This is another in a series of articles intended to expose our readers to pertinent information regarding their fitness efforts. It is produced mainly on the basis of research done by Rodriguez “Rodja” Constantine, owner of REPTS (Registered Exercise Professionals & Therapists). Rodja has over 20 years experience in the field.
How Long Should My Workout Be?
IN my many years as a fitness professional I have often witnessed people spend hours in the gym working out. I have heard many proud gym-goers, bodybuilders and treadmill junkies alike, brag about how they spent two, three, four or more hours in the gym that day. There seems to be a misconception about how long you need to spend working out to get results, what is the optimal workout time and how long is too long.
There is a lot of research that shows working out for more than 45-60 minutes may actually be detrimental and counterproductive. There are a few of different factors that may contribute to this.
Cortisol: When exercising, you release both anabolic and catabolic hormones. The anabolic hormones, testosterone, human growth hormone and insulin are basically responsible for building new tissue and repairing damaged tissue. The catabolic hormone, cortisol, is mainly responsible for increasing blood glucose levels, immune function and aiding in metabolism. But excessive or prolonged cortisol release can have significant adverse effects.
Cortisol is released in response to stress, whether physical or psychological. Working out is stressful, therefore the longer you work out, the more cortisol you release. Too much cortisol can result in blood glucose spikes, increases in blood pressure, inflammatory responses and lowering of the immune system. It can also lead to disruption of muscle tissue repair, creation process and the increase of fat storage. In other words, cortisol (because of its catabolic nature) can cause you to lose muscle, get fat, losing weight, and ultimately lose the good state of health and level of fitness aimed for the longer workouts.
Many studies have shown that cortisol increases dramatically after approximately 60 minutes of vigorous exercise. There are also a number of studies that show the optimal time for weight training to be around the 45-60 minute mark, and for cardiovascular training to be around the 30-minute mark.
Neuromuscular Burnout: Long duration workouts, particularly prolonged strength training workouts, can be very stressful to a number of the body’s systems, not just the endocrine system. Both the nervous and muscular systems are heavily taxed during a typical workout. The extent of this stress and strain depends on a few factors including the type of activity, the intensity and the duration. Both systems need adequate time to recover in order for progress to be made and lengthy workouts can prolong what’s known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS, which will be thoroughly discussed in a future article.
Exhaustive, long drawn-out workouts are okay now and then, but not every time. Piling on the stress to the nervous and muscular systems very quickly leads to burnout. If you take a look at professional athletes; they walk a very fine line between peak condition and injury as they are frequently asking their bodies to perform at a very high and intense level. That is why they all need an off-season to allow for full recovery.
Time Wasting: Another good reason to keep your workout duration under the hour mark is it gives you little time to waste. The longer you spend at the gym, the more time you have to hangout instead of workout. We see it all the time, and I won’t mention any names, but I’m talking about that member who does a little of this, a little of that and in between, are talking to everyone from the front desk person to the maintenance staff – distracting other member from what may have been intended to be a short duration workout not only prolongs their workouts but is poor gym etiquette by the way. The gym can be a very social place, but remember you are there first and foremost to workout. This also goes for working out at home. Your workout time is for exercising, not for doing some chores or your taxes, or sending BBMs in between sets. Lol.
A full body workout containing 8-10 exercises, each performed for 3 sets of 10 reps with 45-60 seconds rest between sets, if performed correctly following the intensity instructions, should take approximately 45-60 minutes. This leaves very little time to waste.
When it comes to working out, the old saying of “quality over quantity” definitely holds true. It is okay to intersperse longer duration workouts into your programme over time, just not every time. It is also perfectly okay to perform more than one short workout in one day. You can do a 20-minute workout in the morning and another in the evening.
The take home message is; workout smarter, not longer.
In the mean time, here is another Fit4Life routine to perform at home or at your current gym. This is a 12 week plan to help you shed unwanted pounds, trim excess body fat, and sculpt a lean body. Each week, the workouts will become progressively challenging to keep you motivated toward your fitness and weight loss goals. Each exercise should be performed in sequence with one day of rest in between and each should eventually be completed within 30 to 45 minutes. This programme is FREE and available by email to all readers. Personalized programmes are also available for a nominal fee. Please email your request (FREE Weight Loss Program or personalized programme) to [email protected]. You may also contact Rodja via BBM (22BE6214) or visit our facebook page at Repts for more information.
Rodriguez”Rodja” Constantine is a Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Consultant and owner of REPTS ( Registered Exercise Professionals & Therapists), a Personal Wellness studio located in Rodney Bay opposite to the north bound Rodney Bay bus stop by RJ Clarke. Rodja has over 20 years fitness experience and through REPTS offers all inclusive upgradeable wellness packages (Personal and small Group Training, Body Analysis, Nutrition Counselling and Planning, NutriCare, Massage Therapy and Spa Services, etc.) for one affordable monthly fee. Rodja also designs long term fitness plans and short term workout routines for use at home, your current gym, or when traveling. We invite you to visit REPTS for a free consultation and a tailored programme that will best help you achieve your fitness goal. You may call at any time at 758-722-3763 during business hours (4:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.) to schedule an appointment.