Recent research arrived at the conclusion that 30 minute workouts produced the same amount of weight and fat loss as 60 minutes workouts. Is there merit to this study? Is this really the best approach for you? Let’s explore these questions in detail and with your best interests at heart…
First of all, you can download the full 33 page research paper in pdf format here, from the American Physiological Society.
In this study, the group that performed 30 minute workouts (burning 300 calories) lost 4.0kg’s of fat during a 13 week period compared to the 60 minute workout group (burning 600 calories) who burned 3.8kg’s.
The release of this study opened the floodgates for “fitness experts” who take a narrow minded approach toward shorter workouts. Headlines such as, “60 Minute Workouts Worse Than 30 minutes” popped up all over the blogoshpere and in email inbox’s.
I found this both comical and disgusting.
…comical because the “fitness experts” writing these posts come from the anti-cardio crowd, yet the research they are referring to was comparing 30 minutes of aerobic activity (jogging, biking, etc) vs 60 minutes of aerobic activity. hmmm… for some reason these “fitness experts” failed to mention that in their articles.
What disgusts me is that they attempt to trick their audience into believing that 30 minute workouts (weight training) are better than 60 minute workouts. How could they possibly arrive at that conclusion when this research didn’t involve weight training at all? And wouldn’t you know that they have a 30 minute workout to sell you at the end of the article too. And of course they attack the longer bodybuilding style of training in the process 😉
The ironic thing is that I could easily take this same research and prove that 60 minutes of aerobic activity is better than 30 minutes.
Yes, the 30 minute group burned 0.2kg’s more fat during the 13 week experiment, but the 60 minute group gained twice the amount of muscle… and we all know that adding sexy lean muscle improves your overall appearance.
— End of rant against unethical “fitness experts” —
What’s The BEST Approach For You?
There are two very important factors that come into play when considering this question.
1) Your goals
2) Your lifestyle
If your goal is to simply burn some fat and look good, then the shorter workouts are fantastic. If you live a hectic lifestyle with room for just 30 minutes of training a few days per week, then it makes total sense to perform shorter workouts.
If your goal is to look smoke’n HOT, with sexy lean muscle, spectacular symmetry, perfect proportions, and magnificent detail (think fitness model, physique athlete, or bodybuilder), then you need to spend more time and focus on weight training.
My personal transformation journey illustrates this point and may help you arrive at your own conclusion of what is BEST FOR YOU.
In my late teens and early 20’s I focused on the old school bodybuilding style of training, which resonated with me. This built a solid foundation for my physique. I had the time to spend 90 minutes in the gym most days of the week.
Looks were important to me as I was in “The game” of attracting a potential spouse. Plus I was fascinated with the on-screen action heroes, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Their physiques impressed the heck out of me.
Then life happened. I got married to my beautiful wife Angie who gave birth to our two amazing children Shayne and Noelle, all while opening and running a health club, which demanded 16 hour workdays. I gained 45 pounds of fat during this time of my life.
When I decided to reclaim my health and release the excess fat I needed a plan that suited my current hectic lifestyle. That’s when I turned to Jon Benson’s 7 Minute Muscle program. It worked very well for me. It was easy to comply with and I enjoyed it. It was BEST for me at that time in my life. There was no way that I could have completed 60 minutes of weight training several days per week. I would have fallen off the wagon and given up for sure.
After closing my health club there was more time in my day, which allowed me to train for 20 minutes 4-5 days per week. These workouts were BEST for me at this stage in my life with the goals that I had set for myself.
This shorter and intense style of training combined with body sculpting nutrition, helped me carve out a good looking physique.
But 18 months ago, something happened. As I looked in the mirror what I saw staring back at me was an “average” body. I looked good, but I wanted better. I have higher standards for myself and realized that I was not living anywhere near my potential.
I have always been fascinated with and admired the male physiques that I’ve seen on the cover of fitness magazines. I dreamed of having a body like theirs and how it would feel to achieve it.
It was time for me to do whatever it took to reach that goal. It’s amazing the time that you can find in your day when you have your heart set on vision.
I began by following Tom Venuto’s Holy Grail Body Transformation Program. The workouts lasted approximately 30-45 minutes and reinvigorated my enthusiasm for old school body sculpting. I felt stronger and more confident.
This is when I took that enthusiasm and put it toward creating the Metabolic Masterpiece Body Sculpting Program.
This collection of 16 unique body sculpting workouts began with 30 minute training sessions. Both my wife Angie and I experienced fantastic results during these early stages… but we still wanted better.
…so our workout duration increased to 45-60 minutes per session.
…now, some of my training sessions last 60-75 minutes.
I adjusted my daily schedule to fit my training… which matched my goals.
If you have been following Angie and I over the years, you have witnessed first hand how our physiques dramatically improved as we increased the duration of the training.
But why?
It had very little to do with burning extra calories and much more to do with the greater attention to detail with our physiques.
The extra time weight training allowed us to perform a variety of exercises that shape and sculpt the muscles in a way that can’t be done with shorter workouts.
It’s important to note that no matter how long our workouts lasted, Angie and I dedicated 100% effort and focus to every training session. It doesn’t matter if your workout is 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or 60 minutes… if you are just going through the motions your results will suffer.
Take Home Message
As you can see, certain durations were BEST for Angie and I at certain times in our life. It was dependent on our goals and our lifestyle at the moment.
Yes, I linked to our body sculpting program, which includes a variety of workout durations and workout designs based on where you are at in this point of your journey. But, you don’t need to focus on our programs…
…what’s important is that the workout you select are in alignment with your goals and your lifestyle. It doesn’t matter what a “fitness expert” says is the BEST workout. What matters is that the program resonates with you personally.
The Most Important Point
For the LOVE and ART of training.
What these “short workout evangelists” fail to realize is that to many of us, our time weight training is our serenity. It’s our form of meditation. It’s when we are most in-tune with our body. Although we are busting our butt, it’s a time of joy and happiness. We sincerely enjoy the process. To me… that’s what creates long term permanent and ever improving results.
Positive Take Away
The one important point that the research study concluded is the adaptation response to exercise. Performing the same workout for months on end will lose it’s effectiveness. That’s why Angie and I recommend changing your workout every 4 weeks. Not only does it prevent the adaptation response, but it keeps your workouts interesting and exciting.
So there you have it. The truth about workout duration and what’s BEST for YOU. I hope that this blog post has added some clarity any confusion.
I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on the topic. I would appreciate you sharing your opinions in the comment box below.
Sculpt a Masterpiece,
Scott Tousignant
About The Author
Scott Tousignant, BHK, is a Certified Fitness Consultant with a passion for transforming fitness enthusiasts goal driven, dedicated, and voracious physique artists who take pride in their body, fitness, health, and lifestyle. Embraced by physique artists around the world, his Metabolic Masterpiece Body Sculpting Programs will guide you through the process of sculpting your body into a work of art, by applying what Scott has coined, The A.T.T.R.A.C.T. Formula.
With his synergistic, boredom busting body sculpting workouts you will melt stubborn fat and gain muscle while skyrocketing your metabolism!
The art of molding and chiseling an aesthetically pleasing physique with ideal proportions and spectacular symmetry is one of life’s most rewarding and fulfilling experiences. It’s an opportunity for self growth and self discovery that will impact every area of your life.