45 Minute Rule: Broscience?

[johnnytemplar]

Not sure this is the right place for it, but I've often heard it said that you should keep your workouts down below 45 minutes or your test drops off. Now, a good SS routine with rests can take me 2 hours. Is this 45 minute rule real, or utter broscience?

[li4alex]

Extremely doubtful, considering that most effective training programs take longer than 45 minutes. I haven't looked in the literature, but this guy says no support exists: http://www.elevatingfitness.com/arti...-myth-03082010. And as always, due to its lack of rigor, exercise science is not to be regarded as more credible than observations from many different coaches and trainees.

[FKYT]

I suspect that it's true that testosterone drops off as the workout continues, but that you get more overall benefit from finishing the workout than rushing it to finish in under an hour.

[morbidlyfat]

I thought the problem was that cortisol spiked after about 45 minutes of cardio. But that's just what I've heard from The Bros.

[skipbeat]

i know guys that will literally cut shit out of their program once it reaches the 45 minute mark. they end up just doing their favorite exercises and turn into jacked upper body, pencil-legged guys

[Dan Miller]

A bodybuilder's rest period between sets might be 2-3 minutes, but the OP's 2-hour workouts probably include 5-8 minutes between sets (and lots of easy/medium warm-ups for each lift). So does testosterone drop when you cross the 45-minute mark, or does it have more to do with the (cardio/metabolic) intensity of the workout? Would hormone levels drop more in a 2-hour workout with full recovery between sets, or if you crammed the same sets/reps into 45 minutes (and barely caught your breath between sets of squats)?

My point is, even if there's evidence of the broscience 45-minute rule, comparing that to a SS workout would be apples to oranges.

[LimieJosh]

I thought the problem was that cortisol spiked after about 45 minutes of cardio.

Exactly. These things needs context, but broscience never accounts for that. It doesnt take a genius to understand that it's the specific metabolic demands of steady state cardio that produce the catabolic environment this rule is designed to avoid. There is nothing about setting foot inside the gym that turns on the cortisol clock, and unless you're matching that sort of demand with your training (eg crossfit style conditioning, body building style very high volume and short, 1-2 mins, rests) then it's not going to be an issue for you.

[johnnytemplar]

Thanks guys. Good point about rest sets - yep, I'm resting 5-10 min between work sets to make sure I complete them fully. Being that I'll be wrapping up a 2 hour set with some ungodly deadlift, it doesn't make sense that I'd be some how 'rone-free at this point.

[skipbeat]

you take 2 hours to squat, bench, and deadlift only? this seems a little excessive

[Tom Campitelli]

you take 2 hours to squat, bench, and deadlift only? this seems a little excessive

Not really. If it is heavy, 2 hours might be just fine.