Red Woods Fitness | Blog Week of 6-16-2025

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June 15, 2025

Quote of the Week 6-16-2025

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"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult."

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NEWS

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Welcome back friends! Last week we took a deep dive into nutrition. This week let’s chat a bit about a concept I meditate on frequently- minimum effective dose. After doing this stuff for 15 years it is almost comical to hear Athletes complain that they only made it to class once or twice last week. I have had members pause because “with my new schedule I can really only make it twice a week”. Here is some honesty- that is CRAZY! Once or twice a week of our Programming is more than enough to maintain or even build a physique that is better than 99% of the US population. Don’t underestimate the value of our gym and of intensity.

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In the world of fitness, (and the world at large) often times more feels like better. More workouts, more reps, more time in the gym. I have been very guilty of this mentality in the past and trust me when I tell you that doing closer to the minimum could actually be the smartest, and most sustainable way to maintain health.

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Welcome to the concept of the Minimum Effective Dose (MED)—the least amount of effort required to produce a desired outcome. In fitness, that means doing just enough to maintain strength, cardiovascular health, and mobility without burning yourself out or losing time to injury or overtraining.

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Modern life is busy. Between work, family, and other responsibilities, long, intense workout sessions often feel out of reach. That’s where the MED becomes powerful: it allows you to maintain your health, strength, and energy with consistency and efficiency. After competing for so long, embracing this concept has helped me prevent burnout and injuries, fit my fitness into a ridiculously tight schedule, and kept me consistent over many MANY years.

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This is why at most our classes last one hour. You can almost always find an hour. This is 4% of your day that can give you major returns.

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To maintain strength, two full-body resistance training sessions per week is typically enough. Each session should include compound movements like Squats or lunges, deadlifts or hip hinges, push-ups or bench presses, rows or pull-ups, some big global core work. Using just two sessions a week will get you 80% of the benefits of building lean muscle mass, maintaining joint health, and increasing metabolic function. Personally, I hit a big strength movement six days a week- but I am fully aware that this is more for my mental benefits than physical.

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For cardiovascular health 90 minutes a week total gives you almost all of the benefits possible. You don’t need hours of cardio to keep your heart healthy. The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week—but to maintain, 90 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio (like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming) can do the job. With our Programming, the intensity is so high that if you come to two sessions a week you are good to go. Couple this with 10k steps a day, or even three, ten minute walks after each meal and that puts you in the elite category.

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Finally for Mobility & Flexibility you really just need around 5-10 Minutes a Day. Mobility is often overlooked until it becomes a problem. A simple daily routine of like 10 minutes focused on joints and areas you use the most (hips, shoulders, spine) can prevent tightness and maintain pain-free movement. Try some dynamic stretches in the morning, maybe some yoga flows in the afternoon, and some foam rolling before a WOD. Pair this with the guided mobility in class and you have a comprehensive approach to increase your range of motion, reduce injury risk, and ultimately move with ease.

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The real secret to all this is consistency over intensity. Show up to class. Even if it’s just to BS with your buddies. Our minimum effective dose works because your body is adaptable—but it doesn’t take much to maintain these adaptations. The real magic is in doing a little, consistently, over time. The package we deliver in each class- warm up, guided mobility, strength, and metcon will get you everything you could possibly need to become the best version of yourself.

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PROGRAMMING

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Competition week let’s goooo! No joke, burner Metcons. These bad boys are meant to challenge you in the longer time domain. Some of these are repeats (read my favorites) and some are brand new crushers. Drink some water and eat your wheaties kids.

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LET’S GET AFTER IT!

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Monday

Strength

10 Mins

Build to Metcon Barbell Complex

Metcon

“Macho Mile"

4 Rounds:

400 Meter Run

3 Rounds of “Macho Man” (155#/105#)