EUGENIZATION.

Above: By following the principles of a quick, efficient workout, Dubya could spend less time in the gym, and more time on his policy-making. Or maybe not.

From old-school HIT to Afterburn to Crossfit, there has been a veritable explosion of workout and exercise regimens pointed at getting you fitter faster. In fact, an entire movement is burgeoning with the focus on getting the greatest results in the shortest amount of time.

In other words, the days of the 2 hour workout are over (Sorry Arnold).

Now, this should come as no surprise to the average person. A glance at a contemporary best-seller like Tim Ferriss’ awesome book The Four Hour Workweek shows that our society as a whole is no longer interested in locking into the old paradigms of the past (i.e., work longer to get a better result). I’m not saying that you should eschew hard work, persistence, or consistency. But (in the words of Jay Abraham) you should look to optimize - to get the maximum result from every action you take.

When clients first begin working out with me, they inevitably feel guilty:

“Is this really all I need to do? Shouldn’t I do some cardio or take a yoga class or something?”

Sure, if those activities float your boat and you want to do them. But if you think you need to do those things, well, you don’t.

It’s really true - for fat loss and general health, just strength training a couple times a week is all you really need (I could probably make the case for just one weekly bout of exercise if you’re an older individual). The best part about utilizing quicker and more efficient workouts is that you have more time to do the other things in your life that need doing or that you want to do. And, if all your exercise time condensed into an hour or two a week, who wouldn’t be able to fit exercise into their weekly routine?

Stay tuned for Part 2 - the framework for a “condensed workout routine.”