This 7 minute routine is just a very very basic circuit training session.
It definitely doesn't make up for "a visit to the weight room" and while fairly 'effective' in its ROI, the 7 minute span definitely gives it a hard limit on its benefits (when I used to row, we'd do 15-station circuits for an hour or so).
Also, I actually wonder if a very out of shape person can even make it through a 7 minute high intensity circuit sesion.
In sports science, "intensity" refers to a percentage of some maximal performance.
In weight / strength training, "intensity" refers to percentage of a 1-rep maximum. So if you squat 100kg, a 70kg squat is 70% intensity.
Meanwhile, in various aerobic trials, "intensity" could be defined as percentage of measured VO2 max. This is important because one of the most influential studies on high intensity interval training (Tabata) was calibrated this way. Cyclists were tested to their sprint VO2 max and then made to push past that level for 20 seconds, then 10 seconds of rest; repeated 8 times.
It definitely doesn't make up for "a visit to the weight room" and while fairly 'effective' in its ROI, the 7 minute span definitely gives it a hard limit on its benefits (when I used to row, we'd do 15-station circuits for an hour or so).
Also, I actually wonder if a very out of shape person can even make it through a 7 minute high intensity circuit sesion.