The old adage “too much of a good thing” applies to exercise.

In some quarters there is the belief that when it comes to exercise, more is better despite the fact that is little proof to back up this position.  If anything, the preponderance of evidence indicates that doing the minimum exercise – 30 minutes 5 or 6 times per week – yields the greatest amount of health benefits.

For all of the workout fanatics out there who live to beat themselves into a pulp in the quest for attaining a higher level of fitness, all you’re doing is wearing down your body.  Now I’m not talking about professional athletes or people who compete in extreme sports - these folks sometimes need to push the envelope – but the rest of us average Joes and Janes.  For us rest, recovery and moderation are the keys to getting into and staying in shape.

Basically there are two variables to be concerned with when it comes to your training sessions; intensity and volume.  As intensity goes up, volume goes down.  Intensity is NOT a subjective measure of how difficult a workout is, but a definable variable that has to do with the level at which you are working.  So you cannot have a workout that is both high-intensity and high-volume as these variables are mutually exclusive.

A true high-intensity workout consists of no more than 12 total sets that consist of 3-5 reps, including warm-ups, with exercises that incorporate large muscle groups and result in 100% maximal oxygen consumption.

So someone who does three different chest exercises, shoulder exercises, and arm exercises in following a high-volume, low-intensity program.  This kind of training is counter-productive and inefficient.

What I’m getting at here is that people should focus on quality rather than quantity when it comes to designing their workouts.  Everyone should strive to get to the point where they can maintain a level of intensity so that they get what they need in a 30-35 minute session, 3 times per week.  This leaves plenty of time and energy for everyone to get the right amount of cardio exercise.

Nobody needs to train regularly for 90 minutes to 2 hours, 3 or more days per week.  Of course it’s fine to indulge yourself, to push yourself, occasionally just like is okay to eat that gigantic fudge sundae once in a while.  But to this indulgence needs to be the exception and not the rule.

Remember, there’s nothing that you can do or need to do in 90 minutes in the gym that you can’t accomplish in 35 minutes.  Find a trainer who embraces this philosophy and start getting the most out of your workouts.

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