I am a devoted believer in minimalist fitness training approaches and have been for most of my life. I apply minimalism to my martial arts, strength and endurance training. 

So why the minimalist approach?

Basically put, there is a tremendous amount of evidence to suggest that most of our training adaptation to exercise is related to our 'best' single workout in any single week - regardless of how often we work out.

Idai Makaya riding 115 miles on an ElliptiGO in the 2011 Ride Around London 

The concept of minimalsim refers to the challenge of using the minimum effort to generate the maximum results in your training. Like everything in life, I accept there are probably degrees to which this concept can be expressed, but I love its efficiency. This approach is especially useful for very busy people who may not be able to sustain numerous training sessions long term. 

It is not unusual for me to do all my training for the whole week in just one exercise session (that's martial arts, strength and cardio/endurance training - all in one session); either to save time or just to challenge myself to do it correctly every time. When you train this way you only get one chance, so you need to make sure your workout is really worthwhile.

What I specifically refer to here is the possibility that if you were to 'optimise' the way in which you exercise you would only ever have to workout just once in a week in order to gain and maintain perfect all-round fitness. This approach applies mainly to fitness training - rather than to pure sports training - although the concepts can be very helpful to sportspeople who want to make their training effective and efficient.

The implication to be drawn from these opening statements is that many people who exercise frequently in any single fitness discipline may just be duplicating their efforts and many such individuals would possibly not be any fitter through daily exercise than they would be if they just worked out once each week (for each fitness modality or parameter they are striving to maintain or improve upon).

Advantages of the minimalist approach:

1) Busy individuals with serious time constraints can still train themselves to a very high fitness level by making time for a single strength-endurance workout each week. This is probably the most important advantage of the minimalist approach because many people who have given up on being super-fit have done so because they believed that a high level of fitness was impossible without sacrificing significant amounts of time, on an almost daily basis, in order to exercise. Classic examples of such individuals are people with jobs involving lots of travel, new parents (with infant children and/or childcare constraints), single parents, and various other people who work long and/or varied hours.

2) Individuals who train in many sports or fitness disciplines can still attain a high level of fitness in each of their training disciplines by employing minimalist principles to develop each distinct facet of their fitness.

3) Training less often can be used as a strategy to overcome or avoid overuse injuries.

4) Minimalist training approaches can be used to avoid burnout or overtraining while still training at one's maximum intensity.

5) Longer gaps between intense training sessions allow individuals to maintain a high energy level - which has advantages in everyday life, away from training. It is a good idea to exercise as intensely as is practical because more intense training is not only more efficient (from an adaptation perspective) but it also offers more health and fitness advantages.

6) Sportspeople who normally use a high training volume and a high training frequency can use minimalist training approaches to remain very fit during an off-season, without having to train as regularly as they normally do. This allows recuperation from the rigors of their training season, gives any injuries a chance to heal and refreshes their bodies and hormonal systems in preparation for the next season.

Now for some background to my minimalist investigation:

Since 2007 I have been more seriously exploring the concept of minimalism in all

my fitness training. I have used aspects of minimalism in a big way since about 1997 when I first started using pure High intensity training (HIT) in my strength and cardio workouts. Even in the years prior to that I had been using one-set-per-exercise strength training schemes (for many years), but in multiple weekly workouts - and I'd also been doing multiple cardio sessions. From 2007 I started making the maximum effort to streamline all forms of my training to fit into just one session each week, including my martial arts and cardio.

Idai Makaya pictured on the cover of A to B Magazine - Feb 2011 

Even for people who train a lot (i.e. virtually every day) the concept of minimalism will still be beneficial in helping them to get the most out of whatever training they do. For instance, it helps to know which workout gives you the best fitness contribution in your weekly routine so that if your schedule is busy or disrupted (forcing you to miss some training days) you will still be able to zero in on the training sessions which will give you the best returns during that time of disruption. On a longer term basis, if you train in many different disciplines - like a triathlete, for example - you can do fewer but more beneficial training sessions and still reach your potential in all the different disciplines by applying minimalist concepts.

Initially, when my serious minimalist exploration first started out, the only area I was not yet able to prove the complete effectiveness of the concept was in was pure (long duration) endurance training - because I found that most forms of endurance training need to be performed regularly if you are to avoid getting injured. However, frequent endurance workouts do also lead to injury through overuse - albeit to a less acute extent than infrequent endurance workouts do. It's not an ideal situation.

This is where the ElliptiGO completed the picture for me. It has long been proven that general cardio training need only be carried out once a week to achieve perfect fitness (see the website of Clarence Bass for good examples of this - using indoor rowing and exercise bikes). But it was only in 2010 that I was finally able to complete my own personal exploration into pure endurance training along minimalist protocols, with the launch of the ElliptiGO outdoor elliptical bike which allows for a genuine high-intensity endurance workout using a large proportion of the body's muscle mass - and without any meaningful impact on the joints.

 Idai Makaya riding 110 miles on an ElliptiGO in the 2011 Chiltern 100 Sportive

In my view the ElliptiGO outdoor elliptical bike is the most advanced cardio/endurance training machine available in the world at the moment, with regard to training intensity, fitness or conditioning 'returns' and general fitness benefits. There is no other single piece of cardio equipment which is as effective and as versatile (for both cardiovascular and endurance training) as the ElliptiGO. 

Can a pure minimalist approach work for true endurance fitness?

Actually yes - but there are some very distinct exceptions to this concept, which I will explain here. For instance, you cannot reach your potential in distance running if you only train once a week, because it is also a "coordination activity." "Coordination activities" require regular practice in order to gain or maintain fitness because much of the fitness adaptation of coordination activities relates to the nervous system and to the nerve-coordination of the muscles being exercised. If you only ran once a week you would get badly injured because your muscles would not be developing the correct coordination required to remain uninjured.

When you run regularly (as a form of exercise) the development of your fitness is related as much to nervous coordination as it is to organic cellular adaptations in your muscles. Your muscles have to learn to coordinate so that they all contract and relax in harmony as you are running, because this coordination is required to stabilise and protect the joints and soft tissues being used. This is the case for all activities classed as "high-impact exercise" - such as sprinting, distance running, jumping, punching conditioning for the hands (in combat sports), etc.

However, for simple health and fitness purposes, one is able to select exercise modalities which can by-pass the requirements for high-impact and can then develop maximal and perfect fitness (strength, stamina and endurance) using just one workout each week; or a very small number of very effective workouts.

So that's the biggest rule in relation to hi-intensity endurance training - the concept can only be applied to low-impact exercise modalities.

The low-impact 'rule' is the single reason why I have only been able to completely prove the concept of hi-intensity endurance training to myself by using the ElliptiGO elliptical bike, which allows for an intense workout like running; but without impact on the joints. I initially started using the ElliptiGO following pretty conventional endurance training practices - doing two or even three short workouts during the week. I eventually started adding a longer workout at weekends to build my endurance and I quickly realised that the workout which counted the most was the most intense one (usually the long one).

If I increased my long ride duration, but left everything else the same, my fitness on the ElliptiGO improved. If I intensified only the shorter ones but not the long one, there was no meaningful fitness improvement in relation to my endurance - although my cardio capacity did appear to improve slightly. That suggested to me that the longer workout was having the biggest effect on my fitness and it reinforced my suspicion that the other less intense workouts were not making a huge difference to my conditioning.

Note that it is not the length of workout that determines intensity in every case. Intensity can certainly be gained from a short workout as well and a lot depends on the type of fitness you are trying to develop for yourself. 

Idai Makaya climbs a 20% incline on an ElliptiGO in the 110-mile Chiltern 100 Sportive 

However, to prove the concept of minimalism, I worked through those multiple workout principles for a number of months and tested my times over various distances, before switching to a single weekly workout on the ElliptiGO. When I had enough information on the multiple workout strategy I switched to the full once-weekly protocol and observed that not only did I maintain my fitness really easily - I was actually able to improve it further.

Eventually, I was able to improve my time over 100km by almost a full hour using the single weekly workout approach. At that stage I was also able to test my fitness in a number of endurance events using the ElliptiGO and that solidified the minimalist theory of endurance training even further for me. I expected these results - based on the existing theories of high intensity training (HIT) which I have observed for well over a decade in other areas of my fitness training - but it is always important to prove things in practice in all training areas and this 'experiment' is the first I know of aimed at directly proving that HIT can be applied to pure endurance training - as well as to strength training and shorter cardio workouts (which I already knew about).

I believe the improvements I made on the single-weekly-workout regime came about directly as a result of having more recovery time to allow full adaptation to the big training sessions. I was able to demonstrate this recovery aspect quite well by simply putting in a short ride during the week immediately after a big endurance event and seeing how it affected my next big training session seven days after the endurance event. Invariably, this short mid-week session would prolong the recovery period and make it considerably longer than 7 days (before I was once again able to put in my best riding performance over a long distance).

The recovery time gained is one of the biggest benefits of using a minimalist, hi-intensity endurance training programme on an ElliptiGO bike. You recover fully after every session. This recovery benefit even applies to ultra-endurance events lasting over 9 hours. I can fully recover from such events within 7 days if I do not do any endurance training sessions in the 7 days immediately after each event.

I am fully aware that 'cardio training' is not necessarily endurance training (although it can be). Endurance training relates to long-duration activities. 'Cardio' training is not necessarily long-duration in nature (although it can be) and you can effectively get into good cardiovascular condition using very short 'cardio' workouts - or very long ones - as you prefer.

The intensity of a cardio workout can be varied in two ways:

1. By working out harder/faster and getting the heart rate really high.

2. By working out for longer periods at much lower heart rates, so that the challenge is brought about by the duration of the activity, rather than by its intensity.

The same is not true for endurance workouts - they require a reasonable duration in order to be effective.

There is merit to both approaches to intensity and an alternation between the two approaches, cyclically, is a good idea. However, from a practical perspective, the shorter and much more intense workouts are not as easy to sustain long-term, because they require immense motivation and are often best used in group coaching sessions - and for the short-term - rather than by the solo athlete, for the long term. This is one of the main reasons why I use long-duration, single-weekly workouts as the base of my cardio and endurance training.

Theoretically, the concept of hi-intensity endurance training will apply to a number of low-impact exercise modalities such as cycling, rowing, swimming, various indoor gym 'stepper' machines and 'crosstrainer' machines. However, apart from conventional cycling on a bicycle, the rest of those activities would be mind-numbingly boring to carry out for the length of time and at the intensity required to develop maximum endurance (because they are largely indoor activities).

Conventional cycling can probably be used as a once-weekly training modality because it is an outdoor activity - but that would still involve a huge amount of focus and concentration just to make the workouts intense enough to really count - or it would involve the usage of high gear ratios in order to 'force' a strength-endurance aspect into the workout. ElliptiGO workouts stress your endurance as well as your strength - and use a large proportion of your total muscle mass - so they are ideal for once-weekly training (because the intensity is always high when you ride an ElliptiGO - unlike a conventional bike, which tends to move very efficiently even with relatively little effort being applied - and using reletively few muscles for the exercise). Riding a conventional bike does little to condition your core or upper body - thus compromising the calorie burning and conditioning effects of the exercise.

 Idai Makaya riding 53 miles on an ElliptiGO in the 2011 London to Brighton Bike Ride

The period across which workout frequency is validated in a minimalist protocol has not been explored to its extremes in all forms of fitness endeavour, but it is safe to assume that the period of about one week (seven days - plus or minus a day, either way) is a sufficient training interval for any minimalist protocol to be effective.

I find that the protocol works well with recovery intervals of 6-9 days and I have not really tested longer recovery periods, except for times when I experience travel interruptions to my training, etc. The longer and/or more intense the workout, the more time is required to fully recover. I can do well with even 5 or 6 day recovery periods if I am doing 30-50 mile training sessions; but if I go 60 miles and beyond then a full 7-8 days are needed to recover completely.

I believe that endurance training on an ElliptiGO is a form of 'strength-endurance' training because it improves the strength in the main muscles being trained, as well as improving their endurance. So it should probably more accurately be called high intensity strength-endurance training (HI-SET). It is definitely a form of minimalist training - even if some of the workouts could be quite long. In fact, it is possibly the ultimate expression of the concept of minimalism in fitness training - because it applies to the development of maximum endurance, as well as to strength training for the same muscles. 

I am a firm believer in the concept of minimalism. I do not see value in being committed to doing things more often than they absolutely have to be done for the desired results. If, for example, one is advised to brush one's teeth two or three times daily for ideal oral hygeine - then I see no value in brushing them 10 times a day for no additional gain in cleanliness. If one is required to exercise just once a week for full fitness to be achieved then I see little (note I say "little" and not "no") value in doing so more often.

I think there can sometimes be psychological value in more regular training than is needed to achieve one's fitness goals, but this needs to be considered carefully because sometimes recreational 'extra' training can increase one's injury risk (depending on what types of exercise are involved).

Idai Makaya riding 115 miles on an ElliptiGO in the 2011 Ride Around London

Most people train too much, in relation to the exercise goals they seek to achieve. By "too much" I refer to the fact that they place themselves in danger of injury, fatigue and overtraining by the volume of exercise they do - for no extra fitness gains. Some people can gain a mental 'boost' from regular exercise sessions, because exercise lifts your mood. But if you don't have mood issues or a depression-related illness that sort of 'mood lift' need not be generated daily in order to be of benefit to you.

Also, if you do different types of exercise - such as strength training, sports training and endurance training - you can do once-weekly sessions of each modality and still be training 3 times a week in total (because each exercise/sport modality may require its own dedicated training day).

Minimalism does not strictly require only one exercise session to be performed each week - it requires one workout of each type every week. I have absolutely no ideological issues with using multiple weekly sessions where appropriate - and in fact I often follow a routine involving more than one session per week (especially during peak training phases of my conditioning cycle). For example, I sometimes seperate my strength training workouts from my endurance training workouts and do one endurance workout and one strength workout in any seven day period.

But I sometimes train all my conditioning parameters in just one weekly session, for convenience (especially off-season). All-in-one workouts, when done using the correct exercise sequences, are very rewarding - and I actually prefer them. 

If different exercise modalities are combined into a single session the training sequence used is crucial to your success. Always do the more technical movements first, when the nerves and muscles are fresh. Use them as a warm-up activity. Then do the strength exercises next, having used the technical movements to warm up. Lastly, do the endurance work - after the strength work.

Strength work must not be done after endurance training - or injury will quickly catch up with you. Also, strength training is ineffective if done after endurance training - but doing strength training before endurance training has no detrimental effect on the endurance training which follows (if anything, it actually intensifies your endurance training if you do a strength training session immediately prior to an endurance workout).

Using hi-intensity principles, I often just do one martial arts workout weekly - normally combined with my strength workout - as a warm-up activity. The single exception to the sessional frequency rule for me relates to stretching. These days I tend to do a 5 to 10 minute long relaxed stretching session - up to four times a week, but usually 2 or 3 times weekly (on alternate days). There is good reason for this 'high' stretching frequency. Stretching is a 'coordination activity' (based on the nervous system) and for this reason stretching regularly can be of benefit to your stretching fitness.

However, even with such low impact 'coordination activities' like stretching, an alternate-day regime is probably best (rather than a daily programme) because it is not ideal to do any training activity on consecutive days on a longterm basis - not even stretching. I usually notice with stretching routines that if I stretch on consecutive days for a prolonged period my flexibility development actually 'stagnates' somewhat (and I am not quite as 'fluid' as I am when I stretch just twice or thrice weekly, with days off between sessions).

One way to stretch daily without any ill-effects is to follow the general minimalist hi-intensity approach and stretch different muscles on different days - so that although you are stretching daily you are not necessarily stretching the same joints, muscles and tendons daily.

Having said this, I have also experimented with once-weekly stretching routines and that also works really well for me. You do not have to stretch every day in order to be flexible - although you will probably do better to stretch more regulalry than once a week, especially if you are still trying to develop your flexibility.

Idai Makaya climbing Box Hill on an ElliptiGO in the 115-mile 2011 Ride Around London

The main reason why I stretch more regularly thanmy other training is for injury-prevention and health and well-being reasons. I also stretch to aid my martial arts flexibility. Stretching is a fast way to release endorphins (consider the age-old example of Yoga training) and it is also a time-efficient way to release those endorphins. Thus, stretching is very good for relaxation, which is the major reason for my stretching more than once weekly.

Time-efficiency and effectiveness are the two driving principles behind high-intensity strength-endurance training. You can get very fit using multiple shorter sessions, as we all know already. However, if you minimise the number of days you spend exercising and getting fit you can use the rest of your time to live the rest of your life.

People are multi-faceted beings and should, for this reason, view themselves from a complete and holistic standpoint. Our lives focus around work, family, entertainment, spirituality, etc. We need to give all these things balanced focus, intensity and time - because they are all very important to us. Nobody is perfect at time management, but being able to reach your maximum fitness potential (without having to sacrifice every day to exercise) can only be useful in increasing one's general productivity and daily routine flexibility by freeing up time to do the other things in your life.

I believe by that by successfully training for and completing enormous endurance-cycling challenges on the ElliptiGO in 2011 (in events sometimes over 115 miles long and taking up to 10 hours to complete) I have personally demonstrated the effectiveness and sustainability of once-weekly hardcore endurance training. Of course, I will continue to test and explore these once-weekly training principles and theories on the ElliptiGO - by taking on even more massive endurance challenges in the years to come, in order to find out what the limits or possibilities truly are for pure minimalist training.

We already know minimalism works but I would like to invite readers to consider where such principles may benefit their own training and to document their own personal experiments in minimalism, in order to share them with the fitness community. Stay tuned in these interesting times - and if you do get involved in using HI-SET protocols please feel free to contact me to share your experiences!

You can follow Idai Makaya's exploration into once-weekly ElliptiGO workouts and his endurance challenge events by connecting on Facebook  here or here. You can also contact Idai directly by clicking here.