When it comes to working out, How much is “enough”?

Which workout or program should you do?
Here’s a short list to choose from:
[1] (Double) KB Clean + Press, 3x week, 20-30 minutes per session. Good for: Total body strength, upper body muscle building, fat loss.
https://salutis.kartra.com/page/oWP219
[2] Snatch “Only” - 3x week, 15 minutes per session. Good for… Everything.
https://cart.chasingstrength.com/ksk2
[3] Tough As Nails Programs For Those Who Like Challenges. (Name says it all.) More details: Double KB, for fat loss, and building muscle. 10-30 minutes per workout, 3x week.
https://cart.chasingstrength.com/hard3b
[4] Double KB Clean + Press, Double KB Front Squat, and Single KB Snatch - Builds muscle, gets you stronger, leans you out, makes you more powerful. 4x week. 20 to 30 minutes per workout.
https://go.chasingstrength.com/kettlebell-maximorum-e/
[5] Single KB Fat Loss: Your choice of either 10-30 minutes, 6x week - OR - 45 minutes, 3x week.
https://go.chasingstrength.com/kettlebell-burn/
I have a guilty confession to make:
Sometimes I watch “bodybuilding” videos on YouTube.
I just want to see what’s “out there” and if anything’s changed.
The answer?
Not much.
GUYS ARE STILL “TRAINING TO FAILURE.”
STILL DOING “FORCED REPS.”
STILL DOING “CHEST & TRI’S.”
Still doing steroids.
Still brainwashing guys who don’t know any better that this is the “only” way to workout or the “best” way to train.
“Best?”
For what?
To have the inside of your legs chafe when you walk?
To look like you swallowed a pumpkin?
To look like you’re waddling around with a loaf in your diaper?
I recently watched one dude, God bless him, a brown belt in BJJ, get manhandled by a black belt who had to be 70 pounds lighter than him.
For me, gone are the days where I’m so sore after a workout that I can barely blink and sneezing makes me wince - tear up even.
Gone are the days where I’m spending 60 minutes in the gym, 5 days a week.
Nope.
Not interested anymore.
Today, I squatted for about 10 minutes.
Then, I alternated between Ring Dips and Weighted Pull Ups and helping my daughter do muscle ups on the rings for 15 minutes. (She’s so close!)
25 minutes. Then she and I went to the grocery store.
Yesterday I squatted for about 10 minutes then did double KB Clean + Presses for 10 minutes.
20 minutes and done.
(Don’t ask about squatting two days in a row…)
Yesterday, coincidentally, in separate encounters, both my son and my daughter made comments telling me my biceps were huge. Which is hilarious, because I could care less about the size of my arms and never train them directly.
(Of course, they are KIDS… So everything looks big to them.)
The point is, my workouts are long enough to get a significant amount of work done, and short enough so I can walk away with energy in my tank.
How long is that EXACTLY?
Between 10 and 30 minutes usually.
I was actually discussing this with a client today too, coincidentally.
The more you have “on your plate,” the less time I’ve found I need to train.
Personally, I like frequent training - up to 6 days a week. But again, on the shorter side.
You can get brutally strong and decently muscular training this way.
And yeah, you can even stimulate some fat loss.
Are you going to look like Arnold?
Nope.
But again, I don’t want to.
I’ve been over 250lbs.
It was A LOT OF WORK to get there and maintain it.
And I wasn’t married nor did I have kids.
So, based on my personal, and professional experience (30 years), I think between 10 and 30 minutes is enough.
For some, up to 45 minutes.
And the number of exercises?
Whatever you want to get in during that time frame.
Personally, I’ll do anywhere from one (Double KB Clean + Press) to three (C+P, Dips, Chins).
I’ll usually program about the same for my private clients in primarily 4 week cycles.
What should YOU do?
How much is ENOUGH for you?
Well, that depends on YOU.
YOUR goals.
YOUR work schedule.
YOUR personal life.
YOUR injury history.
YOUR training history.
YOUR kids’ practice and competition schedules. (BIGGIE right there.)
YOUR skill level using kettlebells.
You get my drift, right?
So, if your workouts aren’t working for you right now…
Or, you’re not working out right now because “you don’t have time”...
My recommendation is to change your expectations.
Remember:
10 to 30 minutes about 3x per week is “all” you need, especially if you have a full time job and a family.
So just remember - YOU get to define how much is ENOUGH for you (assuming you can recover from your workouts - which means your achieving your goals).
Stay Strong,
Geoff