Would 15 mins of weight training a day have any impact if I did it consistently?

[RudsyFarmer]

Literally this. I have 15 mins I could devote to a home based weight training regime on weekdays. Possibly one 15 min in the morning and one in the evening depending on what the kids are up to and what time I’m trying to get to bed.

Would that have any impact if o was consistent and if it would any recommendations?

thank you.

I'm not a physio or PT or anything like that, but I can share an experience:
DM's best friend was diagnosed with MS in her 30s, and told she'd be in a wheelchair in 20 years. She has weight trained twice a day for about 10-15 mins ever since. 50 years later, she is still mobile. This feels like a win for "little and often" .

I'm no expert, but I've been doing five minutes of hand weights (light) two days on and one day off for a couple of years now. I have toned strong arms and slightly defined shoulders (apparently 🤔). I noticed that I felt stronger after a few weeks.

So yes, it has made a difference. Heavier weights, more time, even better.

Thank you. I have some hand weights I just need to find a routine.

Think it depends on your starting place and goals.
If you literally do no other physical activity beyond minimal housework, then the daily brief spells of weights would do a lot to give you much more muscle strength. So very good if you want to prevent sarcopenia.

So what would be a good weight to start off with? Assuming average fitness

You could focus on couple of different areas of the body each day so that you’re doing each area twice or three times a week with a bit of rest time in between. That might work better than trying to do a 15 min full body workout each day. The rest days are as important as the workout days.

Very hard to judge and depends on what exercises you are doing, eg squats and deadlifts use lower body muscles that are bigger and stronger than upper body. So maybe try 5/6kg dumbells for bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, chest presses etc and a pair of 8kg for lower body stuff and see how you go. You should start to find reps hard around 10-12 mark if you have the weight right for you, adjust accordingly.

My post in response to ‘what weight’ question btw

It would definitely have an impact, especially if you were consistent and did it daily.

There are hundreds of 15, 20 min strength training with weights workouts on YouTube.

All exercise is good. As is consistency. With weight training, rest days are important and recommended, so five days consecutive days of training isn't necessarily good if you're doing exactly the same exercises each time. However, if you're working separate muscle groups rather than an all body routine, then yes, you could work different parts of your body on consecutive days.

With regards to your question, what kind of impact are you hoping for?

Very interesting thread, following for ideas. I’d love to do something like this.

Your 15 minutes a day would only work if you do a progressively heavier programme. That is, adding weight regularly and training to the point where you can’t do more reps. Unlikely with light hand weights.

Thank you! Much appreciated

Exercising 15-20 mis a day plus some walking is definitely working for me - less effective than gym but so much better than doing nothing

Definitely would have a good impact, especially if your rotated the body area so do one day legs, second day arms, third day core, and then repeat.

Yes, go for it. As said by PP wirk different muscle groups - I like to alternate upper and lower body.

I read that eleven minutes of exercise a day can have an impact on your health.

If you do it (move basically) after a meal it also drastically improve your blood sugar response too. From the Zoe Nutrition science based podcast I listened to this morning.

I came to weights from nothing and started at 2kg then quickly progressed to 3kg each weight. Hardly anyone in my classes lifts 5kg , that is definitely a progression weight!

You could even start with 2 beans cans - 800g and see what that feels like before investing.

As in 2 cans per hand

@MistySkiesAreGone are you working with high reps in the class? I suggest 5kg as a starting point for slow, low reps - so 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps should be quite hard to complete.

as an aside, how the hell do you hold two cans of beans in one hand in place of a proper weight?

There is a selection of weights that people can choose from. They don't suggest what weight. Prob about 3 x 15 reps. I'm early 40s desk basked job, not sure I could go to 5kg without some more core strength and shoulder opening.

If you want to build muscle and get stronger 15 reps is too many. The weight is not enough if you can manage 15 reps if you want to build strength.

Better to do 3 sets of 5 reps at a weight that leaves maybe 1 rep in research (RIR) in each set. Still get 15 reps but they’ll actually do something!

Make sure you rest sufficiently in between each set. At least a minute and if you’re going really heavy, 2to 3 minutes.

So that’s conclusive OP 🤣 800g, or 5kg or 10?

To be honest it depends what kind of exercises you are doing and what you want to achieve.

Lifting weights will make you stronger. Working lower weights with higher reps will build endurance and can be very effective if you are doing small movements with your limbs lifted for an extended period eg my spin class has 1kg dumbbells and arms are elevated for 5 continuous minutes, with various movements. It’s torture! Then another class (HIIT, basic AMRAP) I use 2x 8kg for squat to overhead press (which I don’t consider especially heavy), That is exhausting and is very “full body”. You really need to experiment and see what weight suits you. A basic routine of 12-15 reps x 3 is where most people start with weight training.

To add, yes heavier weights and low reps will build muscle/strength most effectively (if this is your goal then include plenty of protein in your diet to help!l)