We are not made of bubble wrap and as my friend Ori Hofmekler says : "Not actively surviving, is passively dying." It's easy as we age to begin to overly coddle ourselves. One day we stopped jumping, climbing, playing, running and crawling. It happens slowly and then all at once. We must fight against this. This is my guide for myself and for others who listened to the naysayers.
Where Are the Explosive Exercises?
You may be reading this and think : "Adam, where are the explosive exercises?" Great question. Having grown up within the realm of the kettlebell universe, I've done my fair share of swings, snatches, cleans and jumping. I'm not a big believer in explosive exercises. I've listened to countless people who are older, still in good shape and move well. They all tell me the same thing, avoid explosive exercises. I've done probably millions of swings and snatches in my lifetime, I can't see the benefit anymore. Rapidly snapping/extending your joints and throwing around heavy weight is a recipe for issues long term.
I've listened to many well-meaning trainers who worship ballistic exercises like the kettlebell swing and snatch. The issue is that these people are oftentimes riddled with injury and joint replacements. They'll say it's from something else or has nothing to do with their exercise approach. I call it malarkey. Why would I listen to those who aren't where I want to be? You're telling me using momentum and throwing heavy weights around long term won't cause issues? Give me a break.
I'm not against explosive fun though. If you see a stretch of road and want to sprint : do it. If a friend invites you to play ultimate frisbee, do it. Don't hide your face and say : 'Explosivity is not for me.'
Recovery, Auto-Regulation, Progression and Balance
Why would an ironworker do the same program as an accountant? They shouldn't and wouldn't. All of the programs in the section below are done as your energy allows with two mandatory days off per week dedicated to some additional mobility and flexibility work.
You get home from work and are tired? You don't have to train.
Are you exhausted? You don't have to train.
Do you have other interests in your life other than weights? You don't have to train.
This may seem lazy to some but to me it's rational. We are not winning medals here. There are many ways to progress in health and body. Eat healthy, minimize stress and cultivate the attitude of a relaxed person. For many people a stringent workout program is a huge stressor because it doesn't work with real life. Real life has an unpredictable schedule and this philosophy embodies that. The only person who can follow a strict program by the letter are those who live to workout instead of workout to live.
Warm-Up and Dedicated Active Flexibility Days
Maintaining joint health is actually really simple and boring. My approach is taken from a few sources but mainly Steve Maxwell and Paul Wade (Convict Conditioning). I am not a fan of passive flexibility and I think it causes a great deal of injury to people. Your strength and flexibility should go hand in hand. Most healthy and strong people are actually a bit tight. The following routine won't make you a contortionist but will make you stronger, mobile and flexible enough to handle almost anything.
The warm-up takes care of your synovial fluid and gentle conditioning for the joints/tendons. I find doing too much in the warm-up takes away from the main workout so I prefer to keep it unloaded and simple.
The scheduled active flexibility day gives you some nice calisthenic holds to work on to build strength, flexibility and mobility at the same time. The squat hold lets you maintain that fundamental human movement. The passive bar hang keeps your shoulders healthy and makes them bulletproof. You're also getting the benefit of the pre-workout warmup.
- Warm-Up
- Joint Circling
- Toe Touch/Reach Overhead
- Stick Dislocates
- Active Flexibility Days (Days Before Days Off from Work)
- Perform Same Warm-Up as Above
- Trifecta (20 Second Holds)(Various Regressions and Progressions)
- 5 Minute Squat Hold
- Passive Bar Hang
Personal Program Progression
I will list my personal distilled program approach here but the details will be in blogs following this one. This is my plan for the next decade or so. Frankly, however long it takes.
Kettlebell Slow Strength (Muscle Rejuvenation)
- Reach 5(1) 32 kg Turkish Get Ups
- Reach 2(20) 32 kg Deadlifts
Passage to Strength rotated with Passage to Muscle (Muscle Rejuvenation/Muscle Buildup)
Passage to Power (Muscle Buildup)
Kettlebell Slow Strength - Sinister (Muscle Buildup)
Barbell Training (Muscle Rejuvenation/Muscle Buildup)
Diet and Nutrition
You'll notice next to each program, there is Muscle Rejuvenation and Muscle Buildup. These require slightly different nutritional protocols. Muscle Rejuvenation requires lighter eating and more quality food while with muscle-build up we'll be eating out much more often in order to get the calories in. I like to use supplements to go hand in hand with a good nutritional protocol. Whey helps me get some extra protein in and essential amino acids. Creatine is so well researched I feel odd not taking it. The multivitamin acts as an insurance policy of sorts. The fish oil gives me healthy fats because I don't eat fish. The vitamin D+K is included because I don't spend enough time outside. The casein is included to give me more protein and is slow to release because I don't eat during the day.
- Muscle Rejuvenation
- Day-Time
- Water
- Zero Calorie Energy Drinks/Coffee
- Nighttime
- Whey Protein Shake with 5g Creatine, Multivitamin, Fish Oil and Vitamin D+K
- This is either post workout or pre-dinner.
- Salad
- Steamed Vegetables
- Protein Source
- Eggs and Rice
- Whole Wheat Sandwiches
- Eating Out
- 2 Days a Week
- The day before the day off from work.
- Casein Shake
- Muscle Buildup
- Day-Time
- Water
- Zero Calorie Energy Drinks/Coffee
- Nighttime
- Whey Protein Shake with 5g Creatine, Multivitamin, Fish Oil and Vitamin D+K
- This is either post workout or pre-dinner.
- Salad
- Steamed Vegetables
- Protein Source
- Eating Out
- Whole Wheat Sandwiches
- Casein Shake
Grease the Groove and Grip Training
While we all gain grip strength through our normal weight lifting, I believe that we can make greater gains if we work our grip using Grease the Groove. I like captains of crush grippers for this work and expand your hand bands, both from ironmind. Do these grippers and bands while sitting and playing video games. You'll be shocked at how much strength you gain and how healthy your hands will feel. We aren't going for prs here but for cumulative and consistent practice to a 'comfortable stop'.
Steps
I believe it is important to get 10,000 steps per day. This is especially useful if you have a non-active occupation. It works your heart, joints and mind. It also breaks up all the sitting. I find it best to get 10 minutes here and 15 minutes there throughout the day. By the end of the day, you'll most likely end up getting 10,000 steps.
Mental Strength
Our bodies are as strong as our brains. I like to focus on a few key things for mental strength : humour, gratitude, positivity and forgiveness. We must maintain humour throughout our lives, especially about ourselves. How we sound, look and behave are all sources of humour. If you can't laugh at ourselves and any situation, you're in for a hell of a time on this Earth. The next step is gratitude. Be thankful for what you have, no matter how small. The fact you're reading this blog right now means you are blessed and lucky. Be thankful for the small things in life. Then we have positivity. Always look on the bright side of life, regardless of your situation. Maintain a positive energy about you. Then we have forgiveness. Forgive people before they have wronged you. This gives you unbridled strength. The power you have when you forgive, is unmeasurable and leads to a life of peace.
Thank you for reading.
