Exercise Scientist: This Simple Workout Plan Helps Maintain Muscle When You're Low on Time
Exercise Scientist: This Simple Workout Plan Helps Maintain Muscle When You're Low on Time originally appeared on Men's Fitness.
When you've worked hard for your gains, you don't want to lose them—especially if life has gotten busy, making it difficult to get to the gym. But it's possible to work out with a busy schedule. It may take less time than you might think, too.
Exercise scientist Mike Israetel appeared as a guest on The Diary of a CEO Podcast, explaining that staying in good shape doesn't require hours in the gym each day—or even each week.
His take: Two hours a week is all it takes to maintain your gains, maybe even improve them.
"People think the amount of training it takes to get into great shape is exactly the same exact amount of training you have to continuously do to stay in good shape," Israetel says.But, that's a myth.
He explained that most of the body's complex systems operate in a way where it takes significantly more effort to create change than it does to maintain progress. That means once you've built a solid fitness foundation, upkeep is far easier than people assume.
"Two hours total per week week can at the very least maintain what you have, essentially indefinitely," he says.
If you're in a busy season of life struggling to find time to train, don't worry about hitting the gym every day. Focus on consistent, efficient workouts—even short sessions count.
It's even worth considering switching your workout split to three full-body workouts a week, hitting every essential movement pattern.
"You can actually train a lot less and keep all of your gains and maybe make some more," Israetel says.
Consistency beats volume when you're busy. And with just a couple hours a week, you can stay strong, fit, and healthy.Exercise Scientist: This Simple Workout Plan Helps Maintain Muscle When You're Low on Time first appeared on Men's Fitness on Jun 18, 2025
This story was originally reported by Men's Fitness on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
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