Research compiled by the University of Glamorgan Health and Exercise Science Unit (School of Applied Sciences) has found that people can reduce the time they spend at the gym by up to two thirds while still achieving the same results.

The study revealed that a similar improvement can be seen, in terms of muscle strength, by people who perform either one or three sets of upper body resistance training exercises.

Supervised weight training, on male recreational weight lifters, targeting the upper body was conducted three times per week, for eight weeks, using one set or three sets of eight repetitions.

While both training groups improved significantly in terms of muscular strength, no differences were observed between the one and three set group after the training intervention. Significant decreases of body fat were also seen for the one set group.

The research points towards the conclusion that you can achieve the same results in a third of the time.

Author of the report Dr Julien Steven Baker said: “This study indicates that it is counter productive to spend hours at the gym and that a shorter work-out can achieve exactly the same results. Our research focused on upper body strength training but these results may also be true for other types of exercise.

“Muscles can get tired and a maximum is reached, beyond that the sample group doing three sets weren’t achieving extra results. Lower volume training might also help lean–tissue growth because it limits muscle damage.

“There is a growing trend now towards fitness classes of shorter duration which promise beneficial results and there is much research in the field to suggest that interval training (intense activity followed by a fast recovery period) and brief high intensity work outs (performing at 80 per cent of your maximum aerobic capacity) can achieve maximum results in a limited time.

“This kind of research may see a change in the way we exercise and that it may be better to do a number of regular shorter workouts, which would fit in with the busy lives that many people lead”.

The University of Glamorgan Health and Exercise Unit has ten academic staff who are exercise scientists. The group work with members in the community in addition to elite sports men and women. Expertise in functional exercise testing and prescription has enabled commercial relationships with several companies. Members of the Unit have undertaken consultancy with Cardiff RFC, Pontypridd RFC, two of the Welsh rugby’s premier division teams, British cycling and Cardiff Devils - the UK hockey league team.

The major areas of focus in relation to research undertaken by the group presently include: impact of nutrition and exercise on chronic diseases such as CHD, type II diabetes and obesity; the relationship between endothelial function and hypertension; ESR detection of oxygen radicals and their physiological influences on diseases following hypoxia and high-intensity exercise; specific resistance training of the respiratory muscles associated with ventilation; physiological assessment of the elite athletes endocrinology and its influences on performance.

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