If you are deliberate with your daily choices, training, and eating in a way to build the body (and physical performance) you want, then there is nothing standing in your way.
Our bodies are INCREDIBLE pieces of machinery – they reshape themselves and
adapt to whatever is thrown at them.
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Run fast, and your body builds muscle in the right places to be more efficient with sprints.
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Train like an MMA fighter and your body will start to resemble a guy that gets in the octagon.
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Run distances and your blood cells and joints and muscles start to adapt to covering long distances and tiring less easily.
So, say "PASS" on the self-imposed limitations your thinking right now and remember, FORM (your body) follows function (the stuff you do with your time):
Gymnasts don’t train on gymnastic rings because they are built like superheroes. The opposite is true: they are built like superheroes BECAUSE they train on gymnastic rings!
Runners don’t just look like runners and thus run a lot. They look like runners BECAUSE they run a lot!
Runners don’t just look like runners and thus run a lot. They look like runners BECAUSE they run a lot!
MMA fighters aren’t built like machines and thus fight and do martial arts. They look like MMA fighters BECAUSE they train in a certain way.
You want a workout routine that has at least one exercise per body area:
- Quads (front of your legs).
- Butt and hamstrings (back of your legs).
- Chest, shoulders, and triceps: (“push” muscles).
- Back, biceps, and grip ( “pull” muscles).
- Core (abdominals and lower back).
By targeting compound movements that recruit multiple muscles at the same time, you can build a full-body routine that uses only four or five exercises.
How's THAT for efficiency!
Here is a quick breakdown on which exercises will work for each of those movements:
Quads –squats, lunges, one-legged squats, box jumps.
Butt and Hamstrings – deadlifts, hip raises straight leg deadlifts, good mornings, step-ups.
Push (chest, shoulders, and triceps) – overhead press, bench press, incline dumbbell press, push-ups, dips.Pull (back, biceps, and forearms) – chin-ups, pull-ups, bodyweight rows, bent-over rows.
Core (abs and lower back) – planks, side planks, exercise ball crunches, mountain climbers, jumping knee tucks, hanging leg raises.
Get really good at these basic movements and focus on getting stronger each week
Then, once you get confident in those movements, feel free to add some variety.
Why?
If you do the same exact routine, three days a week, for months and months, you might get bored, and start slacking, or you might hit a workout plateau.
So if you find yourself getting bored, feel free to stick with the above ‘formula,’ but change the ingredients:
If you do bench presses on Monday, go with overhead presses on Wednesday and dips on Friday.
Oh, Squats on Monday? Try lunges on Wednesday and Front Squats on Friday.
Do deadlifts every Wednesday, but change up the sets and reps you pick!
If you hit a plateau or find yourself getting bored, pick a different exercise to improve so you’ll stay challenged, and you’ll actually DO the workout!
Then, focus on getting stronger! (You are writing down your workouts, right?).