My thighs are burning, and I’m pretty sure my legs are going to explode. I’m strapped into a leg extension machine at 20 Minutes to Fitness, and the only thing keeping me going is the soothing voice of my trainer: “You got it. Just one more.” I close my eyes and concentrate on lifting my legs, on breathing, on my form. Somehow, I make it, and I stand up, wobbly.
I’ve only been on the machine for two minutes.
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This is the experience at 20 Minutes to Fitness, a studio with locations in Clayton and Chesterfield that deals exclusively in slow cadence weight training, which works your muscles to exhaustion to build strength faster than traditional weight training. The workout involves using heavier weights in fewer, much slower reps to push your muscles to fail in less than three minutes before moving on to the next machine. Each workout involves six or seven machines, and each workout truly takes only 20 minutes.
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Because so much work happens so quickly, it takes muscles up to six days to fully recover, which is why most people only go once a week.
The purported health benefits of slow cadence weight training are similar to those of traditional weight training: increased strength and bone density, increased metabolism due to building lean muscle mass, and improved overall health. The machines at the studio are medical-grade and specially calibrated to make the lifting as smooth as possible and also to make your muscles work the whole time you’re lifting. These precision instruments make the workout adaptable and safe for ages 18 to 80 (I saw an elderly gentleman gamely working out while I was there).
The trainer you work with through each session keeps an eye on your form, notes how much weight you can handle on each machine, tracks your progress, and cheers you along. I can attest that the cheering part is crucial. This workout is so crazy tough I would never do it on my own.
As I reflected on the experience, I was amazed that I got through it, especially the ab crunch machine I thought was going to kill me. Recovery was not as painful as I’d feared, though I did drink a lot of water as my trainer advised. I also noticed that the lower back pain I’d been having did not flare up afterwards. If anything, my back felt better.
The only downside to working out at 20 Minutes to Fitness is the cost: there is no joining fee, but per-workout prices range from $39.50 to $49.50 depending on the package you buy. New clients can sign up for a free orientation and workout on the 20 Minutes to Fitness website.
Heidi Dean is a writer and stay-at-home mom to a preschooler. You can read more of her work on her blog Mama-Come-Lately.
