This section is about fitness. What I do and have learned over the years. Your fitness routine can impact the physique a great deal however when your nutrition is dialed in and coupled with a great workout program, that’s when the magic happens. My approach has quite a bit of variety to it and is directed at general fitness. As with most things time and money plays a role in what is excess-able but not necessarily whats achievable.
At the foundation of my fitness is my enjoyment for walking and my love for movement. At one time I would have gone on about dynamic and maximal effort training, the neurophysiological benefits of olympic lifting, crossfit training, and different training methodologies for triathlons. Currently my focus takes me out of the typical gym and is inviting in much more variety. Not necessarily a simpler methodology but a more primal one with a focus on natural movement. However there are valuable principles and knowledge to be gained from all of the above listed.
The 80/20 rule is a great way to approach working out. Focusing on the essential 20% that will produce 80% of the desired outcome. In my mind this translates to “core” movements and less accessory work. A general example for “general” fitness would be to do multi-joint movements such as burpees or KB clean & press as opposed to isolated single joint exercise like bicep curls or leg extensions. Simplicity is almost always a good thing especially in the beginning. Over time we should seek to add variation to fight the law of accommodation and provide new challenges for our bodies to overcome. With added variation programs can become more complex however if the complexity interferes with our motivation then its time to get back to basics..
Moving away from the look/perform your best and feel your worst model.( my burnout was often due to overtraining ) Another area to be consistently aware of is your lower back which seems to be the achilles heel of the human body. You really can’t throw a rock and not hit someone who has a problem with the L4-L5 disc in their lower back. I maintain a consistent regimen of exercises such as reverse hypers, straight leg deadlifts, and good mornings using light weight to strengthen, not test.
How I approach general fitness
I try to walk daily, in my neighborhood or at a local wooded trail nearby where the ground is uneven as opposed to flat man made concrete. Walking helps clear the mind, gets you outside and really is one of the most primal things you can do. Don’t underestimate it! walking is awesome.
I workout in my garage a lot these days but also have access to a standard gym. Equipment I tend to use: Pull-up bar, squat rack, rings, row machine, kettle bells, reverse hyper, lots of bands, sand bags, slam ball, boxes, sledge hammer, jump rope, etc and room to move around. 3-4 days a week after a 10-15 minute dynamic warm up I usually follow 1 of 3 different training methods. Its either a time or task completion method (crossfit style) or an EMOM (every minute on the minute). Sample(1) of a workout: AMRAP(as many rounds as possible) choosing 2-5 exercises( 20ft bear crawl, 5 pull ups, 5 slam balls, 200m row) and doing as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes. Sample (2) 2-5 exercises ( 5 bar front squats, 10 sit-ups, 5 KB swings, 10 ring rows) workout ends after 6 rounds completed. Sample (3) Starting a clock for 20 minutes, every 2 minutes I do 3 bench press, 2 shot put throws with slam ball, 40 jump rope. After completing the jump rope I wait until the next 2 minute mark come around ( 10 sets for a 20 minute workout ). With all of these example there is infinite variation that can be added though weight, reps, time, movements, etc). Rep schemes for me are usually low 3-10 rep range with a higher number of rounds. I would categorize the intensity as moderate/ high, scale of 1-10 ten being the most intense I would fall around 6-8. These workouts help with muscular endurance and improved cardiovascular ability.
1-2 days a week I spend time prepping my central nervous system by lifting heavier weight in very low volume. Ex:1-2 reps x 5-10 rds, whether it be your typical squat, deadlift, bench press, weighted pull ups or any other power lift. Never pushing to the limits, typically at about 70-80% of max. This is not meant to fatigue/burnout the muscles. It’s not for growth/size, it’s to maintain the ability to handle a jolt to the system. Keeping my central nervous system and muscles primed for something explosive or heavy. Often Something explosive such as box jumps or shot put throws are done on these days as well.
I have a 10-15min period of time several times a week that is devoted to body flow, gymnastic movements. I also have a stretching routine I do everyday. Unlike many lifters all my workouts begin with dynamic movement( walking knee holds, walking toe touches, high knee skip, jumping rope, bouncing on my toes in place, etc) all to get my body warmed up and moving. I have a short stretching routine that takes me all of 6-7 minutes and often follows my dynamic warm up. Through-out the years I have settled into the belief that it is less important when you stretch and more important that you consistently stretch everyday no matter when it is. I meet very few individuals who actually take the time to stretch daily/often.
Outside the box: rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, trail running, tennis, spin, free run, martial arts, boxing, heavy bag, etc……
Lets take a step back and look at the building blocks:
#1) walking : movement, good for the mind & body. You can do it almost anywhere.( minimalist shoes are a plus)
#2) 15-20min workout (crossfit style) :Multi-joint movements, muscular endurance, elevated heart rate for cardiovascular benefit, full body workout, variety of movement, minimal equipment needed.
#3) low volume, low rep heavy lifts : helps prepare for randomness, keeps the central nervous system ready for an unpredictable heavy lift. ( not maximal)
#4) Stretching/ flexibility : range of motionl, less likely for injury, more fluent in movement, overall sense wellness.
#5) Another alternative(sport) form of exercise : (If time allows) Variety of movement, adding different movement patterns makes you stronger, learning new skills, can be socially beneficial, gets you out of your routine.
Your body is made to move and finding the motivation and time to be active has always been a barrier for people. We are all at different places in life, age, kids, family, no kids, retired, working 2 jobs, in school, or maybe in school with 2 kids and working a job. The key is to start something and turn that something into a habit, no matter how small it is.
Starting the transition to the bike at the a sprint triathlon
