I am normally not super interested in what works for the average person. My career started with a succession of failures trying to apply the science of averages to individuals. If there is one thing you learn (hopefully early) as a health coach is that the most important research is the N of 1 kind. In other words, what works for the person in front of you. This still involves looking at all the prevailing research, it’s not just throwing ideas out all willy nilly but it inevitably requires trial and error. So you have to be humble in the process and clear in setting reasonable expectations.
t is very possible to force outcomes using extreme versions of the science of averages. The Ketogenic diet is a prefect example. Does it work as a tool for weight loss? It does but not always. Is it sustainable? It can be but rarely. What happens most often is that people do a proper keto diet for 8-12 weeks, they see results (and talk about keto everywhere they go). But inevitably, it gets harder and harder to keep up the strict measures of maintaining fat adaptation and so the carbs begin to creep in. You are now fuelling your body with sugars again, but not nearly enough to keep up any kind of exercises routine or deep cognitive processing and so the breakdown begins. I’ve seen this play out hundreds of times. I ain’t pooping on keto, it has some very impressive results for things like insulin resistance, diabetes, epilepsy and other purposes (including weight loss). What I AM poo-pooing is taking ideas that require 90-100% of your focus and effort when its not necessary, you are not prepared for it yet or do not have time to do it well. Why sprint towards failure when you can saunter towards success.
This is where cumulative training comes in. You do not have to workout for 1 hour in a row. Nor does it have to be daily. This is especially true if you are just starting out or if you are already incredibly busy and stressed. Exercises is a good stressor but a stressor none the less. If you compound stress from all angles then you get collapse. So for now, less is better. In every case it is imperative to figure out what the minimum effective dose is not just the most effective dose.
Small workouts throughout the day is often times more approachable for exercise resistant folks and those who have a busy schedule. I had a neuro-surgeon client who worked very long shifts as well as on-call hours. Training regularly in person was impossible so we did what we called sporadic sets. We split the weeks of the month into focus areas, he kept a kettlebell in his office and did 3-5 sets of a few exercises throughout the day. The idea was to reach a certain number of sets of a number of different exercises during the work week. All of which require only the kettlebell and some floor space. When we met in person we would focus on stability work or whatever we had left out of the plan for his week or month. We worked it out that he averaged about 20 minutes per day on workouts, usually in bouts of 4-5 minutes. This is what worked for him and over the course of a year he gained in strength and stability and managed to lower his overall stress rate.
For some clients that had exercise related anxiety I have tried starting them off with 3 minute intervals 3 times per day and 3 to 5 times per week. I have found it important to ask clients what they think they are 90% sure they are willing and able to do in a day. Whatever that ends up being Is the minimum effective dose because it builds consistency. No goal is reached without consistency. As a trainer you may think they could achieve it very quickly and be so happy with you and your big sexy brain. It can be tough but we always need to defer to what the client is capable and willing ti do. The minimum effective dose is inextricably tied to that. If the above protocol is too much; down shift. If it is too little, then alright, let’s role!
If you have a client who has lofty goals and may have a life time of training under her belt then you will once again need to adapt. This may mean more effort during exercise periods or a little more time over all but unless they are an elite athlete under a time crunch for an upcoming season or weigh-in, you can still work cumulatively over longer time periods.
Some research suggests that HIIT works just as well in small bursts rather than just successively (1). This study is specific to a Tabata protocol and so you could do a 4minute Tabata exercise, say on a rowing machine, then walk away and repeat this throughout your day. It may mean getting very sweaty a bunch of times per day but if that works for you, then do it.
You can elicit a training effect by increasing a few variables, including; intensity of speed (HIIT), increased weight, number of repetitions (or sets) or increased time under tension. You can also vary exercises to some degree. So be it, endurance training, cardio or resistance training you just need to figure out the threshold of effort you want and the time frame you have. These principles of effect can be manipulated over much longer time lines using small doses, as long as you can keep the consistency and adapt when need be.
It is uncanny how much the 80/20 principle applies to most aspects of life; exercise included. The majority of the benefits of a workout seem come from a relatively small amount of the actual work. Some research suggests that 80% of your gains from strength training come from the first 3-4 sets (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28755103/). So doing 5-6 sets, while still beneficial is by no means necessary to see progress. This has long been known in the body building community – as long as you maintain some consistency within the week/month and eat sufficient protein the muscle will build. As an example If you have enough weight at home, and you want to build leg size, this could look like 3 sets of a squat 3 times per week. Pick 3 to 4 exercises and do that each month, doesn’t seem like much does it.
I for one much prefer getting my workouts in all at once. I like the challenge of sustained effort, it gives me a sense of mental fortitude. But I also have a whacky schedule that doesn’t always allow for it. So sometimes I pick a couple exercises that day and just do sets throughout the day. Sometimes it adds up to 6 sets, sometimes its 16. If I have a chance i’ll add a 4 minute interval with a skip rope or on my rower. It does the job.
As implied earlier I am not super interested in averages but I do believe that more activity is mostly better than less. It does depend on an infinite number of variables but I am confident in suggesting to most people that you should work your way up to exercising or being active several hours per week. Ideally it is a mix bag of things, all of which you enjoy. I will continue to write articles that outline what this may look like for all sorts of situations. We are all very different in what are lives look like and where we are at mentally and physically at any one time but what allows us to thrive is somewhat similar. I hope to outline some of those things here.