In this thought-provoking article, the case is made that focused, intense sessions can outperform longer workouts.

The perspective challenges old assumptions and highlights why shorter exercise routines deliver efficient, reliable results—aligning with the training and fueling strategies you’ll find on our website.

Maximizing time and energy. With smart intensity, “time under tension” stays high while total time stays low. Tight rest periods and compound movements create a demanding stimulus that fits real schedules—especially when paired with the correct supplementation.

Avoiding overtraining. Very long sessions invite fatigue, form breakdown, higher injury risk, and motivation dips. Short sessions deliver the signal you need without the collateral damage, supporting sustainable progress.

Metabolic advantages. Brief, vigorous bursts elevate heart rate, recruit large muscle groups, and trigger a post-exercise metabolic lift. That carryover supports calorie burn and weight management—see more on this in Dr. Rick's Insights blog.

Fits real life. Modern schedules reward efficiency. Short, well-designed sessions reduce friction and boost adherence—often the biggest predictor of long-term results.

By prioritizing efficiency, strategic intensity, and recovery, condensed routines can unlock consistent gains without the drag of marathon workouts.

LESS IS MORE: WHY SHORT WORKOUTS ARE BETTER THAN LONG ONES

When people hear “12-minute workouts,” they’re skeptical.

But short sessions can be more effective than an hour on the clock—if you use intensity and intent.

Most of us equate “longer” with “better.” I did too—endless miles and long accessory blocks. It felt obligatory, not effective.

Familiar doesn’t equal optimal. You don’t have to accept that results require marathon sessions.

Here’s the bottom line: longer isn’t automatically better.

In many cases, longer is worse—more fatigue, more friction, less consistency. If you can’t keep a consistent workout schedule, you can’t bank the adaptations.

Short sessions erase the “no time” excuse.

When a workout demands an hour or two, life wins and the workout loses. With short, intense interval workouts, the window is always there—12 to 15 minutes is findable.

Small daily wins compound. Consistency beats perfection.

Short sessions normalize appetite.

Ultra-long efforts often spike hunger and trigger “I earned this” choices that stall progress. Short HIIT avoids the ravenous rebound many experience after steady, lengthy cardio.

The upshot: shorter, sharper work often leaves you less hungry overall.

They deliver results faster.

Intervals can drive meaningful fitness gains in weeks, with cardiovascular and muscular benefits comparable to steady cardio in half to one-third the time.

Short but tough HIIT workouts elevate metabolism and fat-burning power—without commandeering your day.

They get you race-ready with less wear and tear.

Training for a long event? You can pile on miles—or layer in high-quality speed like Tabata sprints to build capacity, protect joints, and save time.

Short vs. long: choose adherence.

Some people love long steady work. For everyone else, knowing that shorter can be better is liberating—not too good to be true, just better aligned with human behavior.

Trade the treadmill trudge for a jump rope or a kettlebell. All your excuses just went out the window.