Fitness Facts

In the ever-evolving world of bodybuilding and fitness, one emerging trend has been the increased demand for shorter workouts. Many individuals, from recreational lifters to elite athletes, are gravitating towards high-intensity, time-efficient training sessions. This blog aims to explore the reasons behind this trend, examine the scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of shorter workouts for building size, strength, and speed, and address the notion that shorter workouts of higher intensity can be effective. Additionally, we will discuss the minimum threshold for workout duration and the optimal workout duration for individuals aiming to increase strength, speed, and maintain a favorable body composition. Lastly, we will touch upon how nutritional needs may change in support of shorter workouts.   Scientific Evidence Supporting Shorter Workouts: Several scientific studies have examined the effectiveness of shorter workouts compared to longer workouts in terms of building muscle size, strength, and speed. These studies have shown promising results:   High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief recovery periods. Research has demonstrated that HIIT can be as effective as longer, moderate-intensity workouts for improving cardiovascular fitness and promoting fat loss.  HIIT has also been shown to elicit favorable changes in muscle size and strength.   Resistance Training: Studies have found that shorter, high-intensity resistance training sessions can induce similar muscle hypertrophy and strength gains compared to longer, lower-intensity workouts. These findings suggest that the total duration of a workout may not be the sole determinant of muscle growth and strength development.   The Credence of Shorter, Higher-Intensity Workouts: The idea that shorter workouts of higher intensity can be effective holds merit. By focusing on maximizing effort and intensity during a shorter timeframe, individuals can potentially stimulate muscle fibers more efficiently, leading to increased strength and power gains. The key lies in properly structuring the workout, incorporating compound movements, and minimizing rest periods to maintain elevated heart rate and intensity throughout the session.   Minimum Threshold for Workout Duration: While there is no universal consensus on the minimum threshold for workout duration, experts generally agree that a certain duration is necessary to elicit significant physiological adaptations. However, this threshold can vary based on individual factors such as fitness level, goals, and training intensity. It is important to note that even shorter workouts can be effective if they are properly designed and executed with sufficient intensity and focus.   Optimal Workout Duration for Strength and Speed: The optimal workout duration for individuals aiming to increase strength and speed while maintaining a favorable body composition depends on various factors. Generally, shorter, high-intensity workouts ranging from 30 to 45 minutes can be effective in achieving these goals. By focusing on compound exercises, progressive overload, and incorporating interval or circuit training, individuals can efficiently stimulate muscle growth, enhance strength, and improve speed.   Nutritional Needs to Support Shorter Workouts: Nutritional needs may change when following shorter, high-intensity workouts. Since these workouts require greater energy expenditure in a shorter time frame, individuals should focus on pre-workout nutrition to provide sufficient fuel for optimal performance. Consuming a balanced meal or snack containing carbohydrates and protein 1-2 hours before the workout can help ensure adequate energy availability. Additionally, post-workout nutrition, including protein and carbohydrates, is crucial for muscle recovery and growth. The increased demand for shorter workouts in the bodybuilding and fitness world is supported by scientific evidence and the effectiveness of high-intensity training approaches such as HIIT. Shorter workouts can be as effective as longer sessions in building muscle size, strength, and speed, provided they are designed with proper intensity and focus. While there is no universally defined minimum threshold for workout duration, shorter, high-intensity workouts ranging from 30 to 45 minutes can be effective in achieving strength, speed, and body composition goals. Remember to tailor your nutritional approach to support shorter workouts, ensuring adequate energy availability and proper post-workout recovery. Ultimately, individual preferences, goals, and specific training programs should guide the duration and intensity of workouts to optimize results and maintain overall fitness.

In recent years, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has gained significant popularity in the bodybuilding and fitness world. Many individuals are turning to HIIT as an effective and time-efficient method to achieve their fitness goals. This blog aims to explore the reasons behind this growing trend, delve into scientific studies that support HIIT training over high-volume, low-intensity workouts, address potential downsides of HIIT, and examine the injury risks associated with this form of training. Furthermore, we will highlight three or four elite athletes who have incorporated HIIT into their training routines, showcasing its effectiveness for achieving peak performance.   Scientific Studies Supporting HIIT Training: Numerous scientific studies have highlighted the benefits of HIIT training compared to high-volume, low-intensity workouts. Here are some key findings: Fat Loss: Research has shown that HIIT can be more effective for fat loss compared to traditional steady-state cardio exercises. The high-intensity intervals and subsequent metabolic effects lead to increased calorie burn and enhanced fat oxidation, both during and after the workout. Cardiovascular Fitness: HIIT has been proven to improve cardiovascular health and fitness markers, such as aerobic capacity and cardiovascular function (2). The intense bursts of exercise followed by short recovery periods challenge the cardiovascular system, leading to significant improvements in endurance. Muscle Retention: HIIT has demonstrated the ability to preserve lean muscle mass while promoting fat loss (3). Unlike long-duration, low-intensity cardio, HIIT provides a stimulus that helps preserve muscle mass, making it an attractive option for individuals aiming to improve body composition.   Potential Downsides of HIIT Training: While HIIT offers numerous benefits, it is essential to consider potential downsides: Intensity and Recovery: HIIT can be physically demanding, requiring individuals to push their limits. This level of intensity may be challenging for beginners or individuals with certain health conditions. Adequate recovery time is crucial to avoid overtraining and mitigate the risk of injury. Joint Impact: The repetitive high-impact movements involved in some HIIT exercises, such as jumps and sprints, may place additional stress on the joints. Individuals with pre-existing joint conditions should exercise caution and modify exercises as needed. Individual Variability: HIIT workouts are not a one-size-fits-all approach. The intensity and duration should be tailored to individual fitness levels and goals. Consulting a fitness professional or personal trainer can help design a suitable HIIT program and minimize the potential downsides.   Injury Risks in HIIT vs. Low-Intensity Training: The risk of injury in HIIT versus low-intensity training depends on various factors: Form and Technique: Performing exercises with proper form and technique is crucial to minimize injury risk in both HIIT and low-intensity training. Focusing on maintaining good form throughout the workout is essential for injury prevention. Gradual Progression: Gradually increasing the intensity and duration of HIIT workouts allows the body to adapt and reduce the risk of overuse injuries. It is important to listen to the body and avoid pushing beyond personal limits. Individual Factors: Individual factors such as pre-existing injuries, fitness level, and mobility limitations can influence injury risk. Paying attention to these factors and modifying exercises as needed can help reduce the likelihood of injury.   Elite Athletes Embracing HIIT Training: Several elite athletes have incorporated HIIT training into their routines, showcasing its effectiveness for achieving peak performance. Here are three notable examples: Usain Bolt: The world-renowned sprinter incorporated HIIT workouts into his training to improve his explosive speed and power. HIIT allowed him to simulate the intense bursts of energy required for sprinting events. Serena Williams: The tennis superstar integrated HIIT sessions into her training regimen to enhance her overall fitness, agility, and endurance on the court. HIIT helped her improve her explosive movements and recover faster between points. Conor McGregor: The mixed martial artist relied on HIIT workouts to develop his conditioning and explosive power. HIIT training played a crucial role in enhancing his cardiovascular fitness and performance during fights.   The rise of HIIT training in the bodybuilding and fitness world can be attributed to its proven effectiveness in promoting fat loss, improving cardiovascular fitness, and preserving lean muscle mass. While HIIT offers numerous benefits, it is essential to approach it with caution, ensuring proper form, technique, and adequate recovery. Individual variability and considerations must be taken into account to mitigate injury risks. By incorporating HIIT into their training routines, elite athletes such as Usain Bolt, Serena Williams, and Conor McGregor have demonstrated its potential to optimize athletic performance. Embrace the power of HIIT and unlock your fitness potential through intense, time-efficient workouts that deliver remarkable results.

The best three-day workout routine is the one you're going to do three days a week. It's absolutely pointless to embark on a fitness program, with a well researched list of exercises for a three day workout routine, if you're not going to do it consistently, three days a week. I'm emphasizing “three” because it’s a screaming deal if you can get away with it. Devoting a three-day workout routine to a seven day week is a pretty paltry commitment, considering what you intend to accomplish. And that's really the issue. What is the purpose of this fitness program? If your goal is to build a bodybuilder physique, there is pretty much little you can do with a three-day routine of even the best mass building workouts. Unless you can commit to training all day long for those three days, building mass with just a three day workout routine is going to be, for most people, disappointing. That's not to say it can't be done. Certainly, there are bodybuilders who have applied the high intensity training philosophy to their bodybuilding workout plan, and were able to pack on some mass, as well as gain strength. But, they are the exception, not the rule. The level of intensity you'd have to generate to pack on mass in just three days a week is legendary to say the least; not many people can do it, at least not long enough for it to bear fruit. If that's still the direction you want to go, then the list of exercises you're going to do is pretty small. You're going to have to stick to the basic compound exercises and train your body to failure every time you train. Like I said, the list of exercises is going to be small. A three-day workout routine would be split into two days, focussing on your upper body; one of those days devoted to pulling moves, and the other to pushing. The third day would be legs.   Your routine would look something like this: Monday – Upper Body - Push: Bench PressSeated Shoulder PressWeighted DipsRope Triceps Extensions Tuesday – OFF Wednesday – Upper Body - Pull: DeadliftsSeated Pulley RowsWeighted Pull-UpsBarbell curls  Thursday – OFF Friday – Legs: SquatsLeg ExtensionsHamstring Curls Hyper ExtensionsSeated CalvesStanding calves  Saturday – OFF Sunday – OFF Sets and reps are going to vary based on the individuals, their level of training, and the time available to spend in the gym. You also have to remember, there's a time commitment for food shopping, meal prep, and rest. There's also no allotment for cardio. If you intend to gain strength and muscle mass with just a three-day a week commitment, you're going to have to cover all the bases and make the time you do spend in the gym count.

“Intensity” is one of those terms that's as subjective as it is ambiguous, if not just completely downright misconstrued. It is, however, the apex requirement in your list of things you're going to have to learn to generate if you intend on using your tine in the gym to  increase your strength/ performance.  Every athlete knows this. In fact, it is widely accepted among the fiteratti that the best athlete is the one who can focus the hardest, concentrate, and generate the most intensity. Every single world class athlete known to man is prone to this formula. There are literally no exceptions.  The problem with intensity, particularly maximum intensity, is that you can't just tell someone to go do it – lift with intensity. Unfortunately, it's as vitally important to athletic success, as it is difficult to describe. When asked to define intensity, you might want to offer to define something easier instead, such as  love, hope, God.....   Intensity is on another level. Mostly because the more you generate, the more it hurts. Your brain's inclination is to make you stop doing what hurts. In this case, the notion to stop must be replaced with “keep going,” “Don't' Stop!,” “Five more!” And so on.  And that right there is the difference between the champs and the also-rans. Suffering.  Intensity hurts. High intensity hurts a lot. But what's “a lot?” Surely one man's “a lot” is not another's. If you ask a woman if child birth hurts “a lot” she'll probably say it does. Yet, we see women with seven kids. So, it can't hurt that much, or can it? So, it depends on what you can tolerate. Now, I'm certainly not comparing a high intensity workout to child birth (a true high intensity workout should make childbirth feel like a rough pedicure) however the underlying pain threshold is just as confounding. Some women breeze through it while some women – if you've ever spent a few hours in a delivery ward – seem to have a bit more of an issue with it.  Now, the wisecrack I made a second ago about the pedicure goes to subjectivity. Surely childbirth is excruciating, however, the point is, you've got to make some kind of imaginary threshold, because “intensity” is far more a mental infliction as it is a muscular one.  No matter how big and strong you are, eventually, gravity is going to win any battle with the iron. It is at that moment – when will is overtaken by physics -  that the peak deployment of intensity has been reached. Think of hanging off a bar on a tower crane 1,000 feet in the air. Eventually, gravity is going to be responsible for decorating the concrete below with a nasty splattering of your blood and guts. The moment before that happened, its safe to say that 100% intensity  was applied to your grip strength.   So, childbirth, popping off a crane tower to your death and training intensity should be thought of in the same breath. Metaphorically, of course. But in practice in the gym? Back in the day, a typical leg workout has many times ended with a lifter being crushed in the power rack, dragging himself across the floor on his elbows, heaving his last seven meals into the garbage can and writhing on the floor until his nose stops bleeding (I have pics). Extreme? Yes. Intense? No question. But, is it necessary?   And therein lies the rub...  As far as the human body goes, strength/ muscle gain is a survival mechanism. The body is not interested in the muscle you want, it's only concerned with the muscle it needs. The way to convince the body it needs more is by generating intensity. The greater your training intensity, the stronger the message the body receives. That, and that alone, is the stimulus for muscle growth.  What are some of the signs you're exhibiting maximum intensity? 1 – vomiting during workouts 2 – nose bleeds during heavy lifts 3 – intense soreness in the days following a workout 4 – Cramping  5 – Difficulty walking or going up and down stairs after legs 6 – Profound muscle growth and increased athletic performance So, forced reps, negatives, partials, rest-pause, drop sets, static holds..... Whatever you can employ to drive your intensity to the point where your muscle literally fails – like right before you pop off the 1,000 foot tower crane. Or, for you ladies, the searing pain of childbirth. The point is, while the pursuit is physical, the game is mental. The brain decides what's enough, not your body. It's you job to do the convincing.  Greater intensity = greater results. How you generate it is your game.

Pondering whether or not a 30-minute workout is enough to build muscle is a bit like wondering if 30-minutes is enough to cook a meal. Sure, it could be. Depending on who you are. It could also be a disaster. Clearly, it's what you do with those 30-minutes that may or may not trigger muscle growth. Whether it be a good circuit workout, “popsugar” workouts, or whatever 30-minute fitness thing you can come up with, the reality is, that it's largely irrelevant. What is relevant – the only thing that's relevant. - is exercise intensity. And I'll tell you why.... The human body enlarges a muscle group by either one, or both, of two processes. The first is called hypertrophy - the enlarging of existing muscle fibers. This is the body's first response to prolonged and progressive physical stress. In the acute phase, the body pumps blood to the muscle being exhausted, bringing it more oxygen, more glucose and releasing creatine phosphate stores to help generate more energy. This is known as a “pump.” You literally feel your muscle engorge with blood, veins popping out (if you're lean enough to see them) and you can feel your skin tighten. It's an absolutely real and undeniable response. As the pump ebbs later on, while you're resting, the extra pumped in blood leaves the muscle, and with it goes all kinds of undesirable cellular rubble that you created when you tore down your muscle during a period of intense stress (your workout). During the subsequent recovery period, an increase in protein synthesis will take place, utilizing various essential amino acids, particularly valine, that got pumped in with the extra blood, to build complete muscle cells, which gradually enlarge individual muscle fibers. Now, if the continued and ever increasing stress persists into days and weeks, the body eventually becomes inefficient. It cannot keep up with the increased demand being placed upon it and it cannot satisfactorily recover in the given amount of time. The next response the body initiates in order to survive is the activation of satellite cells that live on top of the muscle fibers. These satellite cells then multiply and join together, while absorbing a host of nutrients and various hormones, to create new muscle fibers. This is called hyperplasia. It's important to note, that the birth of new muscle through hyperplasia, merely falls into the fray. Like an escalation of troops in a war. It will immediately be subject to the effects of hypertrophy – if the stress continues to be progressive, prolonged and intense. You also have to remember that this is merely the stimulus side of building muscle. The actual growth takes place while you rest and recover. The object of going to the gym is to convince the body it needs more muscle, but it's not where the muscle is built. You get swole in bed. So, the question is, actually: is 30-min enough time to stimulate the body's adaptive survival response, to initiate hypertrophy and subsequently - hopefully - hyperplasia? Any time such a question is asked, it can only logically be answered first with “it depends.” That's because it does. It depends not only upon what you do during that 30-minute fitness session, but also, and I say more importantly, how you do whatever it is you're doing. And that, my friends, is it - distilled all the way down to the very essence of what it takes for the body to build muscle – intensity. As I eluded to earlier, building muscle has nothing whatsoever to do with your desire for big biceps. The body builds muscle for one reason and one reason only – survival. Increased muscle mass is a survival response to a specific physical stress. The only way to get your body to build muscle is to keep it under stress. The question is, for how long? There is the theory of “time under tension” which infers that the longer the muscle is under tension, the greater the stimulus to increase muscle mass. While this is to some degree true, the “time” part of it is a bit ambiguous and leads to tremendous inefficiency, which ultimately mitigates recovery time. “Time under tension” is another way of quantifying reps and sets. To how many reps and sets do you subject a muscle in order to stimulate the growth response, and is 30-minutes enough time to do it? When you set out to put together a good circuit workout, what is your goal for reps and sets? How do you figure that out? Ask any successful bodybuilder how many reps and sets they recommend to build muscle and you'll get a different answer every time. This is because, without a universally accepted and tangible goal, anything anyone can suggest is – at best – vague, ambiguous and inefficient. How many reps? 8? 10? 12? 15? How many total sets per body part? 10? 20? 30? And who's right? “Jay Cutler is Mr. Olympia and he did This.... Yeah, but Ronnie Coleman is also a Mr. Olympia and he did this, this and that....Well, Lee Haney is another Mr. O and he doesn't follow either of those philosophies, he does XY and Z....” Who's right? They all are ranked the best in the world! Well, one bodybuilder – who never became Mr. Olympia, but should have - actually popularized the most logical answer to this question. The most obvious point to stop a set is when the muscle fails. He took that point a bit further and insisted that you really only need to do that once. In1978, Mike Mentzer became the only bodybuilder in history who, to this very day, has ever scored a perfect 300 to win the Mr. Universe. Mentzer popularized the “one set” theory, originally proffered by Nautilus founder, Arthur Jones. As the theory goes, the most logical point to stop a set is when the muscle can no longer execute the message sent from the brain to contract. According to Jones, via Mentzer, once you have reached the point where there is a momentary interruption in the neurological firing between the brain and the muscle being contracted, you have reached the most logical end of a set. And, anything more, or less, is a waste of time. This is the ultimate execution of intensity, and the most successful way to build muscle. Dorian Yates lent credence to that concept by winning six Olympias in a row using short, high intensity, workouts. That's not to say it's the only way, just the most efficient. Remember, muscle growth happens during rest. Your objective should be to minimize the amount of time it takes to stimulate muscle growth and maximize the amount of time spent recovering, so you can grow. If you're interested in the health benefits of some kind of 30-minute fitness program, you can probably accomplish something in that amount of time, but you're not going to get big. So, to adopt this Heavy Duty style of training - where one set taken to failure per exercise - it's entirely possible to stimulate the body's muscle growth messaging in 30 minutes. The only problem is, most people who set out to find “failure” merely find fatigue. Failure – true failure – lies well north of fatigue and the searing pain associated with getting there has been equated to having a tooth drilled without novocaine. This makes the concept of “failure” a bit too subjective, and a bit too masochistic for most tastes. That's why volume training is more popular. But you'll have to spend much more than 30-minutes training that way to build muscle. Which, is inefficient and shortens the amount of recovery time you can devote to growing. And, of course, it certainly doesn't hurt as much. Nevertheless, the fact has been well established that, within the confines of 30-minutes, it is entirely possible to convince the body it needs more muscle. So, yes, a 30-Minute Workout is Enough To Build Muscle. It just depends on your ability to manufacture intensity. Same goes for you guys with a personal trainer. A 30 minute personal training session can be enough to stimulate muscle growth. As long as your trainer is mean enough to push you there.

Do you want to look like you can bench press 300 pounds, or do you actually want to be able to truthfully say that you can bench press the 300 pounds?

 

Dan Palacios of Kinetic Training in Davie, Florida takes Team Gaspari members Alex, Aliona, Melissa and Alex through a training regiment designed for military personnel and policemen to improve their tactical skills. This outdoor workout works all muscles in the body for complete physical conditioning!

Rich Gaspari takes Jose and Alex through an old school chest and back superset workout, just like the sets he used to do to prepare for the Olympia and the Arnold Classic.

Follow Gaspari on IG to Stay up to date! A new chance to WIN FREE Product!  Every week Click here to learn how to enter the Gaspari Games The week 1 winner is:Tony D. / @duhmico The week 2 winner is: Tasana J. / @jajatas_fitfight The week 3 winner is: TBD (submissions end 4.19.20)

I really don't like to make predictions about contest outcomes, particularly for contests as big and as important as the Arnold. In order to make such a prediction, I can only do it fairly if I can imagine everyone being at their best. You can't really do it any other way. I am, however, expected to give my Arnold predictions, in spite of what I might feel about making predictions about guys I haven't seen – and it wouldn't matter if I have seen them anyway, because the only time when it's gonna matter how they look is still weeks away, and in bodybuilding contest prep, that's an eternity. I would expect that anyone competing in such a prestigious show would work like we did back in the day to come in at a crisp 100%, leaving no stone unturned. But, that just doesn't seem to happen anymore. I'm just being realistic. At least be grateful this isn't stock car racing where if you're not 1st you're last. In any case, at 100% dialed in - at their best - my top five for the 2020 Arnold Classic are: 5th Place I’m going round off my top five with Sergio Oliva Jr. If he does his homework he can really be dangerous and not only break into the top five, but also stir it up!  I see hints of his father in his physique and am especially interested to watch young Sergio reach his full “Oliva” potential.  4th Place I'm going to have to put Dexter Jackson in 4th. I fully respect the fact that he is a Mr. Olympia and a past Arnold Classic champion several times over, and the most winning bodybuilder in history. I also think it's astonishing that, at 50 years old, he can be so competitive in this field that he could easily walk away with another one.  It all depends on how the other guys show up. Dexter, at his best, at his age, could easily make it six Arnold wins and break his own all-time record of 29 pro titles, making it an even 30. He's that good and he proved it. 3rd Place I’m going to say Patrick Moore could take 3rd.  He's new and has a good look, and he just placed 10th in the Olympia on his first try. This guy has incredible shape with a tiny waist who can do a vacuum! His arms and legs are huge and he's got a great V-taper. He's like a Classic guy that's too big for his height class. I believe this guy is the future and, in time, be Mr. Olympia.  2nd Place I have Big Ramy. If he shows up in the kind of shape he did at the New York Pro he could give Bonac a lot of trouble, and possibly beat him. But, that’s a big IF.  He seems to have a hard time peaking. I don't know if he's being poorly advised, or he just mentally has a difficult time of it, but, he hasn't been reliable. A lot of people, me included, think he could be an Arnold Classic champ AND a Mr. Olympia, but he's got to prove himself and this will be the show to do it. 1st Place I have William Bonac taking the show. Out of all the guys competing he is the most complete, with the best shape, size, density and definition. Bonac, at his best is the guy to beat.   Feeling Lucky? Tell Us Who You Think Will Win... Submit Your Predictions for a Chance to WIN a $100 Gaspari Nutrition Gift CardUp to 5 winners will be chosen from among those who get the top 5 correct!!!