Guides

Training questions, answered

• How much cardio do you need? Easy cardio and the talk testHow many minutes of cardio adults need each week, how to judge easy, brisk and hard effort with the talk test, and how to build up a few minutes at a time.
• EMOM workouts for beginners: how to pick reps and weightHow an every-minute-on-the-minute workout works, how to choose reps and weight so you rest each minute, three sample EMOMs, and how to move on.
• How to start strength training at home with just dumbbellsWhich dumbbell movements to choose, how heavy to go, a two-day sample week, and when to add weight, for anyone starting strength training at home.
• How many days a week should you lift weights?What the research says about lifting two, three or four days a week, sample weeks for each, and how to tell when a third day is worth adding.
• REHIT: a 10-minute sprint workout on a bike or rowerWhat REHIT is, what the research found, how to do a session on a bike or a rowing machine, how often to do it, and what it does not replace.
• Starting strength training after 40How to start lifting after 40: why two full-body days are a sound start, a sample first month, power and balance, and mistakes to avoid.
• Tabata done right, and why your reps should fadeWhat the original Tabata study did, how to pick a movement and warm up, and why falling reps by round eight mean you worked at the right effort.
• When to add weight: the two-session ruleWhy you add weight after topping your rep range on every set in two sessions in a row, with a worked example, big dumbbell jumps, and when to go down.