“Simplify: The Secret to a Good Exercise Program
Minimalism, applied directly to fitness, it might look something like this:
Frequent, low rep, high-quality strength work + Less frequent, high-intensity metabolic conditioning + As much joint mobility and low-intensity cardiovascular activity as possible.
Strength train 5 days a week, frequently, low-rep, constant load. Here’s what I mean: pick a couple of lifts—actually, use my friend Dan John’s fundamental human movement blueprint: push, pull, hinge, squat, loaded carry.
Example:
Military Press (push)
Pull Up (pull)
Swing (hinge)
Goblet Squat (squat)
Get Up (loaded carry).
Work each lift, each day, and in the manner of 1,2,3,1,2,3 (ladder format). Because the frequency is high, the volume is low, and so is the density, too. The intensity, in my book, should not be waved—meaning, start your cycle with a “heavy” load, say, your 5 rep max, work that for three months, in the manner just mentioned, or until it starts to feel “light.” Then, reassess, bump the weight up to what is hopefully your new 5 rep max, and repeat the operation.
In effect, the load has been waved by not waving it at all—no calculating percentages, none of that hooey. You just get strong instead, which, to me, is far more appealing than having to deal with the inconvenience of math. This is strength training in the extremest simplicity.
Two to three days a week, perhaps a bit less or a bit more, depending upon your sport, recovery, and other such etceteras, add in some high-intensity metabolic work. I like sprints and kettlebell complexes, because they are simple, and metabolics should be simple.”
Stealing more DJ stuff, I like this concept and may give it a whirl while I wait on my squat rack. Any ideas for loaded carries? Maybe doing low heart rate runs + sprints might be a good combo.
http://danjohn.net/2013/12/the-forty-day-workout-again/
I like the Park Bench/Bus Bench metaphor and how he doesn't necessarily adopt a purist approach, but allows for a Bus Bench mentality once or twice a year. Like maybe in the summer spend a month really hitting the sprints and hills, and in the winter spend a month really pushing the max lifts. But in the main, my approach has always been Park Bench, adjusting each workout to energy levels, letting the gains come to me, and adding weight only when the current max notches up into the 3-to-5-rep range.
Similarly, the 40-day concept doesn't seem too far off from the Six-Lift Minimalist (SLM?, 6L?) program I've been developing these last few days. They both have the same conceptual elegance and simplicity and are substantively the same as well. In a nutshell, mine is simply
1. three heavy lifts per session
2. six heavy lifts total
3. one lower-body push (squats) and two mid-body push/pull (Bench Press & Rows),
alternating with
4. one lower-body pull (deadlifts) and two upper-body push/pull (Military Press/Thrusters & Pulldowns).
Done three times per week, this results in a two-week cycle.
................Mon.....Wed......Fri
Week 1.....(1).........(2)........(1)
Week 2.....(2)........(1)........(2)
Together with two different sets of assistance exercises, a & b, for each workout, it becomes a four-week cycle:
..................Mon.....Wed.......Fri
Week 1 .....(1)a.......(2)a.......(1)b
Week 2 ....(2)b.......(1)a.......(2)a
Week 3 ....(1)b.......(2)b.......(1)a
Week 4 ....(2)a.......(1)b.......(2)b
Sets and reps are determined by feel, but basically, for the six main lifts, 3 sets of max weight after warmup, 1-2 reps, then 1-5 drop sets, 3-5 reps each, with rest intervals. For the assistance lifts, little or no warmup, 1-3 sets, 3-8 reps, very short rest intervals.
Like Dan John's approach, there's little math involved. Also, one could easily switch out different lifts within the same category, for example, DB bentover rows for Pendlay rows in the 'mid-body pull' category. There's lots of possibilities in the assistance categories too.
Ya I suppose I could Lee, but right now I am seeing results in the weightloss department. It seems to be coming off pretty fast to right now. I really am starting to think I was over training before, and quite possibly eating too much as well due to this over training (higher intake of calories allowed with longer exercise). Hopefully if I keep losing weight like this it won't be long and I'll be able to add more ST and get back to a somewhat more normal training regimen. Once I get all/most of this fat off that I've been struggling with losing I am hoping to be able to start training more for pace and then after that distance. Weights and plyo are more to support my running these days.
Yah, getting the results you want is all that matters. I'm hoping that the fasted 5K runs in the morning, spaced 12 hours from, in the afternoon, heavy lifts or PCM (Plyometrics, core & mobility) with get my weight back down. I think 20-40 minutes twice a day leads a more constant metabolic boost than 40-80 minutes once a day.
Funny, it's kind of the opposite of Maffetone's theory. Instead of ST interfering with Endurance, they conclude that Endurance interferes with ST. My own sense is that Endurance may slow down the rate of strength gains, but in the end, you'll be stronger with less hypertrophy. It'll be a 'tougher' muscle in other words. I am thinking, however, that running everyday for shorter distances, and running long just once in a while, will cut down the Endurance>ST interference significantly.
No idea about loaded carry alternatives. You know a lot more about that stuff than I do. Have you done Get-Ups? I tried the Turkish Get-Up a long time ago.
Also, Dan says to do the kettle bell swings high rep. Is that how you do them? Maybe that's way I can't the hang of them, I did them lo rep/hi weight.