Everyday there seems to be a new break through in exercise some new fad way of training. Anything that gets you to move works, when you are a lazy person is great. That being said we overcomplicate exercise as a result. Exercise has not evolved dramatically over the years despite these claims, but gimmicks have. I call it exercise entertainment, it is not all bad sometimes you need a little entertainment to get you started.

Raise the Bar!

Once you are at a point that you are active and want to take it a step up from the fads. It’s time to really build that foundation to make the strongest best version of yourself. That hasn’t changed since the 70’s on how to achieve this.

Heavy compound weightlifting movements. Squats, Bench Press and Deadlift. Once you get good at these three lifts body fat melts off, your strength goes up and your health improves. The key is to not to have ego and really learn the technique to these lifts. It is simple yet, extremely complex for most people to grasp.

The I’m Too Advance for Just Compound Lifts

Sometimes I will call this ego or extreme passion. Once you get to this point where you are good at the foundation exercises. You love it but you have this urge to reinvent the wheel. You train harder, rest less and find yourself wanting to perfect your training. In other words we overcomplicate exercise.

This sounds great you have a love for exercise right. At one point I was this person. I absorbed exercise like a sponge and hated rest days. While I understood the body heals when it rest, my ego said I didn’t want to waste a moment resting when I didn’t have too. After all I didn’t feel tire, I just wanted to keep going to push harder to be my best. I was determined to unlock some new training method. I mean this is what they say the top athletes do right? Train hard, rest is for the weak well it’s a lie. My progress staggered but I wasted a lot more time and energy. All I did was overcomplicate exercise which took me away from what was already working in hopes to progress faster.

The truth is I had all the tools I needed already in front of my face a whole body compound lifting routine none of these silly split routines. Nothing more advance than the basics. Like I said the basics are extremely challenging when done right. I wasted time and energy trying to pursue more in training. I will explain with a story about myself maybe you can relate.

Covid Hit

Covid hit it was a blessing for my training. For 6 months I did not weightlift or exercise at all. This is like the first time in a decade I took more than a week off from exercise. This sounds bad but it ended up being a good thing. When I got back into the gym, I focused on getting my strength back with the basic lift nothing else.

What I found was I started feeling more energy than I felt in years. My strength took time to get back but it broke pass my ceiling from before covid. I am stronger than ever. Yes, my training has evolved a little in my mindset but my approach to the basics that really took hold. I only do Squats, Bench and Deadift or Barbell Rows. I keep it extremely simple I don’t overcomplicate exercise.

So how did it evolve my mindset? I focus is on getting strong in those lifts and those lifts only. I keep it quite simple with very high intensity rather than long workouts. Everyday in the gym I am trying to push the bar a little heavier.

Nutrition Has Evolved

While exercise hasn’t evolved that much in recent decades, other than gimmicks. Our understanding of nutrition has changed greatly. Yes everyday there seems to be a new fad diet and it’s confusing but science has helped us better understand what we need to put in our bodies.

We learned about the importance of macro nutrition and what macro nutrition is. We have seen emerging on the market tons of supplements it can be daunting. Keep it simple protein is all you need this is my personal favorite protein.

My Workout Routine Is This Simple

Squats 3×5

Bench 3×5

Deadlift or Barbell Row 3×5

It’s simple it’s not rocket science but I dare anybody to test it. I guarantee you will be a pile of jelly on the floor if get to the point I’m at. You’ll also be the healthiest you have ever been.

Plateaus                

If you stick with this very basic routine, you will sore to new heights. Build muscle, lose fat and be in the best shape you have ever been.  You will also hit plateaus in your lifts these lifts that you don’t think you will over come because you feel stuck on a lift for so long. This is why the basic lifts are so crucial there is always room to grow. Leave the ego at the door and stop complicating thing. It’s simple yet challenging. It’s all about progressive overload. Those three exercises work your entire body.

So how do I get over these sticking points in my weightlifting. Well we will talking about plateau busting  article next time.