WARM-UP

I hate warm-ups, but they have an important place in my routine.

Do i need a warm-up?

The answer can't be "yes" or "no".

It depends!

Anybody who argues "yes" or "no" is wrong.

I don't have to warm-up for easy activities or 30 reps of an isolation-exercise with a light weight.

There is also no need for a warm-up before upper-body-exercises in the rep-range 10 reps per set or higher.

A warm-up is a must for any movement that could be called fast, explosive, hard or heavy.

Better warm-up a few minutes any movement-pattern with an abnormal limited range of motion, especially when pain is involved.

In this cases a warm-up extends training-time a bit for a lot of benefits and a lower risk of getting injured or unnecessary sore.  

"But i have never seen a leopard warming up before hunting down its prey!"

You are not a leopard and you will never be!

Better ask yourself:

Will a warm-up be a good and useful part of my training today?

PAIN

"Pain is temporary, glory forever!" I heard this stupid phrase a thousand times. It's a lie. Truth is:

"GLORY IS TEMPORARY, PAIN IS FOREVER!"

Punchline:

Don't do stupid things with a high risk of injuries just for the sake of a short rush of feeling accepted, respected or admired.

The motivation to risk your health or your life should always have a reasonable cause. The risky action must have the longterm cause to make you a much better person and / or helping the whole humanity.

It's the function of puberty to do just that:

Be fearless to take risks for feeding and protecting your family, your community and the whole humanity.

In the 1990s i was a successful PRO kickboxer.

I was young and naive.

My goals were...

...being accepted

...being respected

...being admired

...earning money doing my hobby...

Yes, i am thankful for all the experiences.

They made me a better person - the one i am today.

My list of injuries is long. Nearly every part of my body - from head to toe - were hurt. My arms, shoulders, back, legs and feet still hurt - and will hurt forever. Cardiac arrhythmias, athlete's heart, ... and the list goes on. That's the price i have to pay.

I share my experience.

Think twice. 

FUEL

L+I+F+E=life

Your life is a marvel.

There are no easy equations to produce "life" as result.

Everything depends on individual parameters.

EASY EQUATION EXAMPLE:

"Watch your makros and drink 3 liters of water." 

Does it work?  

It depends!

There are a lot more "factors" in the "equation:

+ - Are enough vitamins and minerals in your food and water?

+ - Does your body digest the food properly?

+ - Is your body well hydrated with the type of water, the timing of the drinks, the amount of water per drink, your salt-intake per day, Calcium, Magnesium (...)?

O.K., it's not easy...

MY (ALWAYS EVOLVING) WAY TO FUEL: 

HYDRATE

mineral-water (>2 L)

isotonic-drink (as needed)

coffe (<=0,2 L before 11:00 am)

bone-broth (>0,5 L per week)

GREEN

green leafy vegetables (200-600 ml)

YELLOW, ORANGE, RED AND BLUE

low fructose fruits and vegetables (200-600 ml)

ROOTS

cabbage, brokkoli, onions, mushrooms (200-400ml)

ANIMALS

Fish, meat, eggs (200-300g)

VEGAN PROTEIN (30-60g)

FERMENTED

tofu, tempeh, soja-joghurt (every other day instead of meat)

CARBS

oats (125 ml) OR potatoes (250g) OR Rice (200ml)

3 servings per day

SUGAR

only in my coffe (5g)

SEEDS & NUTS

every other day (85ml)

FAT

Olive-oil, rapeseed oil, coconut-oil, sesame-oil (10-40g)

SUPPLEMENTS

magnesium (200%)

vitamin C (200%)

calcium (100% every other day)

SALT 

I check my blood-pressure every morning, because some years ago i tended to have higher readings.

With my daily variable salt-intake (<=5g) i'm able to adjust that.

DRUGS

I don't smoke, drink or take any other intoxicants.

Every drug or medication has a long list of side effects. I only take medication when i'm seriously i'll. 

WEIGHT-MANAGEMENT

I use measuring cups in different sizes and a scale to make sure that i eat exactly the right amount of food. Counting calories in an excel-sheet is just "copy&paste" once you have a good data-base.

KRYPTONITE

I have had a lot of problems with allergies.

Tracking my food and identifying what my body dislikes helped me a lot to get rid of all the discomfort.

TIMING

I eat 3-6 times per day. Eating smaller portions every 2-3 hours work fine for me.  

EQUIPMENT

I bought some equipment over the decades.

Some things are still in use, some were fun and some were expensive rubbish.

MUST HAVE 

HR-chest-strap / monitor 

to know my daily readyness, to be sure i'm training in my daily individual optimal intensity and to check the (short- and longterm) results of my routine

TOP

1

trail-running-shoes

for combining endurance-training with priceless experiences in nature 

2

9 x 1x1m thick floor-mats / puzzle-mats

for shadow-boxing, heavy-bag-work, yoga, gymnastics, BWEs, TGUs, (...)

3

spinning-bike

for countless hours of "no-excuses-bad-weather-road-work" combined with watching movies

4

barbell with weights

for lifting and getting stronger

5

adjustable Kettlebells (1 x 8-16kg, 2 x 16-24kg)

for lifting, carries, holding my feet on the ground doing sit-ups, weight for my DIY-cable-mashine, (...)

6

pull-up-bar

for pull-ups, hanging-leg-raises and to attach gymnastic-rings or my slingtrainer

Yes, it's not necessary to own any equipment, but some things help a lot to save time and make the whole process much more productive.

A gym-membership, commuting and the waiting-time to get access to a certain "mashine" cost money. Essential equipment is cheaper. 

There's nothing wrong with a gym-membership, you just have to realise that, if time and / or money is important to you. 

THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS

My routine consists of making daily decisions and choosing the best place, equipment, exercises, sets, reps, etc.

1. QUESTION:

Am i ready to train today?

I measure my rest-HR and HRV in the morning.

RESULT A:

My HRV is abnormal and/or my rest-HR is >=5 BPM higher than normal.

DECISION A:

No strength training, just walking or 10min easy spinning @HR 96-116 BPM

RESULT B:

HRV and Rest-HR is O.K.

DECISION B:

Continue with the 2 Question.

2. QUESTION:

What's the main movement today?

A: hip extension

B: push horizontal, pull vertical

C: squat

D: push vertical, pull horizontal

E: Endurance

3. QUESTION:

When do I have time to exercise today and how many minutes do I have available?
ANSWER A:
Just a few minutes before work, at lunch, and before going home.
DECISION A:
I take the minutes and exercise with the resources available to me. No warm-up, just the work.
ANSWER B:
I have plenty of time tonight.
DECISION B:
Full training session in the evening.
I use the optimal equipment, sets, reps, rests, etc.

4. QUESTION:

Which exercises do i choose for today?

ANSWERS to "just the work, no warm-up"

A1: hip extension

RDL, 1x30 (or 2x15, or 3x10, not heavy!)

B1: push horizontal, pull vertical

push-up

chin-up

C2: squat

single-leg-squat

D1: push vertical, pull horizontal

kettlebell-overhead-press

kettlebell-row, same weight, same reps, double the sets (60 reps) 

E1: Endurance

rack-walk with two kettlebells

ANSWERS to "full training-session"

A2: hip extension

warm-up

barbell-RDL (conventional deadlift when heavy)

prone leg curls

ab-work

B2: push horizontal, pull vertical

warm-up (shoulder-stability)

bench-press

single-arm-cable-pull-down

C2: squat, full training-session

warm-up

barbell-sumo-deadlift

(knee-dominant, "squat" with vertical upper body)

prone leg curls

ab-work

D2: push vertical, pull horizontal

warm-up (shoulder-stability)

kettlebell-overhead-press

chest supported kettlebell-row

E2: Endurance

run, swim, bike, kickboxing...

5. QUESTION:

Which weights, sets and reps do i choose for the exercise?

ANSWER:

Check this

6. QUESTION:

When, where and what will I do for my endurance?

ANSWERS:

1. choice is to combine doing something usefull while being in the right heart-rate-zone.

E. g. commuting, working in the garden,...

2. choice is to combine doing something i like while being in the right heart-rate-zone.

E. g. hiking, trail-running, kickboxing,...

3. choice is to just move to be in the right heart-rate-zone.

E. g. walking, jogging, spinning, swimming,...

TIME

The biggest challenge in organising training is putting the plan into practise.
Many things can mess up your plan unless you are a full-time professional athlete.

A plan could look like this:

MONDAY

17:30-18:30 gym/warm-up, deadlift, cardio

TUESDAY

17:30-18:30 gym/warm-up, bench-press, cardio

WEDNESDAY

17:30-18:15 brisk walk outside

THURSDAY

17:30-18:30 gym/warm-up, squat, cardio

FRIDAY

17:30-18:30 gym/warm-up, overhead-press, cardio

SATURDAY

17:30-18:15 brisk walk outside

SUNDAY

8:00-8:45 restorative yoga 

15:00-16:00 trail-running

ADVANTAGES:

Weekly volume, recovery etc. fit together.

This is a typical "winter-program".

DISADVANTAGES:

This is a rigid schedule without any flexibility.

Training, especially the four days at the gym, dominates your free time.

Chances are you'll "mess up the plan" if anything (sore muscles, recovery, real life situations) doesn't work out as planned.

POSSIBLE MODIFICATION 1:

DAY 1

gym/warm-up, deadlift, bench-press, cardio

DAY 2

brisk walk outside

DAY 3

any moderate activity

DAY 4

gym/warm-up, squat, overhead-press, cardio

DAY 5

17:30-18:15 brisk walk outside

DAY 6

any moderate activity

DAY 7

restorative yoga 

(Day 1 can be any day of the week.)

ADVANTAGES:

Less time and less days in the gym.

Two days for other activities / hobbies. 

More time to spend outside (in summer).

DISADVANTAGES:

The longer training-sessions are more taxing and harder to recover from.

It's possible that you feel exhausted on day 2 and day 5.

POSSIBLE MODIFICATION 2:

Insert the strength-exercises anytime anywhere.

Do bodyweight-, slingtrainer-, resistance-band-, dumbell-, kettlebell-, barbell-, pull-up-bar-, (...)-exercises that are available.

Especially single-leg- or single-arm-variations are easy to practice anywhere. (Examples)

Do endurance training every day, as often as possible and at any time, according to your schedule.

DAY 1:

hip extension (single-leg-deadlift)

DAY 2:

push horizontal, pull vertical (push-up, chin-up)

DAY 3:   

(no strength-training)  

DAY 4:

squat (single-leg-squat)

DAY 5:

push vertical, pull horizontal (arnold-press, single-arm-slingtrainer-row)

DAY 6:

(no strength-training)

DAY 7:

(no strength-training)

ADVANTAGES:

Very flexible to schedule.

A lot less time spend for commuting and setting up the process of Training. 

Endurance-training can be done nearly every day. 

DISADVANTAGES:

Some exercises are not as scalable as barbell- or dumbell-exercises depending on the equipment.

For some people it's harder to stay on track without a fixed appointment for Training.

Single-leg- and single-arm-variations double the time per set.

Lifting smaller weights while holding balance can be less motivating than lifting an impressively heavy barbell.  

POSSIBLE MODIFICATION 3:

Combine all options and extract the best of all worlds!

QICK AND THIRTY...

...is my current progression for lifting weights.

This unique method of 

CHOSING EXACTLY WHAT TO DO

without all the usually recommended testing and calculating

or suffering from "amraps" (as many reps as possible).

Trial, error, hitting walls, doing not enough or going too heavy are next to impossible with this guideline.

My variation of progressive overload is to add load every training session and reduce the reps per set as needed while keeping the total reps the same.

SHORTEST EXPLANATION:

2 / wk

1 x 30

2 x 15

3 x 10 

6 x 5

MORE DETAILS:

"upper/lower" 2 times per week

1 set x 30 reps (start easy)

+ load progressive until 30 reps="hard"

2 sets x 15 reps @~30 RM

+ load progressive until 15 reps="hard"

3 sets x 10 reps @ ~15 RM

+ load progressive until 10 reps="hard"

6 sets x 5 reps, last set @ ~10 RM

(50/60/70/80/90/100% of 10 RM)

+ load progressive until 5 reps="hard"

start a new cycle

1 set @ 30% of ~5 RM 

FULLY LAID OUT:

deadlift (1) once a week

prone leg curls and ab-work after the deadlift

bench-press once a week

shoulder-stability and (cable) pull down after the bench-press

squat once a week

prone leg curls and ab-work after the deadlift

overhead-press once a week

shoulder-stability and chest supported (Kettlebell) row after the overhead-press

Loaded carries up to 4 times per week at the end of the lifting-session.

1. SESSION: 1 x 30 (easy) reps.

2. session: Add the smallest available pair of plates.

Again 1 x 30 reps.

3.-(...) session: Add weight every session until you are unable to lift the weight 1 x 30 reps without resting in between the reps.

Next session: Take the same weight, 2 x 15 reps

>>>Add weight every session until you are unable to lift the weight 2 x 15 reps without resting between the reps.>>>

Next session: Take the same weight, 3 x 10 reps

>>>Add weight every session until you are unable to lift the weight 3 x 10 reps without resting between the reps.>>>

Next session:

Take the same weight

FOR THE LAST SET OF 6 SETS.

Do the 1. set with about 1/2 and add 1/10 every set.

E. g.: 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100kg

5 reps per set.

>>>Add weight every session until you are unable to lift the weight 6 x 5 reps without resting between the reps.>>>

Next session:

Take 1/3 of the last weight and restart with 1x 30 reps.

SORENESS for more than 1 day?

Time to switch to the next (easier) set-/rep-scheme.

DELOADS and ADJUSTMENTS to your individual progress will happen naturely.

No need for math, spreadsheets or apps.

KEY POINTS:

Volume, intensity and INOL rise linear until you start a new cycle.

The effort to progress is waving up and down. 

30 reps per main-lift per training-session

60 reps per upper body pulling exercises

(2 x 30, 4 x 15, 6 x 10; pulling only in the higher rep-range; pulling-volume=pressing-volume x 2)

Frequency:

Every exercise once a week, except ab-work and loaded carries.

Ab-work 2 times per week (after squat and deadlift).

Loaded carries up to 4 times per week.

Weak links as needed.

(1)

High rep conventional deadlifts are not recommended.

The romanian deadlift (RDL, stiff legs, pull from just below the knees) with a focus on perfect technique ist the go-to-exercise for 30-10 reps.

Do the conventional deadlift with heavier weights and 5 reps.

VOLUME, INTENSITY AND FREQUENCY FOR STRENGTH

If you dig deep enough into all the available information about weightlifting, you will find a lot of (often confusing) mathematical formulas. There are percentages of training maximums that are percentages of real maximums and infinite ways to Put the numbers in the bar. You can try to understand concepts like RIR and RPE.

I have tried and tested A LOT.

The (IMO) best way to check the math behind a strength program is to calculate the INOL (Hristo Hristov, intensity number of lifts). This can work well if you have the knowledge, patience and time to do the "paperwork".(1)

Most "pure" strength " programs (even most apps) take a lot of time and energy, which I do not consider optimal for me and my goals.

Choosing weights "by feel" is not my thing either.
The result is always that I train too heavy.

(1) This is what calculations can look like: https://complementarytraining.net/the-ultimate-set-and-rep-scheme/

MOVE STRONG

This is a more difficult task.

Training strength and endurance concurrently is always a compromise.

With limited time for training and highly individual needs to recover from strength-training-sessions there are endless possibilities that could work - or not.

My way of strength-training is constantly changing due to all the variables i have to take to account.

Time, exercises, sets, reps, tempo, rests between sets/exercises/cirquits and days per week (+more) are possible variables to optimize.

Volume, intensity and frequency are the parameters that have to be adjusted constantly.

MOVE TIRELESS

Building serious endurance is simple.

Patience and discipline are the key when you know how to do it.

My way to do it:

Every morning i check my HRV with the app "Elite-HRV" to know if i'm ready to do anything i like or if i should stay in recovery-mode.

Every day i train my aerobic energy-system, except when my nervous-system is abnormal or my rest-heart-rate is 5 beats higher than normal.

My rest-heart-rate is usually around 48 BPM, which is quite low. With the Karvonen-formula* i calculated my personal ideal HR-zone for training.

10 minutes of walking or cycling at a heart-rate of 95-110* is the minimum.

This is also my recovery-mode.

Easy activity at low heart-rate is better than resting complete. I only rest when i'm ill. 

20-45 minutes every day are doable, of course depending on the time left besides my regular life.

Being in the right heart-rate-zone for a total of

2 hours (or often much more) per week

builds not only the foundation of my endurance, but also for my good health.

I prefer low impact activities and stay in the range of 117-127* BPM.

High volume and high frequency at low intensity beats everything else.

I basically do a lot of very easy work at a low heart-rate to improve my ability to do any work at a low heart-rate.

In the past i experimented a lot with different methods.

The outcome of conditioning my body to work at high heart-rate is a high heart-rate when working, a need for more time to recover, less weekly training-volume, less fun and mediocre results.

Being able to do the same work with a lower heart-rate should be the goal.

Conditioning my body to

WORK A LOT AT LOW HEART-RATE

and

SLOWLY BUILDING UP WHAT I CAN DO IN THIS RANGE

had the surprising outcome of

being able ride my bike up to the top of a hill

at average HR 112,

instead of >140 after 4 months of different training!

*Check the right range for you: 

https://www.topendsports.com/fitness/karvonen-formula-calculator.htm

MOVE WELL

To move freely without pain and stiffness can be achieved quite easily.

I practice Restorative Yoga every Sunday for 20-45 minutes.

Why Sundays? Enough time!

The app "Down Dog / Yoga" is my "teacher".
With each session I feel a little better.

My old injuries need a little more attention.

A few joint-mobility-drills for my shoulders and lower back spread over the day do the trick.  

GOALS

My GOALS for health and physical fitness are:

1. MOVE WELL 

2. MOVE STRONG

3. MOVE  TIRELESS

WORK UP

A WORKOUT is (often) designed to give you the feeling of exhaustion.

Being exhausted makes you think "i have done enough".

WORK UP is the idea to do just enough and the right things to reach a goal.    

DO

I chose the word DO for some reasons.

In japanese martial arts it's the PATH without an end.

Since 1978 i read, watch, communicate, test and absorb what works.

One thing i learned: The more you know, the more you see how much more there is to learn.