MensHealth
  • News
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Sex
  • Nutrition
  • Style
  • Weight Loss
  • Life
  • Podcasts
  • Motoring
  • Video
MensHealth
  • News
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Sex
  • Nutrition
  • Style
  • Weight Loss
  • Life
  • Podcasts
  • Motoring
  • Video
Subscribe
MH Challenge Week 3 – Khan Porter
Watch 0:59

MH Challenge Week 3 – Khan Porter

{headline}

{headline}

Olympic Legend Michael Klim Shares His Full-Body Backyard Workout

Olympic Legend Michael Klim Shares His Full-Body Backyard Workout

This Is How Many Pushups You Have To Do To Lower Your Risk Of Heart Disease

This Is How Many Pushups You Have To Do To Lower Your Risk Of Heart Disease

This Is The Music Playlist Behind Chris Hemsworth's Rig

This Is The Music Playlist Behind Chris Hemsworth's Rig

How To Rebuild Your Health After A Bad Break-Up

How To Rebuild Your Health After A Bad Break-Up

{headline}

{headline}

MH Challenge Week 3 – Khan Porter

MH Challenge Week 3 – Khan Porter

How Often Should You Exercise Your Abs To Get A Six-Pack?

How Often Should You Exercise Your Abs To Get A Six-Pack?

The Mountain Proved He's the World's Strongest Man, Again

The Mountain Proved He's the World's Strongest Man, Again

{headline}

{headline}

MH Challenge Week 3 – Matt Poole

MH Challenge Week 3 – Matt Poole

Do We Really Need To Take 10,000 Steps A Day?

Do We Really Need To Take 10,000 Steps A Day?

Henry Cavill Is Looking Even More Jacked In Role For 'The Witcher'

Henry Cavill Is Looking Even More Jacked In Role For 'The Witcher'

(Sponsor)

MH Challenge Week 2 – Khan Porter

MH Challenge Week 2 – Khan Porter

You’ve Probably Been Squatting Wrong This Whole Time

You’ve Probably Been Squatting Wrong This Whole Time

MH Challenge Week 2 – Matt Poole

MH Challenge Week 2 – Matt Poole

  1. Home
  2. Fitness

How to Lose an Inch of Belly Fat In Just 7 Minutes a Day

But can a bodyweight circuit really replace your entire workout? - by Christa Sgobba
  • 03 Nov 2017
How to Lose an Inch of Belly Fat In Just 7 Minutes a Day Instagram / @builtbydylan

It’s the bane of the modern man: You want to get fit, but you don’t always have time to hit the gym for an hour after work. So is it possible to get in shape when you only have mere minutes to spare for a workout?

It’s a common question, and it’s one that fitness experts have long sought to answer. Now, there’s new research supporting the efficacy of the super-quick workout: Just seven minutes of bodyweight exercise a day can change your body for the better, according to a study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness.

In the study, researchers recruited 29 normal-weight adults who did not exercise regularly, and had some of them complete an exercise program while the others didn’t work out at all. For six weeks, the workout group completed a seven-minute bodyweight circuit of 12 exercises each day: 30 seconds of jumping jacks, wall sit, push ups, crunches, step-ups, squats, tricep dips on a chair, plank hold, high knees/running in place, lunges, push ups with rotation, and side planks, with a 10 second rest between each exercise.

Even without changing up their diet at all, the workout group experienced some pretty significant changes in their body composition: After six weeks, their body fat dropped by an average of 2.1 percent, and they lost about four pounds of fat mass. They also shed nearly an inch off their waist measurement, too.

RELATED: The 70 Best Bodyweight Exercises To Seek And Destroy Fat

I think this is called 'active recovery bondi style'... 🤔 Smashing some @sanitarium_pb post workout to keep my muscles fueled because let's face it, it's a high performance machine so she only takes premium... 🤦‍♂️😂 #aceventurahadallthegoodlines #postworkout #yum

Resistance exercises—in this case, provided by the participants’ own bodyweight—can help boost lean body mass and help burn fat, the researchers say.

But can you really get shredded in just seven minutes a day? It’s important to manage your expectations with a quick program like this, explains trainer Tony Gentilcore, C.S.C.S., owner of CORE in Boston.

“It’s a perfect example of something is better than nothing,” he says. “Yes, guys will see some results here, especially if they’re consistent.” The problem is, you’ll likely eventually stagnate with exercises that just use your bodyweight, meaning the results you see will likely plateau and cap after a while. Guys with more weight to lose, or who are new to exercise, might see results for longer, but eventually, you'll probably stop seeing the results you want. The current study was only six weeks, so it's unclear if any progress would have continued after that point.

RELATED: Got 30 Minutes and Some Floor Space? Do This Simple, Effective Workout

“With very little progressive overload, I doubt someone would see continued progress over time, nor can they expect any profound strength gains or muscle growth," Gentilcore says. That's because it’s the continual challenging of your muscles with more weight or reps (the key to progressive overload) that builds strength and size.

So if you’re looking to get jacked, you’ll need a program that continues to progress so your muscles don’t get too comfortable. But that’s not to say that there isn’t anybenefit to a seven-minute workout.

In fact, the study authors say it can be used as a great starting point for people to get into an exercise routine, or for regular exercisers to sub in for quick workout when they’re under heavy time constraints.

“It’s a perfect fit for those who travel a ton and otherwise need a 'default workout' when they're in a pinch and don't have access to a well-equipped gym,” Gentilcore says.

So on days when you’re stuck at home with no dumbbell in sight, this quick circuit can help you get something in for the day. When your schedule frees back up? Then it’s back to the progressive overload grind if you really want to build strength and size. 

This article originally appeared on Men's Health

BIG SUMMER SALE - NOW ON

Just $15 for 6 issues

SAVE 74% Subscribe Now
BIG SUMMER SALE - NOW ON

Recommended to you

MH Challenge Week 3 – Khan Porter
Watch 0:59

MH Challenge Week 3 – Khan Porter

{headline}

{headline}

Olympic Legend Michael Klim Shares His Full-Body Backyard Workout

Olympic Legend Michael Klim Shares His Full-Body Backyard Workout

This Is How Many Pushups You Have To Do To Lower Your Risk Of Heart Disease

This Is How Many Pushups You Have To Do To Lower Your Risk Of Heart Disease

This Is The Music Playlist Behind Chris Hemsworth's Rig

This Is The Music Playlist Behind Chris Hemsworth's Rig

How To Rebuild Your Health After A Bad Break-Up

How To Rebuild Your Health After A Bad Break-Up

{headline}

{headline}

MH Challenge Week 3 – Khan Porter

MH Challenge Week 3 – Khan Porter

How Often Should You Exercise Your Abs To Get A Six-Pack?

How Often Should You Exercise Your Abs To Get A Six-Pack?

The Mountain Proved He's the World's Strongest Man, Again

The Mountain Proved He's the World's Strongest Man, Again

{headline}

{headline}

MH Challenge Week 3 – Matt Poole

MH Challenge Week 3 – Matt Poole

Do We Really Need To Take 10,000 Steps A Day?

Do We Really Need To Take 10,000 Steps A Day?

Henry Cavill Is Looking Even More Jacked In Role For 'The Witcher'

Henry Cavill Is Looking Even More Jacked In Role For 'The Witcher'

(Sponsor)

MH Challenge Week 2 – Khan Porter

MH Challenge Week 2 – Khan Porter

You’ve Probably Been Squatting Wrong This Whole Time

You’ve Probably Been Squatting Wrong This Whole Time

MH Challenge Week 2 – Matt Poole

MH Challenge Week 2 – Matt Poole

MensHealth
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Pacific Magazines
  • Partners
  • 7Plus
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Statement
MensHealth Magazine Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Pacific Magazines
  • Partners
  • 7Plus
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Statement

Brands

  • Women's Health
  • marie claire
  • Instyle
  • Beauty Crew

Pacific Network

  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • BHG Shop
  • New Idea food
  • New Idea
  • Who
  • Girlfriend
  • That’s Life
  • Home Beautiful
  • All Recipes
  • Practical Parenting
© 2019 Pacific Magazines