What’s the least amount I can exercise to lose weight?

October 20, 2016 Ashley 0 Comments

I get it. You’re too busy to worry about cardio or gains.

But you still don’t want to gain weight.

Is it possible to have both’ve those things?

According to people like Tim Ferris (entrepreneur and innovator of “The Four Hour Workweek” and “The Four Hour Body”), yeah. It’s totally possible. And it all boils down to something called Minimum Effective Dose Exercise. According to this theory, you can get the desired results of doing a longer, more time consuming, cardio workout – if you simply go HAM for a brief, Tabata style, high intensity routine. And how long’s it take you? Five to ten minutes. After that quick bit of HIIT, they say you’ll get the same weight loss benefits as a 45 minute routine. Granted, you’re going all out for 20 second intervals with only 10 second breaks in between for that straight five to ten minutes. And, granted, you’re doing it every day, sans a rest day. And, granted, you’ve gotta mix it up and do some unlovable workouts. (Anyone else have nada but hate to the hateth power for burpees and Hindu pushups?)

That said, if it’s gonna get you the weight loss results you want, isn’t that a better investment?

Especially if you can’t break away to make Orange Theory or even hit the treadmill?

Not so, say some.

But the argument I keep seeing is that those who’ve trained with the likes of Tim Ferris tend to see him tucker out quickly. Endurance is lacking. Muscle mass is lacking. Sure, he’s lean. But in the long run, he can’t run for long. Nor can anyone who only invests less than ten minutes a day on their bodies’ well being. And, while I suppose I can see how that’s true, the question is – is that what we’re talking about here?

I mean, sure, if you’re me – a non-entrepreneur who’s not worried about my next novel coming out and more worried about finishing this article in time for Muay Thai, then, yeah. That stuff matters. Endurance matters to me. Strength matters to me. That zen I get when I run for half an hour on a woodsy trail in the middle of “Deliverance” country matters to me. That’s what I enjoy doing when I’m not running around at the clinic or writing for you schmexy people. I like to stay moving as much as I can. So advice like Tim’s isn’t for me.

Minimum Effective Dose isn’t directed toward me.

Or you, if you’re like me.

It’s not for people worried about endurance or turning into Chuck Norris in a month. No. It’s directed toward those’ve you who are also busy, but either don’t get that same joy I do from leaving MMA swathed in sweat or who just can’t make the time for it between having a family or demanding hours at your job (like the likes of Tim). It’s for those’ve you who hafta perspire over deadlines instead’ve a treadmill – but don’t wanna transmogrify into an amorphous blob because of it.

So, in sum, it’s not fair to say MED is a fail. Can dudes like Tim beat me if we’re sprinting or sparring? Probably not. But that’s not the aim of MED at all. It does exactly what it claims to do: keep you in shape for the low cost of less than ten minutes each day. So, technically, it’s not a lie. Don’t believe me? Commit to it for a just a month. Take photos. Keep notes. And, even if you get nada out of Tabata, the most you’ll have lost is a whopping four hours.

But I bet you ten burpees you’ll lose at least four lb’s in those four hours, too.