What Is Time-Optimized Fitness and Why Is It Trending?
Time-optimized fitness is a workout focusing on fitting a complete session in minutes through specific regimens such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), compound exercises and circuit training. The goal is to optimize workouts by compressing physical activities into a 30-minute routine but still getting the same benefits of standard cardio.
Why Is It Trending?
The problem this exercise system solves is the lack of time for physical activities. You may have an hour now to stay in the gym and do your standard routines, but it may shift if your responsibilities switch, like if you get married or have kids. Time-optimized fitness lets you achieve the same results as your original workouts but in a shorter time, optimizing your training's effectiveness.
This routine has the following features:
Moderate to high-intensity training
A full-body workout in a short amount of time
Routines that engage several muscle groups simultaneously
Repetitive routines with minimal rest in between
Bodyweight movements
Is There Science Behind Time-Optimized Fitness?
Many people are fond of this exercise style, so it’s a trend that will likely stay. Plus, science supports it.
The Best Time for Exercise
Believe it or not, the effects of exercise vary depending on when you do it. Therefore, identifying the best time to move is the first factor in a time-optimized workout.
Morning exercises are great for burning belly fat. It may also boost weight loss. If you're trying to achieve any of the two, ideally, schedule your gym in the morning. Meanwhile, afternoon sessions are more effective at lowering blood pressure and promoting heart health.
This happens because your body has higher levels of cortisol and your arteries are less flexible in the morning, meaning exercising will elevate your blood pressure. Experts suggest doing physical activities in the late afternoon or evening if you have a condition this could affect. It may help manage type 2 diabetes since people have better glucose control if they exercise after meals.
Finally, low- to moderate-impact aerobics in the evening can help improve sleep. Yoga is a good exercise option for this purpose. In a nutshell, timing your movement activity can optimize your fitness and allow you to make better strides toward achieving your body goals.
The Anabolic Window
This term generally refers to the 30–60-minute window after exercise, which experts suggest is the optimal frame to boost muscular gains and recovery through nutrition. Besides timing your workout, nutrient timing is also beneficial in time-optimized fitness.
Exercise fanatics apply this by taking protein shakes immediately after a workout. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and have been found to stimulate muscle protein synthesis — a process where the body builds and repairs sore tissue after an intense workout.
Another substance with a similar effect is the omega-3 fatty acids, known for their benefits in reducing exercise-induced muscle damage. Since time-optimized fitness consists of high-intensity workouts, supplementing with omega-3 through pills or nutrition by eating seafood at least twice a week — also loaded with protein — helps reduce inflammation and accelerate recovery to prepare you for the next session.
One study found 3 grams of omega-3 supplementation for four weeks in healthy males significantly decreased their muscle soreness 24 hours after exercise-induced damage. While it didn't help boost the participants' performance in their next workout session, it mitigated muscle soreness.
How Is Time-Optimized Fitness Achieved?
Three types of workout training fit the bill for efficient, effective and optimal workout.
1. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT has quickly become a popular workout choice. It allows you to gain the benefits of a longer exercise regimen in a full 30-minute routine — ideal for those who can't stay in the gym for at least an hour. HIIT does this by integrating rounds of repeated short bursts of intense activity that increase heart rate to at least 80% of its max, followed by periods of low-intensity movements. The exercise-to-rest ratio depends on your ability.
This workout method is composed of training that uses the body as resistance against gravity. Consisting of mainly strength and aerobic routines — such as planks, squat jumps and jumping jacks — it's a type of workout that helps you burn fat, increase endurance, and improve health outcomes.
One study found doing a few sessions of HIIT weekly can turn the body into a fat-burning machine. Following 12 weeks of HIIT, a person can expect to burn an extra 0.13 grams of fat for each minute of movement, which is about 10 kg in 10 years for someone who engages in 150 minutes of physical activity weekly. Overall, it can be an excellent option for taking your goals a notch higher.
2. Compound Exercises
Compound exercises support the goal of time-optimized fitness since the routines target several muscle groups simultaneously. In contrast with isolated activities that only work a single muscle point — like bicep curls strengthening only the biceps — compound movements are more efficient since you engage two or more muscles.
A good example is the squat, where you work the leg and lower body, including the hamstrings, calves, quadriceps, glutes, lower back and core. As a result, you shorten your exercise time and burn more calories. Other routines to try besides squats are:
Deadlift
Front lunge with twist
Reverse lunge
High plank T-spine rotation
Dumbbell shoulder press on an exercise ball
Since these exercises involve several body areas, working with a fitness professional is the best way to adjust your form until you can do them independently.
Circuit Training
Circuit training involves moving through up to 10 exercises targeting various muscle groups. You complete the required repetitions in a structured routine and move on to the next with little to no rest.
Anyone can do circuit training — even beginners. It's customizable based on your level of capability. Do it at home by incorporating bodyweight movements like chest presses, squats, planks and other strength routines. Since rest is minimal, you can fit the entire session in only 30–45 minutes. There are four types of this training:
Repetition: You complete the for a certain amount of time, such as 90 seconds.
Competition: You repeat the exercises as many times as possible within a given time.
Sport-specific: You do routines repeatedly to improve specific movements such as kicks and jumps.
Like the first two, circuit training also increases your strength and helps you lose weight.
Try Time-Optimized Fitness
It may be a completely different routine from what you're used to, but time-optimized workouts have great benefits. You finish the whole routine in minutes, allowing you to spend extra time on essential matters. Plus, it's highly heart-pumping, so it won't bore you. Explore time-optimized fitness and try it a few times to discover if it can accelerate achieving your body goals.