Strength Challenge Update....Plus Friday fit tip

This is workout Number 4 of the strength challenge  I've reached the halfway point on this journey and have made some big gains. Take a look at the numbers

Deadlift: 5 sets of 8 275,285x3 275   INCREASED 10lbs 
DB One arm press: 5x8 65lbs
DB Pullover 5x10 65lbs
DB one arm row 5x8 65lbs
DB swing (same as kettlebell swing) 5x12 65lbs

Total workout time 26:44

As you can see I am increasing weights, actually decreasing my workout time a little, and I added 5 lifts after week one where I was doing 4. Efficiency, and strength not a bad combo. Needless to say, lifting only twice a week, as long as you are following the proper protocol, can be very effective.

And now, it's time for the Friday fit tip.....

The law of diminishing returns is a simple concept we often misinterpret, or completely ignore.

If some is good, more must be better right?

Not so, the law of diminishing returns states that we start to see less results with the more we work. Imagine running for 30 minutes, you will get a great deal of health benefits, add another 30 minutes and you would expect to see twice the benefit according to simple logic? Unfortunately  it's not so simple, you probably get 85% benefit at 30 minutes then the next 30 would yield the next 15%. This is a very simplified example, but we can apply it to all aspects of fitness.

I see this all the time in health and fitness and people don't quite understand the basic idea. They slave over the treadmill, they lift set after set, they don't see improvement, they get discouraged, they assume they aren't working hard enough and make the excuse that being fit takes too much time.

Part of my experiment here with strength is that it is simple to get fit, in a 30min gym session you can see great results. I am all about efficiency, if I can get 80-90% results in half the time you know I am going to choose the more efficient option. 10% at twice the cost doesn't appeal to me.

Seeing as time is the number one excuse why people don't work out, I believe people need to take this into consideration. Apply the law of diminishing returns, evaluate how much that extra 10-20% is at twice the cost of time. If it is important to you, then go ahead, but if you just want to be fit, I would err on the side of getting in, getting out, and not having the time excuse ever deter you.

What do you think? Could your gym routine be cut shorter and still yield the same results? Need some help finding out how much to do, practical ideas, or advice, email me and I will help you out!

Andrew