Imagine a scenario where you achieve your fitness goals without overanalysing, overwhelming schedules and cluttered gym bags. We are talking about the simplicity of a workout routine that focuses on the essentials, leaving you lean and fit. Minimalistic training is a lifestyle where quality trumps quantity, efficiency wins over excess and freedom conquers confinement.
Understanding its principles will help you uncover the secrets to a simpler and fitter life, say those who have mastered the fine art of minimalistic training.
Minimalistic training: Intensity and volume
The prevalent notion, or rather a myth in the fitness world is that the more you do, the better your results will be. But what if muscle growth and fitness is achievable with minimum workout volume and intensity?
“Any kind of movement or exercise you do, which is more than the previous day, is good enough,” says Sunil Kumar, a Bengaluru-based ACE certified fitness trainer. “Both [volume and intensity] are equally important, depending upon what kind of sport or fitness goals you have. If it is for a sport, then workout volume is important. If it’s for general fitness, then workout intensity is vital.”
A review article published in the journal Sports Medicine has shed light on the concept of minimum effective dose (MED), defining it as the threshold to the exercise required to elicit positive adaptations in the body. You don’t need to exhaust yourself with a marathon session of exercises or push your muscles to the brink of failure every single time.
“You’re going to the gym; all you need to do is two sets in every machine, and you’re done,” elaborates Kumar, giving practical situations where MED is applied. “Or you just do a bodyweight routine, say doing three or four sets of incline push-ups, lifting and holding some weights and finishing off with a walk on the treadmill, and you’re already better than the previous day.”
Minimalistic training and muscle growth
When it comes to muscle growth, stimulating the muscles through resistance training is crucial.
A study by Gentil P, Soares S and Bottaro M shows that as little as two to three weekly sessions of compound lifts, each lasting just 20-30 minutes, can be sufficient for significant gains.
Similarly, when it comes to cardiovascular fitness, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has emerged as a time-efficient approach. Short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief periods of rest can elevate your heart rate, improve endurance and burn calories effectively. A HIIT session can provide a comprehensive cardiovascular workout in as little as 15-20 minutes.
Quality over quantity
The key lies in the quality of your training.
“Being minimalistic is the most important approach which people need to adopt if they want to remain fit,” says Kumar. “I try to recommend this to my clients, and I think it’s time people stop paying by the hour and focus on the quality of the training.”
While the volume and intensity may be minimal, it is vital to ensure proper form and technique to maximise the benefits and minimise the risk of injury.
Trying to meet the industry standard and quantify a workout by measuring every little rep is not the way to get fit.
“This is where most people misunderstand the concept behind exercises, muscle building and fitness. They have this pre-set notion which they see in the magazines and journals,” says Kumar. “That is all based on ideal conditions for a select number of people under a set of well-defined restrictions. It doesn’t apply for everyone,”
So, how would you incorporate minimalistic training into your routine?
“You need to know what works for you, and this will take time. That is where a trainer comes into the picture who’s able to understand your body,” says Kumar. “When you’re looking at a minimalistic approach for someone who’s never worked out, anything works. Set a goal of going to the gym for a month. Once you do that, you go to the next step. That’s how you proceed.”
Takeaways
- Both exercise volume and intensity are important for muscle growth and fitness.
- You don’t need to exhaust yourself and push yourself to failure in each session.
- Studies have shown that as little as two to three weekly sessions of compound lifts for just 20-30 minutes can be sufficient for significant gains.
- Focus on quality over quantity and stay consistent, remember to be slightly better than the previous day.