Everyone thinks that in order for exercising out to be effective, or “worth it”, you have to do it multiple times a week. And while that would be ideal, for many of us our schedule doesn’t allow us to take the time to get a gym more than once a week.

So, if you fall into that category and you can’t workout with a trainer or at a gym more than once a week, you might as well just give up right?

WRONG. Hear me out. 1 Workout a week (consistently EVERY week) = 52 workouts a year. Not doing anything because you don’t think it would be “worth it” = 0 Workouts a Year. What’s better 52 or 0?

Now, more the science (and some psychology). Most people begin a workout routine in an attempt to lose weight. Because I don’t like the term “weight loss”, I like to turn it around and say we should only be focusing on fat loss and muscle gain. Because this is what most people really mean when they mean “lose weight”. Often our goal is to change our bodies, which means taking down the fat, and  replacing it with lean muscle.

When reframing your goals this way, they actually make a lot more sense. Because in order to most effectively burn fat, you need that muscle mass. Muscle burns through calories at a much more efficient rate.

Although those lines, building or keeping muscle mass through strength training has also been proven to help lose fat better than only doing cardio. Building muscle will continue to burn calories long after the workout is over. And the even better news? It only takes one heavy workout a week to keep strength/gain strength effectively. One workout of heavy weight lifting a week will put you on the right track to succeed in your goals.

In addition, staying consistent with that ONE workout a week will put you on track to making healthier choices the rest of the time. You will “want” to eat better and move more on the days you’re not in the gym. Your other “workouts” don’t need to be inside the gym either. You can walk, jump rope, do bodyweight workout circuits or anything else that gets you moving and feeling motivated.

This is CRITICAL for long lasting fat loss and health. The more you move, the better for every aspect of health. All it takes is starting with that ONE heavy strength workout a week. Trust me. It builds character as much as it builds strength and resiliency.