Do “less” better for more results

by | Jun 28, 2026 | News

Strength Training

You’ve heard the saying, sometimes “less is more”. In the current fitness landscape it’s not hard to find programs where you can commit a small fee a day (and an initial registration fee!), such as $2.00 to receive before and after scans, access to an “exclusive app”, measurements (performance and body composition), exclusive training programs and optional extras like community fitness events. But, let’s be real here – is any of this necessary or just fitness-marketing hype? Physical health is complex and multi-faceted, but the actual evidence-based steps that need to be taken, although not always easy to implement, are identifiable and not hidden behind paywalls and all-consuming memberships.

When we say “less”, we don’t mean easy, nor do we mean too little amount of work to be effective. At Sydney Strength Training we aspire for you to be Stronger For Life. Stronger For Life implies consistency and as such, sustainability. Today we’ll discuss “less is more” not as a mantra for taking it easy, but instead, reducing the cognitive bandwidth required to make healthy decisions and so you can focus on applying hard efforts where it matters.

 

Why more isn’t always better

Without getting too much into meta-commentary, we live in a society that likes to promote “more”. Streaming services, fast food options and apps all come to mind. When it comes to improving health and fitness, “more” doesn’t automatically mean bad, but we need to define our parameters as it’s very easy to get overwhelmed. For instance, research does show that there is a dose-response relationship in weekly training volume and increases in muscle mass ¹. Assuming we are talking about “more” of the things that will impact your actual health and fitness, doing more is generally better for getting results. Accordingly, this requires greater resources: time, recovery (nutrition and sleep) and sufficient mental bandwidth.

Practically, there are very few things that actually matter for pushing the needle when it comes to health and fitness and they are: appropriate training effort and volume that matches someone’s current abilities, a sufficient health-promoting dietary pattern, sleep, the appropriate evidence-based screening tests (such as for colon cancer), not smoking and limiting alcohol use. No daily accountability program you need to pay for, special apple-cider vinegar water, extra exclusive community workouts, mindfulness programs, or daily mobility programs are backed by enough robust evidence to suggest they are worth anyone’s time or effort.

 

 

Concise, focused work is the start point

As such, focused concise work should be the start point. If you’ve never taken up structured resistance training or made a concerted effort to modify dietary patterns, having a plan that is simple, actionable and likely to succeed may mean starting small. Although we often share it, the physical activity guidelines and nutrition guidelines bear repeating. They are as follows:

  • 2 – 3 fully body resistance training sessions a week ²,
  • 75 minutes minimum of vigorous intensity cardiovascular activity or,
  • 150 minutes minimum of moderate intensity cardiovascular activity ³,
  • Consuming nutritious foods that meet energy needs,
  • Eating from a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and legumes, complex grains and lean proteins,
  • Limiting saturated fat, added salt, sugars and alcohol,
  • Promoting breast feeding when and where appropriate ⁴

Here are some practical examples of what a health-promoting aerobic session, strength session and meal could look like:

  • Strength Training: 3 sets of a Machine Leg Press, Barbell Bench Press, Wide Grip Lat Pulldown and some Dumbbell Biceps curls.
  • Cardiovascular Training: 25 minute brisk walk, aiming to meet a brisk pace of about 6.4 – 7.1km per hour, which would equate to around a 2.7 – 3km distance ⁵.
  • A balanced meal: A simple chicken curry meal would be some ½ cup of cooked rice,½ medium chopped potato, ¼ cup of peas, ¼ tin of crushed tomatoes, 100g chicken thigh fillets chopped and cooked, basic seasoning, some garlic and onions for an aromatic base and the appropriate curry powders, and light coconut milk. Of course, scale this up for a proper batch and dish out accordingly!

 

The Sydney Strength Training Difference

We understand the noise that makes adhering to health and fitness goals far more overwhelming and complicated than it needs to be. Even before coming across all the misinformation on social media, something as simple as membership packages, extra tiers of health and fitness services, infra-red therapy, weird nutrition hacks, recovery modalities and cutting edge group exercise clubs, all shift focus away from what actually matters.

Appropriate training effort and volume, matched by the required recovery resources, applied over time will create fantastic adaptations. Learning how to manage life’s ups and downs such as busy work periods, injuries and more, alongside developing sustainable health-promoting dietary patterns will yield results. Practically, this doesn’t have to look complicated which is encouraging – health can be accessible. That’s our coaching difference. It may be the case that less is more – we’ll help you navigate the noise for better results. Contact us today.

 

References: