Overcomplicating for the sake of entertainment

Training for general health and wellbeing is really simple.

  1. Cover each fundamental human movement once a week.
    – Squat
    – Hinge
    – Push
    – Pull
  2. Use a resistance that’s moderately challenging.
  3. Um… that’s it.

Although I published Spandex Not Compulsory only two and a half years ago (wrote the program three years ago) I now look at the training program in it with a disgust. It’s way too complicated. It’s clear I was trying to prove how smart I was by adding all sorts of nonsense in it.

To be clear, the basics of it are still sound. The actual training plan is still a ok. And it works. But there’s just so much bloat around it that is hard to stomach now.

Training itself is simple. Something that I follow with most clients at the moment follows a this template of

A1 Lower body power
A2 Upper body power
A3 Core or carry

B1 Lower body strength
B2 Upper push strength
B3 Upper pull strength

For those who like to keep their heart rate higher during the session I might add a B4 or C1. Depending on the person’s preferences and goals. That can be swings, slams, marches, crawls…

That’s it. Warm up can be anything that takes the body through full ranges of motion. Downward dogs and spidermans, squats and reaches, ninja kicks and Al Pacino monologues. Whatever elevates the tissue temperature and raises the heartrate. Simple.

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