Q: What is the one exercise I can do that delivers the biggest bang for my buck?
A: Many years ago, my grandmother’s brother told me to find a career where I could do as little work as possible with the highest remuneration possible. I failed him, and myself, as I ended up writing for a living.
But the theory is great, and every week the questions we receive make it abundantly clear that most people want to do as little as possible and achieve the best results.
It may well be a time issue — some people are so busy being, or acting, busy that they only have a few minutes to spend on an investment that, if done properly, is likely to give them more time in the long run. It could also be that they just hate exercise and feel that if they can grit their teeth through one exercise from hell, then they may as well get it over and done with.
While you’d still end up moving no matter the motivation, you’re unlikely to stick with it if you hate it, and you’re more likely to hurt yourself if you’re not fully invested.
No-one exercise will work every muscle in your body, though there are a group of people who believe there is one activity that does: good old-fashioned amorous congress.
While trying to find the exact number of muscles in our bodies, The Water Cooler stumbled on a now-defunct journal published on Medium called #Fuel657 which appears to have had links to a whey protein supplement company.
The authors published an article claiming that sex is the only activity to activate and use every muscle in the human body, whereas, they claim, crying uses 17 and break dancing uses 133 muscles. Just looking at those numbers one can only imagine the intensity they envisaged, but that they haven’t published a word since 2017 means their theory didn’t pass much muster.
There’s no magic pill, drink or exercise, but we’ve chosen three different exercises that tick many boxes, and each offers great return on investment.
The first is rowing. This is a great crossover activity that uses your upper and lower body. It is said that, if performed properly, it uses up to 85% of the skeletal muscles in your body. If you have ever rowed — properly — you know that it is highly effective but requires equipment: either a rowing machine or a boat, trailer and access to a body of water.
The next is the mighty burpee. You lower yourself until your hands touch the ground about shoulder-width apart and then kick your legs out so that you are in a straight-arm plank. The advanced version requires a push-up before you kick your legs back up to land on your haunches.
Squat up into a jump, extending your hands above your head. Once you’ve landed, you’ve done one rep. Please don’t do this if you have not been taught the mechanics of how to squat and hold your torso while performing a plank!
After writing about swimming possibly being the fountain of youth, the Water Cooler was sent an opinion piece by Johann Strauss, national swim manager at Virgin Active SA.
He wrote: “Swimming is a fantastic full-body workout, especially for those who have been sedentary in recent months. It gets the heart rate up and burns calories without impacting bones and joints. Swimming fires up more of the body’s muscle groups than many other cardio activities, helping to tone muscles and build strength.
“It engages the legs, the upper body, especially lats, as well as the muscles of the middle back and triceps. Swimming regular laps with a variety of strokes such as crawl, breaststroke and back stroke uses most muscle groups, while the water provides gentle resistance.”
The Water Cooler loves all three exercises and thinks they should be in every regimen. However, the activity that would probably result in the biggest bang for your buck would be a trip to see a professional trainer who can design a personalised programme just for you.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.