15 minutes a day to change your life!

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A sustainably strong, fit and healthy body is the holy grail.

What percentage of the population will regularly attend a gym week after week for the entirety of their physical life? I'm afraid to even write it down, so I will say the number is low.

Hold back your anger towards me until after these statements are fully explained. 

It is relatively easy to lose weight. It is not difficult to get fit and strong, along with adding a bit of extra muscle.

The real problem is sustaining the gains (or losses)

If you cut half of your calories for a month, you will without a doubt lose bodyfat. If you get regular gym resistance training into your week for a 12 week period, you will definitely get stronger and add some muscle.

So with a bit of effort, the short term benefits are something you have all experienced.

WINNING! right?

BUT what If you cannot sustain the gains, is it truly success?

The target today is physical gym habits:

I really want to make this a simple message, so listen up.


Let me tell you about the less is more paradox.

15 minutes of strength work 5-6 days a week in the gym is better than 2 x 1-hour workouts.

Shorter intense workouts are a much more sustainably habit. Of course you can add more time to those sessions, but it is not mandatory.

Humans are made to have more regularity of mobility, strength and fitness.

A boot-camp may last for 8 weeks. You lose weight, get fitter, feel great, but those gains and that routine are not sustainable.

That HIT class that supposedly burns 800 calories, performed 2-3 times weekly will suit only certain demographics, with a low percentage sustaining it for life. The injuries are also a major roadblock to group hyped up classes.

All of your eggs in one basket I feel, is missing the mark.

I talk about this often, but it must be repeated. You are not a hamster on a wheel. You should stop trying to burn off bad food habits. 

We need smarter first, before harder!

Thinking that a workout must be an absolute sweat out, a blood bath of effort, creating soreness that makes you feel like you have achieved success. This is not an accurate or a healthy mentality. It has dyer consequences when it comes to long term success and happiness.

Shorter workouts have amazing benefits:

- A focus on one or two exercises means better precision and learning

- Much less muscle soreness

- Daily stimulation of intense exercise has a huge carry-over to all other much needed productive habits in life

- The more regular hormonal boosting effect is more beneficial for an aging population

- They can fit into your busy schedule with no excuses

- You can add home exercise to your gym habit

- If you miss one it does not create a major set-back

This becomes your foundation for a guaranteed strong bullet proof life.

Of course you can now add supplementary physical exercise as it shows up.

You might suddenly train for a 1/2 marathon

You might enjoy a full high intensity fitness class for a period of time

You might play random casual sport suited to the season

And you may turn the odd gym workout into a full hour session because its now a great habit and enjoyable, and your goals have stretched out. 

Remember, this can work really well if your 15minute small workouts have taught and maintained mobility, functional strength, joint health, and good postural balance.

And of course this is the goal with SmallWONDERS coaching.

Think about all the bases we can cover if we are designing 5-6 small workouts.

Here is a mock template for the week:

Monday: Barbell squats 3sets x 10reps, rest 75s between, Triceps cable press 3sets x 10 reps

Tuesday: Machine assisted pullups 3 sets x 8-10reps, rest 75s, Swiss ball russian twist 3 sets x 10each

Wednesday: Bench press 3 sets x 10 reps, rest 75s, Back extensions 3 sets x 15-20 reps

Thursday: Deadlifts 3 sets x 8reps, rest 90s, D/B biceps curls 3sets x 12 reps

Friday: Cable woodchops 3 sets x 8ea, rest 75s, Ski erg 1min sprints x 3 sets

Weekend: Walk, play, garden, swim etc...


We love exercise science, and it really backs up my points. This is great news for people with less time in a day or who are finding it hard to commit to big gym sessions, or those that fail with bull at a gate class formats. 

Go and talk to your gyms and find the one that suits your needs. 


Tony Small

Health Coach





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