Transform your body in just 7 minutes<\/i>.<\/p>\n
The idea seems like something you\u2019d see on TV at 3 am, with some cheesy, fit pitchman making too-good-to-be-true claims. As you process the reported benefits\u2014more muscle, less fat\u2014everything in your body screams \u201cscam,\u201d but the source isn\u2019t QVC\u2014it is The<\/i> New York Times <\/i>and the rage that is the 7-minute workout.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re not talking about a piece of equipment that looks like it was dreamt up by 13-year-old boys, it\u2019s research published in the American College of Sports Medicine Health and Fitness Journal.<\/p>\n
Next thing you know, Forbes is writing about the workout and the buzz has spread to Good Morning America. <\/i>The 7-minute workout is real and it works\u2026at least, that’s what the mainstream media would have you believe. And yet, doesn\u2019t this feel a little played out? I mean, have we already forgotten about \u201c8-Minute Abs?\u201d It\u2019s been nearly 20 years since it was released, and during that time obesity rates have nearly doubled.<\/p>\n
Here’s a disclaimer: I don’t have a problem with the 7-minute workout. I take issue with setting unrealistic expectations that trick people into believing a “minimum effective dose” can lead to maximum results. This is the foundation of frustration.<\/p>\n
New scientific discoveries are<\/em>\u00a0capable of uncovering new information that alters what we believe and thought was true; in fact, it happens all the time. The problem is we oftentimes trust what we want to believe rather than seek to prove if it\u2019s true. That\u2019s the issue with the recent release of the 7-minute workout. We’ve been misled by a catchy title that has some benefits but falls short on long-term promises.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no denying that exercise\u2014in any dose\u2014is good for your body. In fact, when I travel, I\u2019m constantly settling for 10-15 minute workouts instead of my normal 30- to 60-minute session. And you can have a great workout in less than 10 minutes.<\/p>\n But don’t confuse the part from the whole: it is very difficult (and unlikely) to build a healthy body by working out 7 minutes per day and only performing bodyweight exercises, which is the foundation of the 7-minute workout. And I\u2019ll go on record that you\u2019d be hard pressed to find anyone that has. After all, if it only took 7 minutes to get into great shape, the struggle to lose fat would be less of an issue.<\/p>\n Before you start cranking out the \u201cperfect workout\u201d at home and expecting dramatic results\u00a0or buy into the inevitable 7-minute session coming soon to a gym near you, here\u2019s what you can really take away from the research, and what you can realistically expect to achieve if you follow this routine.<\/p>\n Understand that research in the exercise field oftentimes falls within two categories: Studies that use prior research to validate prior concepts\u00a0or designs that test something new while building on previous research. The 7-minute workout is more of the former; it looked at the perceived benefits of a 7-minute workout\u00a0and deduced many benefits based on research that was already completed.<\/p>\n That doesn\u2019t make the research bad or inaccurate, if not for one small problem: The studies used to \u201cprove\u201d the concepts don\u2019t mirror the workout that is being lauded as the 7-minute fix for your body. That\u2019s like saying that because there\u2019s research showing low carb diets help with weight loss that a diet with no carbs will guarantee that you will drop fat. It doesn\u2019t work like that. As always, the devil is in the details.<\/p>\n In the case of this circuit-training program, the claims outpace reality. That\u2019s why I reached out to Brad Schoenfeld, author of The Max Muscle Plan. Schoenfeld is one of the leaders in muscle-building research, and a guy who literally wrote the book on packing on muscle. Here are some of his takeaways:<\/p>\n The general idea of the 7-minute workout is that you perform 12 bodyweight exercises as a circuit. This type of exercise is categorized as \u201chigh intensity circuit training.\u201d No problem there, but once we moved beyond how to label the type of exercise that\u2019s where the problems begin. \u201cThe authors make big leaps that are not substantiated,\u201d says Schoenfeld.<\/p>\n Remember, the justification of this program is validated by prior research explaining why this type of workout will build muscle and burn fat. And yet, three of the four references cited are based on types of high intensity training\u2014not <\/i>interval training. \u201cAnd the one circuit training study they do cite by Murphy et al. 1992 used a protocol that was nearly 3 times as long as the one proposed by the authors,\u201d says Schoenfeld.<\/p>\n Even then, that study found a boost in EPOC (consider this your metabolism) that resulted in a whopping 25 additional calories burned. I don\u2019t know about you, but I don\u2019t consider 25 extra calories a fat-shredding workout.<\/p>\n Mistake #1:<\/strong> The type of training in the 7-minute workout is not as good for fat loss as claimed.<\/p>\n [prompted-search initial-state=”open” \/]<\/p>\n The other big flaw of this workout\u2014besides the fact that the benefits are based on dissimilar types of training\u2014is that the design of the program doesn\u2019t lend itself to some of the big claims being made. No matter what anyone tells you, not all exercises are created equal. Some require more effort, activate more muscle fibers, and will generate more results. Does anyone really think that bodyweight squats are as hard as heavy barbell squats?<\/p>\n The authors correctly state, “When resistance training exercises using multiple large muscles are used with very little rest between sets, they can elicit aerobic and metabolic benefits.” That\u2019s true. But if you look at the 7-minute solution, many of the exercises\u2014crunch, plank, side plank\u2014are not <\/i>large muscle exercises, says Schoenfeld.<\/p>\n Another issue is that these exercises are all bodyweight moves. That\u2019s not to say bodyweight exercise can\u2019t be effective. I\u2019ve seen enough crazy YouTube videos to know that bodyweight moves does a body good. And they are also extremely convenient for anyone without access to a gym. But the greatest benefit of high intensity training\u2014not to mention the circuit training study mentioned–wasn\u2019t performed with bodyweight exercises; they were done with added resistance, says Schoenfeld, where the weight could be manipulated to correspond to a given rep-max. (In other words, a percentage of your max strength.) The use of bodyweight does not afford this benefit, and for those who are fairly fit it would be difficult to achieve a consistent maximum level of intensity for 30 seconds that would compare to doing a similar length of time with added resistance. To use the squat example: Doing 80% of your 1-rep max on squats for a similar period of time would be much more difficult than doing 7-minutes of bodyweight squats.<\/p>\n The use of bodyweight does not afford this benefit, and for those who are fairly fit, it would be difficult to achieve a consistent maximum level of intensity for 30 seconds that would compare to doing a similar length of time with added resistance. To use the squat example: Doing 80% of your 1-rep max on squats for a similar period of time would be much more difficult than doing 7-minutes of bodyweight squats.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, from an aerobic endurance standpoint, it has been shown that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can be an excellent alternative to traditional steady-state exercise. \u201cHowever, the types of exercise performed here are not ideal for accomplishing the task,\u201d says Schoenfeld. Exercises such as the crunch, plank and side plank will have minimal effects on energy expenditure and the amount of calories you can burn.<\/p>\n To further weaken their claims, the 30-second duration is not ideal for building muscular endurance. Generally, you’d want it to be about twice as long to really focus on local muscular endurance, adds Schoenfeld. Even in terms of muscle building, the research is being stretched to muscle-defying limits<\/p>\n Mistake #2:<\/strong> The exercises in the 7-minute workout as not as effective at achieving the reported benefits.<\/p>\n Just in case you were wondering, it\u2019s also very unlikely that this routine would optimize strength. The low-intensity studies (bodyweight is low intensity) have consistently showed suboptimal strength gains when compared to heavy weight training, says Schoenfeld. \u201cThat\u2019s because the big problem with bodyweight exercise is that you are limited to what you weigh\u2014there is no means to overload the muscles within a given repetition range. Thus, this routine would be a poor choice for anyone looking to maximize their strength.\u201d<\/p>\n Mistake #3:<\/strong> Based on the research quoted, in order to receive the optimal benefits suggested by the 7-minute workout you need to add resistance.<\/p>\n The 7-minute workout undeniably has some benefits. In fact, I gave it a test drive and it was difficult, raised my heart rate, and I\u2019ve been training consistently for more than 15 years. To that end, there is nothing wrong with the workout, and it can be a great solution for anyone looking for a quick workout.<\/p>\n The problem is with the claims being made. The suggested benefits are very<\/em> overstated for anyone who possesses even modest muscular fitness, says Schoenfeld. More importantly, it is not <\/i>a well-designed routine for anyone who wants to maximize specific fitness goals such as burning fat, building muscle, or increasing strength. The funny part? The science used to \u201csupport\u201d the claims is the same science that proves the claims are inaccurate.<\/p>\n While I wish the promises were true, changing your body will still require more than 7 minutes per day.<\/p>\n How to Build the Perfect Bodyweight Workout<\/a><\/p>\n The Tension Weightlifting Technique: How to Make Every Exercise More Effective<\/a><\/p>\nWhere the 7-Minute Workout Study Failed<\/h2>\n
Not All Circuit Training is Equal<\/h2>\n
Not All Exercises Are Equal<\/h2>\n
Strength (and Muscle Building) Requires Added Resistance<\/h2>\n
What Does The 7-Minute Workout Really<\/i> Accomplish?<\/h2>\n
READ MORE:<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n