If you frequent your gymnasium every now and again (hopefully more often than not) you may have worked on your legs. I sure hope you do cause these things have to carry us around for a good while yet.
But, so many people do not carry out leg work like deadlifts and squat or their variations due to some prior experience with pain. This does not mean deadlifting and squatting are bad for you, it just means you haven’t found the particular set-up for you.
What do I mean by set-up?
Most times you read about squatting or deadlifting you’ll read about generic foot and knee width or set up. Mostly it’ll say to place feet hip width apart or something like that.
However, it’s just a general statement. We are all special snowflakes and will all have quite different biomechanics.
In the video below I talk about how to find your own ideal knee width, foot width and then foot positioning. Did you know that both of your feet may be angled totally differently to achieve a comfortable squat?
Got any ideas? Agree? Disagree? Want further details or advice?
At FitStrong we focus on strength training and moving better as adults. Strength training often takes the path of using tools like Kettlebells, Barbells or other ‘stuff’.
But, oftentimes the use of these or even the mention of ‘strength training’ causes some alarm initially to some members. Why? Because they often have concerns with building big muscles.
They Confuse Bodybuilding and Strength Training.
Whilst the tools are the same, the way in which they get used varies considerably. Bodybuilding focuses on maximal muscle fatigue under certain timing protocols or large number of repetitions whilst strength training focuses on short sets, focussed tension and NO fatigue or muscular exhaustion.
For the most part, we work on getting stronger but when the time is appropriate or required, some clients will include periods of the year working on developing some muscle growth.
Typical example would be a young person wanting to get more muscular for their sport. Another would be an older client who needs to work more frequently on maintaining the muscle mass. The process here is less focussed on maximal effort but would use higher repetitions.
For the majority of us though, what we need in life is a stronger more agile body not a bigger body and as such, we prioritise strength and mobility.
Got any ideas or want more to chat more…. get in touch.
G’day. It’s a public holiday today in Queensland. The Queens birthday as it happens. But, the gym still goes on (health and strength don’t get holidays hehe)
Anyhoo, as you’ll probably know by now, we work on moving better (especially for everyone who finds themselves stuck behind a desk or sitting most of the day) AND getting stronger for whatever our lives need.
Simple. Programs can be written to deliver great results for these two areas.
But, one strength that a lot of people do not possess is this…
… watch.
Making progress can happen with the simple act of turning up. Yep, even if you put in a mediocre effort, it’s still better than no effort and sitting around feeling grouchy. I can pretty much guarantee that working through a mobility warm up and then just ticking boxes for the minimum essential dose of the ‘other stuff’ will make you feel better – providing you’re not coming down with something of course.
Adding to your health credits in gradual small steps will make bigger interests than over enthusiastic and inconsistent efforts.
The 2010s and onwards will probably go down in history as the period in human development that was enslaved by social media. If in 2018 you are not found on social media and not just google, well then my friend, you just don’t exist!
The almighty interwebs will guide us too when faced with all the modern day quandaries, some helpful and some not so helpful.
How do you gut a fish? Let Youtube guide you. It’s how I learned actually.
How do you market your online PT business? Let’s some random 24 year old personal trainer help you in return for $12k (sadly true, this one!)
What’s the best leg strength exercises? Numerous websites will espouse the value of maintaining a diet of squats, deadlifts and olympic lifting exercises.
While this last recommendation is actually not bad it’s possibly not the best choice for most of us wanting and needing leg strength exercises that add to our health and wellbeing account. Yes, squats and deadlifts are valuable. We spend probably 60% of our training programs employing these two but, we also spend time on single leg strength exercises.
There are no real problems with squats and deadlifts for some of the time but it can be common for an individual to have little imbalances in their hips, ankles, particular muscles which will be unknown to the exerciser until something hurts.
Hurting sucks and yes, if you’ve tried some one leg strength exercises, they suck too.
Often times the more something sucks in the gym, the more benefits it holds and we should practice the sucky stuff until it’s not so sucky anymore.
Balance or lack of is probably why single leg work sucks. The balance issue is most commonly due to the smaller synergistic muscles, the joint stabilisers, not knowing quite what to do when called upon. As great as squats and deadlifts are, they can become quite efficient quite quickly and some imbalances can arise.
We are bipedals designed with the intent to walk, run, climb and lots of other stuff unilaterally – one leg in front of the other. Our bodies are meant to utilise the muscles that control hip, knee and ankle posture and position as well as the muscles that actuate movement. We are not Kangaroos!
By taking a little bit of time to work on the single leg exercises we can prevent a lot of pain if we were only to train bilateral movements like squats, deadlift, leg presses, kettlebell swings and such.
To compliment our bilateral movements, what unilateral / one legged exercises can we include?
Lunges
Single leg deadlifts
Various staggered stance squats and dedlifts
Step ups
Today, I’m going to run through step ups. Now, you might think there’s not too much to consider with technique. You might take steps at home, work and in the shopping centre, but to get the most out of your time doing step ups, there are a few considerations – so hear me out.
Start with a small step and progress to a larger step as you need to
Ensure the complete foot is on the step
Brace your midsection throughout the repetition
Drive pressure through your heal as you start the step up
Grip the step with your toes
Push the step down with your foot and hip
How far forward your knee travels is a personal comfort thing, but to start with, try to keep the knee no more than over the toes
At the top when upright – squeeze your ‘butt’
Try to control your descent – don’t just drop back down
You can repeat the same leg for a set before changing legs or you can alternate legs per repetition.
Add weight is needed – if your balance is good
Let’s look at the step up in action…
There are a few variations, but this is the main version we use at the gym.
How to program?
This is totally dependant on the individual and goal, but for general strength, 3 to 5 sets of 5 reps prove enough. You could use these on a weekly basis to include after squats etc or you could work them harder, with more focus for a few weeks every 2 to 3 months while just maintaining a simple squat etc routine.
Next week I’ll look at another single leg delight.
Want to tell me how much you hate step ups? Please get in touch below.
(a 6 minute read, so feel free to skip to the proposition at the bottom)
In May this year we launched our two new 12 week challenges with a good response.
These will be repeated soon but, it occurred to me though, that many people might not want just a 12 week training program aka a challenge that takes them from point A to point B.
Some people may want to learn new skills, level up current skills and strengths or may want to just work out with a laid out day to day plan to cover a period of time.
Let me briefly differentiate working out vs training just to clarify.
Training, as the word should imply, is a process of progressing a limited number of strengths, or fitness from your current position to an end goal. An example would be for someone who wanted to be able to run 15 minutes non-stop in 8 weeks when they can only manage 3 minutes non-stop currently. A ‘training’ program would lay out a plan to achieve that based on evidence based best practices.
A second example would be the person who wants to be learn a system to help them be more mobile, less stiff and achey and concerned for hurting themselves. In this case a systematic plan would be built for a predetermined and reasonable time-frame to help the client learn all the essential movements and methods that will help them achieve their goals.
The commonality here is the ‘goal’. The two examples have a goal, an outcome they are looking for. This will always be the case. Just be wary of setting a vanity goal. They can be quite negative in nature. That’s a story for a different time.
But, as I mentioned at the start, we don’t always need goals to make exercise a frequent part of our lives. Yes, during the year we might feel the urge to delve into something based on need, intrigue, interest and desire, but it’s not essential.
Is there a problem with goal centred training programs?
Go, go, go, go! That is the general emphasis for a training program but that is the nature of a training program too. A well designed program will wave or rotate between harder, medium and simpler sessions whilst including suggestions for active recovery. The worst programs are the ones you see as part of a 4 week challenge (usually in newspapers, magazines and social media) where every day is a progression of the previous – a real recipe for overdoing it and inviting injury.
A training program that runs for 8 to 12 weeks will have a systematic, progressive plan to achieve the goal or at least build up towards it. Yep, you might not actually achieve the goal at the end of the time period but with so many variables at play in our lives, this can happen. In all programs I build I do mention that the program isn’t a once off plan. It can be repeated. Many people cycle through a program, take a few weeks of ‘just working out’ for recovery and evaluation before heading back into the same program again, but from a more progressed starting point.
There is no problem with waved, well structured training programs being run frequently or back to back. It does come down to the individual and their goals and their why. Why they exercise.
What about challenges?
Continuous hard, testing programs or challenges should be measured out infrequently throughout the year if they are even on your radar. Training at high intensities for lengthy periods is hazardous. Even athletes don’t train flat out all year round – so why should non-athletes?
A couple of weeks of ramping up intensity every 3 or 4 months like at the end of a 12 week program, is fine, often fun and rewarding but should be followed by a celebratory period of lower intensities.
Now, getting to what was meant to be the main topic (yes, I do wander a little once a get writing, sorry!) – general, non-goal centred programs.
Every human knows that maintaining a healthy, well balanced lifestyle that includes frequent exercise is good. We all know exercising will make us feel better, move better and live a longer more fruitful life assuming mother nature doesn’t throw a right hook at us.
Many people choose not to accept this position however, deciding that a slothful life is for them, followed by time with pain, illness and a poorer quality of life. Biased opinion? Heck yes. But am I lying? You decide.
We don’t need specific goals to make exercise part of our lives beyond knowing that keeping generally stronger, mobile and capable of getting out of breath will enhance our lives.
So what does this look like for the average person who matches the above statement?
There was a fun tv cooking show years ago called Ready Steady Cook. In the show two teams had only a limited number of ingredients to cook a great meal. The potential for the meal was vast. How many things can you make with some veg, spices and a meat option? Endless.
In regards to exercise, the ingredients are the things we as humans need to sustain for optional physical health. Let’s list them:
Walk, jog, or run. Just get going with whatever gets your pulse up and doesn’t hurt.
Have a daily movement / mobility practice. Not necessarily yoga or pilates. There are so many simple methods that we can talk about.
Squat.
Lift things up with a hip dominant move (deadlifting).
Push and press stuff.
Pull stuff.
Carry stuff.
Brace your midsection.
That’s 8 categories of qualities we are meant to maintain frequently. We don’t need to complete them every session, but on a weekly basis we ought to tick boxes.
The potential for how we ‘cook’ them is endless and also quite fun.
Once we think beyond the old bodybuilding paradigm of training (3×10 for each machine in a gym – yawn) there are a myriad of options.
On my website home page there is a pop-up that visitors see that offers 20 FREE Workouts on a handy PDF. In each workout there are all or most of the strength moves listed above, each time built in a different way, perhaps with a tool like a kettlebell, or a sandbag or nothing except your own body weight. The repetitions vary, what each follows or is followed by changes, altering the stress on the body that we need, but, we still encounter and practice all the strength skills we need as healthy humans.
For a non-trainer it might seem all gobbledygook (PS I had to to google search how to spell that hehe) or may be a bit confusing and maybe a stumbling block to your progress or even starting and that my friend is why I would like to propose a wee experimental trial.
Earlier I mentioned that I write training programs that build on specific skills and strengths. But, for possibly the vast majority who don’t fit that category, I would love to offer a solution for just turning up and getting boxes ticked – a ‘general physical training’ program.
THE IDEA
An idea I am toying with is to produce a weekly routine I would release to members of such as illustrious program for a tiny, tiny fee that would include all of the above requirements for optimal physical health. A weekly home routine that will include:
A daily mobility and flexibility routine.
A weekly schedule of strength sessions including illustrations and videos.
Suggestions for active recovery and aerobic tasks.
A community facebook page for further support, tips and random puppy photos!
Look, I’m just throwing this out there to help me reach and help more people. Not everyone has the time or logistics to train at the gym, so if you would like to be part of this group program, let me know and when I’ve the official launch organised before the end of the winter, you will get your sign-up invitation.
Just fill in the quick interest form below.
If you want any further information just get in touch.
If you’ve got a name for the group, please suggest that too!
Many trainers will agree that a training year has seasons. There’s a season for pushing forward towards a specific goal and other periods where training kind of takes a back seat, when just the basics get maintained. Both are vital actually. For physical and emotional / mental recovery, down periods of just turning up, ticking boxes and heading home, are just what the doctor ordered.
Our 12 Week Challenges are designed for those other periods where you’ve got fire in your belly and target in sight.
The two challenges I have laid out last 12 weeks each but can in actuality, last much longer. Both are built with blocks of specific outcomes, from basic skills of strength and endurance to more advanced levels. Each block may be repeated until the trainee feels properly armed to move on.
The challenges
The Bodyweight Challenge is a simple and great fun program that allows you to explore a variety of bodyweight strengths, motor skills, mobility and dexterity – in other words, get awesome ownership of your own body. This program is suitable for trainees with a basic understanding and experience of moving their body on the floor. If you can squat yourself down and up and hold the plank position – this will suit you.
Minimalism is a key component of the challenge. You’ll need very little time and just a comfortable space to move around. On that note, you’ll not really need too much space, just a safe space to crawl a little and allow your arms and legs to move freely without knocking over ornaments or the TV!
The 12 week program is built with 4 blocks of 3 weeks each.
Each week you’ll ‘play’ with three different movements only. I don’t want you to get overwhelmed by too many exercises. The aim is to get really immersed in the minimal necessities of the challenge and push yourself.
Each week will see you progress the movements with an optional time progression should you want to intensify the sessions.
Each block too will progress your skills and strengths until we get to the final block where we really get to have fun. In this block everything you’ve covered and learned will be tested with each session being a flow of 3 or more movements. Flows are a superb way to exercise in a non-restricted manner. No restraints – just moving through the movements you’ve practiced over the weeks.
The challenge will be presented via a downloadable PDF that you can either print out or refer to on your smartphone or wifi connected device. There will be video links with demonstrations to highlight the key forms and techniques.
Should you opt to carry out some of the sessions during your PT, you will be guided through the steps.
Throughout the challenge, email support will be unlimited. Any questions about regressions, progressions or substitute moves will be dealt with swiftly.
12 Weeks DONE FOR YOU Bodyweight Training Program
For just $20 this 12 week program is yours – interested?
The Kettlebell Challenge is magnificent Strength, Power and Muscle program that allows you to develop a deeper array of motor skills, strengths and mobility – in other words, an awesome functioning body.
This kettlebell challenge is designed for experienced kettlebell users. Although reference will be made to good techniques, specific tutorials are not part of this challenge. If you need guidance please get in touch.
Minimalism is a key component of the challenge. You’ll need little time commitment and just one, two or maybe three Kettlebells to play with – don’t worry if you only have one kettlebell, this whole program can in fact be carried out with great affect with just one kettlebell. More variety would be better, but not essential.
The 12 week program is built with 3 blocks of 4 weeks each.
Block one
Builds a foundation of functional hypertrophy with the important strength moves. During this phase we also build a strong midsection and lower back.
Block two
The focus is on starting to master the skill of strength. The principle goal is not to get out of breath but get stronger.
As a secondary component, we do introduce more power movements in this 4 week period too to optimally recruit every muscle – so your fitness won’t leave you.
Block three
We take all the skills and strength we’ve developed over the past 8 weeks and let them shine in this 4 week block. Sessions will be a little shorter but you’ll be using the time wisely with explosive routines accompanied by secondary conditioning elements.
The challenge will be presented via a downloadable PDF that you can either print out or refer to on your smartphone or wifi connected device. There will be video links with demonstrations to highlight the key forms and techniques.
Should you opt to carry out some of the sessions during your FitStrong Brisbane PT sessions, you will be guided through the steps.
Throughout the challenge, email support will be unlimited. Any questions about regressions, progressions or substitute moves will be dealt with swiftly.
12 Weeks DONE FOR YOU Kettlebell Training Program
For just $20 this 12 week kettlebell program is yours – want to start?
I remember 1996 as the year that my cycling took a major career hit when my left knee packed in.
Slight scoliosis resulted in pelvic rotation while sitting on the bike and left me with my left knee driving out to the left and right knee almost banging off the top tube! End story – bye bye cartilage in both knees and knee caps.
Whilst undergoing physio for the knees I had to keep moving to stop myself going crazy. I remember telling myself it was a huge gamble to start training with weights and risk getting heavier! I know, crazy mentality but atypical of most cyclists. Already I was a 69kg heavy cyclist (hard to avoid at 6ft 2!) and the thought of being heavier kind of scared me considering the climbs in some races. I wasn’t sure what else I could do to stay fit but I knew the resistance training would help me stay strong on the bike, whenever that was going to be again.
This ‘anti-weights training’ rational is a common thought most cyclists will agree to and along with taking time away from the bike, it’s a hard sell. But, timing the inclusion of strength training will benefit every cyclist. Let’s just list the benefits of including strength training pre and post racing reason (if you race) or as a weekly plan for recreational cyclists.
Benefits:
A stronger body has better tolerance to fatigue
Strength training will help resolve muscular imbalances in the limbs and torso
A stronger midsection will reduce the likelihood of back pain on the bike
A stronger body overall improves efficiency out of the saddle during sprints and climbs
Whilst it may be tempting to focus on squats and leg press etc for cyclists leg strength, there are better options that in turn present much lower risk of injury.
Fatigue is the cyclists greatest enemy on the bike, well, in addition to big hills, crazy drivers and mad dogs. Fatigue hits especially hard after short efforts, like hills, sprinting and tackling a headwind. During these higher efforts the muscles need to recruit as many motor units to get as much of the muscles working as possible. Strength training in its simplest form acts as neurological switch. Muscles won’t necessarily grow to become stronger, the brain learns to adapt to the stress of strength training by recruiting a greater number of muscle fibres per contraction – hopefully that read as simple as I see it!!
To bring upon this adaptation, frequent strength training should be practiced with sub maximum efforts with short sets of specific specific movements proven to help cyclists. The volume you’ll be glad to read, should also be low. We want adaptation but not at the expense of feeling battered and sore heading out on the bike. So a minimum effective dose is applied to acquire a beneficial outcome. Let’s round this off to two 20 – 30 minute weights sessions a week – not much you’ll agree.
In this post I want to share a few exercises that may form a starting point. They focus on tying together your bodies core – everything from shoulders to hips and I’ll include a great leg exercise. Why the focus on the core? Your core or let’s just refer to the torso, is the centre of what ties your body together. A strong torso will allow you to transfer more power throughout your body when needed. Imagine trying to sprint without use of the upper body and arms – pretty useless you’ll agree. The body works as a complete unit to deliver power to the pedals.
The following are of course just examples of what is included in a more complete program. These three movements don’t address individual weaknesses (impossible to do on a blog post!) so if concerned, just check out the videos for reference only.
Oh, and yes, after a year of weight training I came back so much stronger than before, and yep, the extra few kilos on my frame didn’t hinder anything…. go figure!
The Birddog
Rocking Push Ups
The Single Leg Deadlift
A New Program for Cyclists
This post and the previousare a brief glimpse into a new program for fellow cyclists that will be released this year.
I’ll be offering this as a 6 week program but for limited numbers of applicants as I want to offer a great service which can often be lost with large numbers of participants.
The program will provide more personalised routines that will develop great on the bike strengths whilst addressing personal weaknesses and limitations.
The program will include the best warm ups, recovery routines and of course the periodised strength plan. Each and every exercise will be taught with detail, not just following demonstrations. The plan can be personalised further by taking into consideration frequency and time available to the individual.
If you are interested in getting stronger as a cyclist and want to work on eliminating the frustrating aches and pains that maybe keep you off the bike from time to time, get in touch below. You can use this form too to get put onto the early registration list… no financial commitment is required at this time of course.
Oh, and wait, if you are not local to Albany Creek (Northern Brisbane suburb) I will also be putting together an online program will be nearly as good as the in-person program.
Yes, what a topic to confuse everyone. The choices are numerous and every single ‘diet’ has one common theme – a total energy deficit. Whether it’s a low carb, high carb, high fat, high protein or whatever diet, there will always be a calorie deficit involved.
So whilst change is hard, let’s keep the advice simple, and real.
If you really want to get those muscles strong and lean, any well structured program will deliver but only if your nutrition is dialled in.
A progressive strength program will run in phases to set you up, get you strong, then probably have a hiked up period of boosting your metabolism. To get these specific adaptations in the muscles we need to focus on a limited number of movements, perform them well and repeatably.
To get a return of investment from your efforts and muscles the eating advice is clear:
⇒ If nature grew it out of the ground, off a bush or a tree, or it ran, flew or swam (plants and critters in other words) you eat it. Don’t be fearful of carbs – just keep them natural.
Here’s a wee list of what I find works the best to stay lean:
1. First off, cut added sugars. Seriously, if you want to drop excess weight, start with dropping the sugary stuff.
2. Replace the frequent starchy food for vegetables. Bread, potato, pasta – gone. More veg – in. This is especially important on non-exercising days.
3. Good news. You can eat your starchy carbs post exercise, but one portion, not a plate piled high with chips or pasta. 1 portion = a potato or a wrap or a palmful of rice.
4. Per day you will have to be sure to consume your proteins. Aim for non-processed protein sources and these can be non-meat plant based proteins if you prefer.
How much?
Men = 4 – 6 palm sized portions a day.
Ladies = 3 palm sized portion a day.
5. Eat HEAPS of of vegetables. I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again – to fill you up and to provide your body with oodles of nutrients and minerals, eat a variety of vegetables. Aim to have every colour represented every day. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower are great and versatile.
6. Water. This is Australia folks, we sweat. Replace those fluids and help your body flush out toxins by drinking around 8 glasses a day – or just more than you’re currently drinking. A great tip that has helped others is this. Every time you take a sip of water, take a second sip.
7. Last point. Don’t get hung up on recipes. Just prepare food and meals that you enjoy eating taking into consideration the points above.
My best advice is to take a week by week progression, much like the exercise component.
Week 1: How can you make breakfast (your first meal regardless of time) a little better. What can you prepare and eat easily without fuss? A quick omelette? Yoghurt with added berries and seeds? Boiled eggs? Experiment.
Week 2: The same process with Dinner. Maybe make a big dish that’ll last a couple of days, for lunch too. Like shredded pork? Cook up a shoulder overnight, and shred as needed – yum. How about a bolognese sauce that can be eaten with so many options? Fun and simple to prepare but make enough and it’ll last a few days.
Week 3: Maybe it’s time to hone in on the shopping list. Write a list that reflects the meals you like to prepare and eat and shop accordingly – that easy.
If you are not the main meal preparer – talk to who is about what you are trying to do and work with them. Support them as they help you.
You get the idea? Gradually try to implement the tips to progress your meals to good, better and betterer. I used to write ‘best’ as the final goal, but really, that’s unattainable in the real world.
Strive for continued better.
Any comments or advice or feedback – just get in touch below.
Training, practice, working out, getting exercise or whatever you call it can take oh so many shapes.
Compared to 50 years ago when the choice of health and strength came down to gymnastic endeavours, calisthenics or barbell routines, today we have bodyweight calisthenics, parkour, dumbbells, barbells, machines galore, kettlebells, bands, straps, balls, shake-weights (!?!?!) and I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few but you get the picture. There are so many choices today.
One area that has taken the health, strength and fitness arena by storm (if I may say so myself) is that of training minimalism.
Championed by the likes of Pavel Tsatsouline, Pat Flynn and Tim Ferriss to mention but a few, the premise that you should spend your training time on the activities that yield the majority of the results is the way to go. Using a minimum affective dose approach is similar in concept to the Pareto principle or what some refer to as Paretos Law. The principle also known as the 80/20 rule states that 80% of the outcomes derive from 20% of the causes. In other words, 80% of your training results comes from 20% of what you put into it.
Think of it; how much of a standard 1 hour gym session is actually worth the time and effort? All the fiddling around with one body part movements take up valuable time instead of just completing one big compound exercise. You might think that more is better in regards to calorie expenditure, however, if you whittle away your energy on the small ‘stuff’, that have little impact on the metabolism, how much energy do you have to commit to the big ‘stuff’ that has the potential to really impact the metabolism.
Majoring in the minors is one sure way to fail at most things in life.
Talking of minimalism, let’s jump in and look at the Kettlebell and other tools. Is it really the optimal tool for exercise minimalism?
Let’s first consider the important ‘majors’ of any good training session.
We need to move those big body parts with compound movements like Squatting, Hinging aka the Deadlift, Pushing, Pulling, Bracing that aids in developing strength and maintaining muscle mass.
We should nearly always include power moves or quick lifts.
Time efficient.
Should relate to your human function – you want to move better for a long time, yeah?
Should develop movement skills – related in ways to function.
Influence the bodies metabolism favourably.
These are the majors, the important stuff that training is used for.
To address these important qualities you could go to a gym hugely populated with barbells, dumbbells, strength machines for every body part, treadmills, cycles, stepping, thrusting, vibrating gadgets galore…. I said you could, but how much time is that going to take, never mind figuring out what does what.
What we’re looking for in a minimal training mindset is lack of fluff, no hassle, just get in, get the work done and go home to recover, spend time with family or get back to work.
How about the good ol’ dumbbell?
While a dumbbell can be used for pretty much all the compound moves it is pretty much limited to just doing the strength moves. Try doing an explosive move with a dumbbell and you’ll figure our how hard it is to manhandle and hold onto. Maybe not the optimal tool to get everything done hassle free but a close contender.
What about a barbell, you can do near everything with a barbell?
I spent many years with a barbell and truely love the feeling of training with a barbell. It’s best suited for developing maximum strength in all the big moves and it can be used for quick lifts. With over 20 years of training people I don’t often get to work with someone who is comfortable with a barbell for every big movement. Why? They lack the movement skills to use the bar. They can’t hold the bar on their shoulders to squat. Pressing with both hands often doesn’t work due to shoulder limitations and the same goes for the bench press. Deadlifting is the most common go-to that works fine but as for most other movements, most people, most of the time struggle to use the barbell affectively. Whilst mobility training can address the deficits in some occasions, the very strict linear and bilateral (two limbed) nature of barbell training often causes niggles, tweaks and injury. I love the barbell, but for minimal training it isn’t the best tool for most of the people (in my opinion anyway).
On that note, who are most of the people?
Most trainers start off with aspirations of working with elites, athletes, hot, toned specimens of human evolution. The reality is that most trainers spend most of their time working with mums, dads, grandparents, people who work 40+ hours a week at work, then supporting their families, they’ve household chores to get sorted, grass to cut and meals to prepare. Most of them want to feel stronger, less tired and achey and probably want some sense of achievement as they escape to their training.
Do you think training minimalism is suited to them? Hell yeah!
Enter the Kettlebell.
Look, I am biased as I start to talk about kettlebell training. Funnily enough, when I first signed up to a kettlebell certification back in 2009, I did so with a sense of disbelief regarding all the hype. It’s a ball with handle on it – ‘what’s the big deal’?
I learned very quickly however, what a gem the kettlebell is.
When I start working with a new client I make it clear that we train movements. When it’s time to load those movements we do so. We still train movements though. The load is just added to keep progressing.
The dealio with the kettlebell is with it’s shape. Plain and simple. There is no magic woowoo Russian secret, it’s just an old agricultural weight that found its way into the training world – because it gets a job done.
The handle, the compact size, the ability to do all the compound lifts, the ease at which you can transition from a compound grind lift to an explosive lift, just makes the kettlebell a good all-round tool to use. Having a kettlebell in one hand at a time or a kettlebell in each hand allows users to do a range of movements without the restriction of a straight bar or a wobbly dumbbell.
To save time and hit all the requisites of an effective training plan, the kettlebell can be used in a complex. A complex is simply a number of movements strung together and carried out non-stop. Training is this manor allows for training strength, explosiveness and metabolic improvements, oh, and a session can be done in under 15 minutes if you like.
You can use a bar or a dumbbell or even bodyweight moves for a complex, but for ease of use, the kettlebell wins. And yes, you can mix in bodyweight movements – no hassle is the game at foot, so less is fluff is more win!
Here’s an example of a very simple kettlebell and bodyweight complex that even an exercise newbie can learn to do in a number of sessions:
Push Ups x 5
Goblet Squat x 5
Swing x 10
Do 5 rounds with adequate rest between rounds.
That’s it. Short, sweet and done in no time at all. The majority of the moves we need are there.
An alternative could be:
Clean and Press
Squat
Row
5 rounds or fit in what you can in 10 – 15 mins. Be your own chef!
Use any rep range specific to your goals. Heavy and short reps for strength. Medium and longer reps for muscle building.
Complexes can be built for many areas and sure, you can still do circuits or pair off movements. The complex is just one way to tick that minimalism box.
Of course technique is vital like in using any piece of equipment, but there are good kettlebell trainers available via StrongFirst, the RKC and other reputable training organisations.
My point here today is this. If you want to pursue training minimalism, I whole-heartily recommend getting to grip with using the kettlebell.
Wow, now that’s a mouthful. Hopefully it got your attention whilst everything else on the internet vies for your attention too.
Right now there is a growing population of men entering into their 40s and heading towards their 50s, me included. We’re faced with a couple of issues in this age category. There are some of us who have been physically active since leaving school who may have picked up a few tweaks along the way. Of course, there are some too who have been either lucky or strategic (whether intentional or not) to have avoided any injuries, aches and pains.
There are also those of us who got side-tracked after school or college and now wonder what happened to that 30″ waist and the last 20 years.
At this point, as a 44 year man, father and husband and full time trainer, I’m looking at my daughter growing up and wondering about chasing grand children around and still being able to contribute in another 20 years time. I don’t want to be like so many other 60+ men who have fallen from physical grace, struggling to achieve even the most basic of day to day physical tasks.
But, I am man who prides himself in being able to move well without pain, who can still throw around the weights albeit with sense and planning and I still want to and plan to do just that for another 20, 30 maybe 40 years. If I can age like the late and great Jack LaLanne, still active and leading by example in my 90s, then I will.
I won’t get there by chasing arbitrary numbers in the gym, beating myself up along the way like so many other gym rats in pursuit of a random goal. I will succeed by practicing the skills of strength and mobility pertaining to what I enjoy, what I need and want to focus on. In fact, this is exactly what I have been doing for the past few years along with most of my keen and eager gym members and friends, practicing the skill of strength. Members have progressed to be able to exercise without pain, regained confidence, lowered stress and have been able to get fitter and stronger than their 10 year younger selves.
No pain, know gain.
Thrivival (just the word I’ve coined for this piece) is about thriving in our own lives so we can live, long and happy, pain free and able to contribute to the lives of our family, community and circle of friends.
I don’t want to go into a lengthy, explanatory article here, but I want to invite other men like me, to discover how to still train for strength, to move better without creaking and find a way of exercising that isn’t threatening, but empowering.
Nuf said!
To recap, I’m looking for a small bunch of men aged between 40-50 (maybe older, why not) who are looking to improve their health, strength and fitness but, without getting busted up along the way.
Men who want to:
Move without aches or pains
Leave a training session feeling better than when they came in
Rediscover how to use your own body to get stronger and tougher
Spots are limited and I’m looking for men who want to start now between early morning sessions and mid morning sessions at least twice a week.
I spent many years with a barbell and truely love the feeling of training with a barbell. It’s best suited for developing maximum strength in all the big moves and it can be used for quick lifts. With over 20 years of training people I don’t often get to work with someone who is comfortable with a barbell for every big movement. Why? They lack the movement skills to use the bar. They can’t hold the bar on their shoulders to squat. Pressing with both hands often doesn’t work due to shoulder limitations and the same goes for the bench press. Deadlifting is the most common go-to that works fine but as for most other movements, most people, most of the time struggle to use the barbell affectively. Whilst mobility training can address the deficits in some occasions, the very strict linear and bilateral (two limbed) nature of barbell training often causes niggles, tweaks and injury. I love the barbell, but for minimal training it isn’t the best tool for most of the people (in my opinion anyway).
