With just 5 hours a week, I've been able to achieve a good amount of progress in weightlifting. I've reached the "Advanced" category, or Category IV, for all my lifts according to the Starting Strength strength standards, at a weight of 165. I've also reached the 1000 Pound Club at that weight. I'm also in good shape aesthetically. All with just 5 hours a week of actual work.

There are other parts that contribute to the workouts, though. Diet is important. I eat the right foods, but that is pretty much "automated" now, as I no longer think about what food to eat. I just eat the food I'm already eating.

The point of all this is that I believe a LOT can be achieved in any field with even as little as 5 hours a week. I can spend 5 days a week studying something intensely, and then I can not do anything for the rest of the 163 hours. It just takes YEARS, though. Years and years of consistent effort. And the right balance of lifestyle outside of the direct work, as is the case with diet and weightlifting.

But, what makes me optimistic with this outlook is that 5 hours a week is certainly doable. Maybe it only applies to weightlifting, since the body is doing a lot of work in the recovery phase. But hopefully, this applies to other things, as well. I'm going to see if 5 hours a week of effort is enough to make progress in something. Keep in mind that weightlifting is throttled - you can't work out more hours and see double the results. Recovery is important. But with other things, you can probably study more and get double the results. However, it's possible that it all still works in the end, with 5 hours being a good amount of time to do something and get good at it.