Quick Drills: Does the 7-Minute Workout really work?

You might have come across the revolutionary 7-Minute Workout that respectable sources such as The New York Times has raved highly about. Basically, the 7-Minute Workout claims to be a form of high-intensity circuit training that consist of 12 different bodyweight drills that only require 2 props: a chair and a wall – how convenient! Based on scientific research, the creators of this workout believe that it provides you with the benefits that a long run or a trip to the gym offer, except in a shorter amount of time. It sounds rather surreal that 7 minutes is all that is needed to keep fit. But, a publication in the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal should be pretty legit, right?

Well… we were skeptical at first, just like you probably are right now. So, we did some research in an attempt to clear all our doubts. Here’s what we found.

Disclaimers

The biggest disclaimer, or “suggestion”, as the authors of the 7-Minute Workout would like to put it, is that repeating the circuit 2 to 3 times is likely to benefit you more than just exercising for one cycle. Well, duh, that goes without saying. What’s the point then of advertising the workout as one that only requires 7 minutes? We think the creators would’ve gained more credibility if they published it as the 20-Minute Workout instead.

Another fact that was not mentioned outright in articles praising the authors’ research is that the 7-Minute Workout may not create intensity for those with higher fitness levels. Basically, the 7-Minute Workout is not a one-size-fits-all idea, even though it seems marketed this way. Of course, individual drills can be switched up to suit one’s level of fitness, but that would simply mean the creation of a whole new routine, which totally undermines the point of the 7-Minute Workout. Maybe it’s just not such a radical discovery after all.

Discrepancies

Apparently, research for the 7-Minute Workout was not based on similar types of high-intensity circuit training, but rather based on a combination of high-intensity training workouts and longer types of circuit training – completely different, as you can tell. In addition, research claims that high-intensity circuit training works if the exercises involved target multiple large muscle groups. However, the drills of the 7-Minute Workout are very simple ones that target specific muscles rather than large muscle groups. We don’t know if the authors intended this workout for beginners only, since they did not specifically mention it, but we sure do think so.

Furthermore, critics insist that for the 7-Minute Workout to be truly effective, bodyweight is not sufficient to achieve a consistent level of intensity in such a short amount of time (30 seconds per step). The simple exercises only allow minimal energy expenditure, thus a minimal amount of calories burnt. Therefore, added resistance is highly recommended when executing these drills.

Conclusion

As much as we would love to believe that just 7 minutes of your day can change your life, there is still no shortcut to fitness, and we think you’d be better off going for a run or implementing some weight training to your routine that will actually generate results in a much shorter time.

Dione Chen

Photos: Getty Images

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