It's never been easier to
strengthen your body.
You might believe that you need to spend much time lifting weights
to gain muscle and strength, but new research shows that this isn't always the
case. According to a recent study, a simple workout and shockingly little
exercise can benefit your body and increase muscle strength. Read on for more
details.
This study found that a relatively tiny amount of exercise can
make your muscles much stronger
A new study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine
& Science in Sports looked at 39 healthy university students from Edith
Cowan University (ECU) and Niigata University of Health and Welfare (NUHW) in
Japan. The students spent just three seconds per day for five days each week
over four weeks doing one muscle contraction (a concentric, isometric, or eccentric
bicep curl) while putting in as much effort as they could. According to the
researchers, the strange bicep curl resulted in a greater than 10% increase in
muscle strength for the participants. (Students who did the other bicep curls
saw an increase in muscle strength as well but at a lower percentage.)
Even "short, high-quality exercise" can be beneficial to
your body.
According to EurekAlert!, lead researcher Professor Ken Nosaka of
ECU's School of Medical and Health Sciences said, "Many people believe you
have to spend much time exercising, but that is not the case." "Even
short, high-quality exercise is beneficial to the body, and every muscle
contraction counts."
Of course, being a muscle-building enthusiast is one thing, but
this new research is game-changing if you don't already follow a workout
routine. There's no better time than now to begin building muscle by doing a
small amount of exercise each week.
Indeed, Joseph Rayner IV, PT, DPT, is the founder of and a
physical therapist.
At QOL Health & Performance, it says, "Those
findings are a testament to the saying something is better than nothing. We
should think of exercise as a way to stimulate adaptations in the body,
regardless of how big or small."
However, it's also essential to gradually increase the difficulty.
On the other hand, Rayner says, "Although there are certain
advantages to starting a new fitness plan, those advantages decrease as the
body adapts. This is why we must gradually increase the difficulty. The
progressive overload principle is what it's called."
According to Rayner, "[adults] should attempt to obtain 150
minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of intense exercise per week,"
according to the American College of Sports Medicine. "Split up your
exercises from cardio days to strength days," Rayner recommends.
According to Rayner, "we should aim to strength train at least two times a week and hit all targeted muscles of the body by the end of the week." "We should aim to conduct moderate-intensity cardio exercise three to five times each week. Maintaining your heart rate between 50 and 70% of your maximum heart rate is considered moderate intensity. 220 minus your age is a simple formula for calculating your maximum heart rate."