Multiple mini workouts instead of single long ones - personal experience?
serindipte
Posts: 1,557 Member
I have begun with several mini workouts throughout the day, for instance, I have a dumbell in the bathroom for curls, etc while I'm visiting for other reasons. I'll stop once every hour or so for push ups, a set of jumping jacks, or something else. I know that, right now, this will be effective as I've been primarily sedentary for the last many years. Any movement is more than I was doing.
What I am wondering is if anyone has had long term success with mini workouts rather than pushing through an hour at a time.
(I've also added in walks 3-4 times per week, though I'm only up to 1.5 miles each so far, I'll keep going further as I'm able)
What I am wondering is if anyone has had long term success with mini workouts rather than pushing through an hour at a time.
(I've also added in walks 3-4 times per week, though I'm only up to 1.5 miles each so far, I'll keep going further as I'm able)
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Replies
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Any additional movement you do will increase energy expenditure which is why I try to make sure I get up and walk around the office building for a few minutes every hour.
From a fitness standpoint, the benefits of mini workouts are pretty limited. Most of my deliberate exercise consists of cycling and most of my rides are around 40-45 minutes with a longer ride on the weekend. I lift a couple times per week and do some body weight stuff at home for additional resistance training.1 -
I do dumbbell rows interspersed through the day as well as under table pull ups and push ups. I have had good results with my goal of minor recomp; lost some jiggle around the waist and gained muscle in the chest and arms. It's easy to see that my upper body has improved significantly. But my goal was/is not to look like a body builder; more like toned (I know; that's almost a bad word in serious fitness circles but I can't think of a better one).3
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CarvedTones wrote: »I do dumbbell rows interspersed through the day as well as under table pull ups and push ups. I have had good results with my goal of minor recomp; lost some jiggle around the waist and gained muscle in the chest and arms. It's easy to see that my upper body has improved significantly. But my goal was/is not to look like a body builder; more like toned (I know; that's almost a bad word in serious fitness circles but I can't think of a better one).
I get what you mean
It's built a little muscle and helped pull off the fat (aka toned) That's what I'm going for, at least for now. Eventually, I want to get to more serious strength training, but do not want to be 'that girl' who walks in and can't lift more than 15 lbs. lol
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the success of any program depends on what your goals are and if you stick to it. If your goal is to be overall more active throughout the day then you will be successful. Lots of people spread their workouts throughout the day and are very happy. People even break up their 30 minutes of cardio to be 5 minutes running 6 times a day. i've read articles that say that it is just as beneficial as doing it at once.1
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is it better than nothing, yes. however, some might argue an aspect of fitness is keeping your heart rate raised for a sustained amount of time.3
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It depends on what you're training for.
I often train for endurance. Brief mini-workouts wouldn't do much for accomplishing that goal.3 -
Those articles are written by people who either oversimplify or don't know what they're talking about.People even break up their 30 minutes of cardio to be 5 minutes running 6 times a day. i've read articles that say that it is just as beneficial as doing it at once.
"Just as good"? In terms of calorie burn, maybe (and even then, I'd be skeptical). In terms of building stamina? Absolutely not. Ditto for things such as improving one's lactate threshold or VO2Max.
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Those articles are written by people who either oversimplify or don't know what they're talking about.People even break up their 30 minutes of cardio to be 5 minutes running 6 times a day. i've read articles that say that it is just as beneficial as doing it at once.
"Just as good"? In terms of calorie burn, maybe (and even then, I'd be skeptical). In terms of building stamina? Absolutely not. Ditto for things such as improving one's lactate threshold or VO2Max.
Considering I don't even know what a lactate threshold or VO2Max are, it's safe to say I'm not looking to work on that right now. (Of course, I'm a curious soul, so I'll have to research it later). I'm currently an obese woman of 43 looking to lose some weight and maintain at least the muscle I have, maybe add a bit of strength in the process. As I get nearer to my goal weight, I'm sure those objectives will change and, by then, I'll be more equipped to push myself longer in my exercise.5 -
Those articles are written by people who either oversimplify or don't know what they're talking about.People even break up their 30 minutes of cardio to be 5 minutes running 6 times a day. i've read articles that say that it is just as beneficial as doing it at once.
"Just as good"? In terms of calorie burn, maybe (and even then, I'd be skeptical). In terms of building stamina? Absolutely not. Ditto for things such as improving one's lactate threshold or VO2Max.
its all relative to what your goals are, what your physical ability is, your schedule , motivation, etc. You don't have to be a marathon runner or superset lifter to get in shape or stay in shape.6 -
If you haven't already, have a read through this thread (below). There are little mini workouts scattered throuout.
I think it is great that you are starting to move more and challenge your abilities.
Working towards adding a little bit more every week or two will have you ready to look at short programmes in no time.
Both Nerdfitness and HasFit have great short routines for beginners.
Meanwhile, keep on doing what you are doing.
Cheers, h.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1
ETA: forgot to say, when travelling I do mini workouts (5-15 min) and they certainly help with maintaining my fitness level.1 -
middlehaitch wrote: »If you haven't already, have a read through this thread (below). There are little mini workouts scattered throuout.
I think it is great that you are starting to move more and challenge your abilities.
Working towards adding a little bit more every week or two will have you ready to look at short programmes in no time.
Both Nerdfitness and HasFit have great short routines for beginners.
Meanwhile, keep on doing what you are doing.
Cheers, h.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1
ETA: forgot to say, when travelling I do mini workouts (5-15 min) and they certainly help with maintaining my fitness level.
Thank you 1 -
I know you may not be ready for these two programmes yet, they are the ones I mentioned above, but if you like the look of them bookmark them for future use.
You have no need to go at the same speed, or do 3 sets. Start with simplified versions of the exercises and break it down to what is doable for you.
Your goal will be to be able to complete either work out as written eventually, not right now.
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
Back in a sec got to go find the other programme.
Hmm, this is the updated version of the 15 min programme I used.
http://hasfit.com/workouts/home/easy-beginner/15-min-beginner-weight-training/
Hope they help guide and inspire you.
Cheers, h.1 -
Those articles are written by people who either oversimplify or don't know what they're talking about.People even break up their 30 minutes of cardio to be 5 minutes running 6 times a day. i've read articles that say that it is just as beneficial as doing it at once.
"Just as good"? In terms of calorie burn, maybe (and even then, I'd be skeptical). In terms of building stamina? Absolutely not. Ditto for things such as improving one's lactate threshold or VO2Max.
its all relative to what your goals are, what your physical ability is, your schedule , motivation, etc. You don't have to be a marathon runner or superset lifter to get in shape or stay in shape.
Correct, and I'm not saying otherwise. Just saying that the statement "Doing five minutes of cardio six times a day is just as beneficial as doing it at once" is incorrect. The best one can say is that it burns about as many calories -- and even that is probably just approximately true.2 -
There's more to fitness than calorie burn don't let people discourage you. Long period steady cardio really does burn the calories and helps with weight loss, probably more than shorter period higher intensity cardio. or mini workout sessions. Its really hard to say with out knowing the details. However, sitting around all day long then getting up for an 1 hour treadmill sessions only to sit back down for the rest of night, while may burn more calorie isn't really doing much for your overall fitness level. Spreading out mini workouts over the whole day is good for your joints, it may or may not add up caloriewise. I think of it as I have a fitness journey, which for me includes, strength, yoga, calistenics, basically things that will make my body work better or "you know" not be like the rest of my family and screwed over by arthritis. When I am work I try to get up and do a couple laps around the office. I don't consider these to be a major factor in my calorie equation, its just part of my life goals. Then I have cardio sessions to help with my calorie equation of course these also help with overall fitness. All I'm saying is, is being sedentary all day except for 30 to 60 mins workout is not a good road map to fitness. I don't think anyone is saying that or trying to say your mini are not beneficial. I think people are saying to really get a true cardio workout you need to get your heart rate in the zone for a decent amount of time, but don't stop doing mini session because they are probably more beneficial to your overall health. Especially as we get older our joints get worse and worse and sitting is the enemy.4
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Five- to fifteen-minute circuits can certainly help somewhat with stamina. That pretty much requires going all out for those periods though, and one will tend to reach the point of diminishing returns fairly quickly.
For endurance training, there is really no substitute for long periods of hard exercise.
Also, while the two words are often used interchangeably, stamina generally refers to the ability to use one's muscles (including the heart) at maximum capacity, whereas endurance refers to the ability to exert one's self over longer periods of time. https://www.livestrong.com/article/370329-the-differences-between-stamina-strength-endurance/1 -
It depends on what you're training for.
I often train for endurance. Brief mini-workouts wouldn't do much for accomplishing that goal.
When I said it was working for me to recomp upper body, I probably should have mentioned that I also walk at 4+ mph for an hour or more most days and I try to get out on SUP a couple of times a week for reasonably long mostly steady paddling. In fact the selection of exercise for my mini workouts is largely targeting improvement of the muscles used in paddling, which also recomps upper body.0 -
Ultimately it depends on your goals.
If you want to get stronger. Check
If you want to get faster/improve cardio. Meh, probably not
If yo want to get "toned". Nope, not going to do anything. Mostly because that's a result of eating less. That being said. spreading out the load over 6-10 sessions will probably mean you don't get as "rungry" which is a plus.3 -
This is one of my primary goals with the mini-workouts.stanmann571 wrote: »Ultimately it depends on your goals.
If you want to get stronger. Check
This is where my walks are coming in. I can't do a lot yet, but I'll keep pushing on that.If you want to get faster/improve cardio. Meh, probably not
I have a decent deficit in my intake and weigh/log every bite I'm eating. I'm down 12lbs so far and I'm in the first month. I know that will slow down now that the initial drop has come, but it'll keep going down.If yo want to get "toned". Nope, not going to do anything. Mostly because that's a result of eating less.That being said. spreading out the load over 6-10 sessions will probably mean you don't get as "rungry" which is a plus.
I like this bonus.
Thanks!
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CarvedTones wrote: »It depends on what you're training for.
I often train for endurance. Brief mini-workouts wouldn't do much for accomplishing that goal.
When I said it was working for me to recomp upper body, I probably should have mentioned that I also walk at 4+ mph for an hour or more most days and I try to get out on SUP a couple of times a week for reasonably long mostly steady paddling. In fact the selection of exercise for my mini workouts is largely targeting improvement of the muscles used in paddling, which also recomps upper body.
Yeah, that's a good argument for the occasional shorter workout. I don't recommend shorter workouts as the bread-and-butter of one's routine, but they can be good as supplementary work.0 -
I'm a big proponent of doing what you CAN do. I feel like that's what has contributed the most to my success. For me that was just grabbing extra steps and movement throughout the day without explicitly working out. Over time, I was able to do more, so I did, but that little added bits definitely added up over time.
I still try to get in extra steps or extra movement time, but it is no longer the bulk of my exercise regimen.5 -
fitoverfortymom wrote: »I'm a big proponent of doing what you CAN do. I feel like that's what has contributed the most to my success. For me that was just grabbing extra steps and movement throughout the day without explicitly working out. Over time, I was able to do more, so I did, but that little added bits definitely added up over time.
I still try to get in extra steps or extra movement time, but it is no longer the bulk of my exercise regimen.
As time goes on, I do intend to add longer workouts. I am just starting (over) and was mainly wondering if anyone had success with the shorter workouts vs trying to push an exhausted self through one longer one.0 -
Mini workouts AKA grease the groove(GTG) are great for exercise where strength is a minor component. Pushups/pullups are a great example. If you can do 1 or 2, doing 1 or 2 every hour or half hour is a great bridge activity and allows you to increase capacity without over stressing CNS, because the individual load of each session is low and recoverable. It would work for other strength based exercises as well.2
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serindipte wrote: »fitoverfortymom wrote: »I'm a big proponent of doing what you CAN do. I feel like that's what has contributed the most to my success. For me that was just grabbing extra steps and movement throughout the day without explicitly working out. Over time, I was able to do more, so I did, but that little added bits definitely added up over time.
I still try to get in extra steps or extra movement time, but it is no longer the bulk of my exercise regimen.
As time goes on, I do intend to add longer workouts. I am just starting (over) and was mainly wondering if anyone had success with the shorter workouts vs trying to push an exhausted self through one longer one.
Yes. Absolutely. ME ME ME ME ME.1 -
stanmann571 wrote: »Mini workouts AKA grease the groove(GTG) are great for exercise where strength is a minor component. Pushups/pullups are a great example. If you can do 1 or 2, doing 1 or 2 every hour or half hour is a great bridge activity and allows you to increase capacity without over stressing CNS, because the individual load of each session is low and recoverable. It would work for other strength based exercises as well.
I'm SO glad you said 1 or 2!!!!!! I can push out 5 several times per day, but I have not been able to get a 6th. Pull ups are a no go for me right now, but maybe one day.0 -
serindipte wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »Mini workouts AKA grease the groove(GTG) are great for exercise where strength is a minor component. Pushups/pullups are a great example. If you can do 1 or 2, doing 1 or 2 every hour or half hour is a great bridge activity and allows you to increase capacity without over stressing CNS, because the individual load of each session is low and recoverable. It would work for other strength based exercises as well.
I'm SO glad you said 1 or 2!!!!!! I can push out 5 several times per day, but I have not been able to get a 6th. Pull ups are a no go for me right now, but maybe one day.
LOL. For pushups it works for anywhere from 2-30-If you can do 30 in under a minute, you can probably keep doing them at a slow casual cadence indefinitely. For pullups, the max benefit is around 10 or so for most people. And 30 pullups is a pretty massively advanced demonstration.
If you're currently pushing out 5. step back to 3 or 4 and add 2 or 3 sets. If you're doing 15(5x3) Shoot for 24(3x8 or 4x6) Stick with that for a week or so and then bump a pushup into every set. Be mindful that you want to stop at the point where you could do 1 more. So If you're not feeling a given set around rep 3, just take a knee and stop. If you're feeling froggy, go ahead and do 6 or 7. But always get up knowing you had one more in the tank.
The ultimate goal is to get to the point where doing 1-10 pushups is no harder than standing up from your desk and walking to the bathroom and requires no more mental/physical effort than doing the same.
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serindipte wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »Mini workouts AKA grease the groove(GTG) are great for exercise where strength is a minor component. Pushups/pullups are a great example. If you can do 1 or 2, doing 1 or 2 every hour or half hour is a great bridge activity and allows you to increase capacity without over stressing CNS, because the individual load of each session is low and recoverable. It would work for other strength based exercises as well.
I'm SO glad you said 1 or 2!!!!!! I can push out 5 several times per day, but I have not been able to get a 6th. Pull ups are a no go for me right now, but maybe one day.
I do under table pull ups. On the floor or a pad under a sturdy table, preferably with rounded edges (my kitchen table is perfect), you grab the table edge and pull yourself towards it. When you first start doing them, you can have your knees bent and heels against your butt and limit how much weight you are pulling up. As you get stronger you slide your feet further away until your legs are straight and then it starts also working the core the keep your body straight (you start lifting your butt off the floor/mat). It is really not quite the same as a pull up because of the arm angle. I have shoulder problems and can't do much with my hands above my ears.0 -
CarvedTones wrote: »serindipte wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »Mini workouts AKA grease the groove(GTG) are great for exercise where strength is a minor component. Pushups/pullups are a great example. If you can do 1 or 2, doing 1 or 2 every hour or half hour is a great bridge activity and allows you to increase capacity without over stressing CNS, because the individual load of each session is low and recoverable. It would work for other strength based exercises as well.
I'm SO glad you said 1 or 2!!!!!! I can push out 5 several times per day, but I have not been able to get a 6th. Pull ups are a no go for me right now, but maybe one day.
I do under table pull ups. On the floor or a pad under a sturdy table, preferably with rounded edges (my kitchen table is perfect), you grab the table edge and pull yourself towards it. When you first start doing them, you can have your knees bent and heels against your butt and limit how much weight you are pulling up. As you get stronger you slide your feet further away until your legs are straight and then it starts also working the core the keep your body straight (you start lifting your butt off the floor/mat). It is really not quite the same as a pull up because of the arm angle. I have shoulder problems and can't do much with my hands above my ears.
My table would fall over lol .. I don't have any spots in my house I could try that, but it sounds interesting.0 -
serindipte wrote: »CarvedTones wrote: »serindipte wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »Mini workouts AKA grease the groove(GTG) are great for exercise where strength is a minor component. Pushups/pullups are a great example. If you can do 1 or 2, doing 1 or 2 every hour or half hour is a great bridge activity and allows you to increase capacity without over stressing CNS, because the individual load of each session is low and recoverable. It would work for other strength based exercises as well.
I'm SO glad you said 1 or 2!!!!!! I can push out 5 several times per day, but I have not been able to get a 6th. Pull ups are a no go for me right now, but maybe one day.
I do under table pull ups. On the floor or a pad under a sturdy table, preferably with rounded edges (my kitchen table is perfect), you grab the table edge and pull yourself towards it. When you first start doing them, you can have your knees bent and heels against your butt and limit how much weight you are pulling up. As you get stronger you slide your feet further away until your legs are straight and then it starts also working the core the keep your body straight (you start lifting your butt off the floor/mat). It is really not quite the same as a pull up because of the arm angle. I have shoulder problems and can't do much with my hands above my ears.
My table would fall over lol .. I don't have any spots in my house I could try that, but it sounds interesting.
You could get one of the over door pullup bars(Gold's or Perfect) and some nylon straps like you would use for tying stuff down in a truck bed.
It's like a TRX kit but it's only 25-30 instead of 120-200.
BW/ring Rows are a great exercise. and a great complement... Compliment... Meh. to pushups. If you get a cable setup and rig up some grips you can do elevated/ring pushups too.. The instability really hits your core.2 -
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