The easiest way to strengthen your entire body, according to this expert trainer

andOne of the biggest myths surrounding strength training is that it has to take over your entire life to be effective. For many people, strengthening their entire body and enjoying the many benefits it can bring – from increasing physical capacity to reducing the risk of injury and combating chronic diseases – can be achieved with a couple of fitness sessions per week.

“The most important thing is to follow an exercise plan that you can and be consistent with,” says Marchon Victoria head coach Patrick James. The key is to do what you can, when you can, while living an enjoyable life. The goal? Gradually build a fit and flexible body that you enjoy living in.

Minimum effective dose

Most people want to exercise as little as possible, reap the rewards, while leaving as much time as possible for the rest of their lives. The good news is that most people only need two full-body workouts per week to enjoy the benefits of strength training.

“Doing two 45-minute sessions a week, in the long run, is much more beneficial than if someone works out for a few hours the first week, then doesn’t go to the gym for a week and the week after that,” says James, adding that the first step is to work out how much time you can actually devote to your fitness efforts.

“It shouldn’t be based on a good week, but on a garbage week when work is stressful,” he says. “Think, ‘What can I do to give me the most bang for my buck at my meetings without it breaking me down?'”

Read more: After 50 You Need to Train Smart – Eight Rules for Strength Training in Midlife According to Experts

Get the most out of your strength training

James recommends aiming for six to 10 challenging sets of each muscle group per week, spread over two or three full-body workouts. And your efforts must be consistent, structured and progressive – it pays to have a plan.

“To build muscle, the most important thing is to be consistent,” says James. “We need to accumulate certain types of repetitions and sets over time so that our muscles can adapt and create the stimulus for us to grow.”

If you do a full-body workout for two weeks, performing three challenging sets of exercises that each cover all the major muscle groups, you’ll be eating the minimum effective dose recommended by James.

“We definitely have to hit our quads, glutes and hamstrings [in the legs]And our pecs, lats and delts [in the chest, back and shoulders, respectively]” he explains.

Read more: The Great Myth of the Situation – and Why Slutting Might Not Be as Bad as You Think

Make exercises more effective

Compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, rows and presses allow you to work multiple muscles at once. That way, you can work every major muscle group in your body with as few as four moves.

“Focus on the big muscle groups first, because that’s what you’re probably going to lift the most weight on, and it’s going to be a little more taxing,” says James. “That’s why we often recommend people do their compound lifts first. You might want to prioritize the areas you want to develop the most.”

He uses the analogy of filling a jar with rocks, stones, and sand to explain this. Exercises that focus on smaller muscles, such as bicep curls, are solid. Bonus healthy treats, like supplements and red light therapy, are grains of sand. But compound lifts are rocky.

If we want to fill our jar efficiently, while adding as few things as possible, we start by adding rocks – and we don’t need to add that many.

“Once you’ve done an exercise, you don’t need to do another exercise that’s similar to it. People can train smarter instead of training harder.”

Read more: Exercise is more important than walking—especially if you’re older

How often should you train?

Spreading your weekly workload over several short sessions, rather than “killing” a specific muscle group each day, can help your body adapt and recover, leading to better results.

“Think of it like feeding a plant—you want to water it little and often, rather than drench it and then leave it for a week,” explains James. James explains. “No one else has time to do 20-plus sets of each muscle group per week, and training twice a week and doing six to 10 sets of each muscle group gives you the big boost you need.”

Read more: I specialize in training people over the age of 40 – do these six things for immediate results

It’s not just how much you train, but how you train

For muscle growth, exercise should be performed close to failure, meaning your muscles are so fatigued that you cannot perform another repetition with good technique. A good sign of this is that your repetition speed will slow down involuntarily.

“We want to make sure that the six to 10 sets we do are done with good form and close to failure,” advises James.

“If we do that and we’re consistent, hopefully we’ll be able to progress over the weeks and months by adding weight or adding repetitions to what we’re doing.”

Read more: I couldn’t hold a plank at 59 – now I can do a pull-up at 76

A four-movement full-body workout

This is a beginner workout that works every major muscle group, shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes and should be repeated two or three times a week. Aim for at least 10 repetitions per set, while using a weight so challenging that you can’t easily lift it for 20 repetitions.

“As you adapt and become familiar with the movements, try increasing the weight or number of repetitions,” advises James.

Exercise 1: Sit on a chair or sofa

Sets: 3 Representatives: 10-20 Rest: 90 seconds

Coach’s Note:

Exercise 2: Romanian Deadlift

Sets: 3 Representatives: 10-20 Rest: 90 seconds

Coach’s Note:

Exercise 3: Push up on a chair or couch

Sets: 3 Representatives: 10-20 Rest: 90 seconds

Coach’s Note:

Exercise 4: Single arm row

Sets: 3 Representatives: 10-20 Rest: 90 seconds

Coach’s Note: