercise is going to have to be on the vigorous side. For example, if you can keep up, the Tabata et al.1 IE1 protocol can be executed in 4 minutes of very intensive (~170% of VO2max) intervals—eight 20:10 second repeats. Unfortunately, few can keep up with the actual IE1 intensities, but pushing “all-out” for such intervals can still be effective and time-effective. With an appropriate warmup and cooldown, a “Tabata” workout can be as little as 12-15 minutes. The key is to establish a regular schedule of cardiorespiratory exercise and get as much out of the time as is safely possible. Cardiorespiratory benefits are cumulative, so more frequent short (e.g., 10-minute) sessions can be effective.
I prefer to include additional high-intensity interval resistance training (HIIRT) workouts a minimum of three days a week, as well. These are for muscle endurance and body composition (i.e., fat-burning and volume or “sarcoplasmic” muscle hypertrophy). These will have minimal effect on strength and cardiorespiratory endurance, so I consider these stand-alone sessions. These, too, and be as short as 15-minutes or longer (preferably 30-45 minutes).
If you are considering the minimal amount of exercise you can do in a week, I will be frank, you are probably lacking dedication to your goals (commitment + consistency). You may also not have well-defined goals or goals that are sufficiently ambitious. If you have goals and are sufficiently dedicated but are truly limited for time, then you have to find your time and use it wisely and effectively. Three days a week is probably not going to cut it (especially if the sessions are less than an hour. Better to carve out shorter, more frequent, sessions and have a plan. The beauty of more frequent sessions is that it allows for more flexibility. You can miss an occasional session and not adversely effect your results. You can manage your time on a smaller scale. Minimally, shoot for three strength sessions and three cardio sessions per week and go from there—possibly striving for 3-6 strength sessions, 3-6 cardio sessions, and 3 HIIRT sessions per week (6-12 “short” sessions per week). The results are directly proportional to the time commitment (and the overall effectiveness of the training session). Notice, I did not include a lot of extraneous exercises in the workouts. Hit the priority movements first and, if there is time, add the isolated exercise (e.g., arm curls) at the end of a workout (as “finishers”) or include these in the HIIRT workout. You will be amazed at the results you can get when you consider “minimal time” and “effectiveness.”
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!!