Hello my friend,
In these uncertain times, it’s easy to fall into the trap of constant social media and endless news updates in an ever-increasing cycle of anxiety.
Instead, I propose a different solution: focus on staying fit and healthy.
I’m currently working from home, trying to stay calm and focusing on eating well and getting my workouts in.
Talking of workouts, today I’ll be sharing with you the only 3 workout formats that you will ever need.
So let’s get started…
3 workout formats to rule them all
As you know my main quest is to help you get results as quickly and as easily as possible…
But…with so many different types of workouts out there it isn’t easy to know which ones to use.
So to make things very simple for you I’d like to introduce you to 3 formats:
- Circuits
- Supersets
- Repetition Ladders
Let’s break each of them down along with a few examples:
Circuits
For fat loss, cardio and general conditioning you can’t go wrong with circuit training. You can use anything from 3 to 10+ exercises each performed one after the other with short or no rest in between exercises.
- Exercise A (Swing)
- Exercise B (Row)
- Exercise C (Squat)
- Exercise D (Press)
- REST & REPEAT
Each exercise will usually last for 30 – 60 seconds before moving on to the next one.
Supersets
For muscle building and cardio, supersets are often used to maximise time. 2 exercises are performed one after the other before resting and repeating.
- Exercise A (Swing)
- Exercise B (Push Ups)
- REST & REPEAT
Depending on the type of workout the pair of exercises will be performed 2 to 10 times with 30 – 90 seconds of rest. Usually, 1 – 3 pairs of exercises are used in a full workout.
Repetition Ladders
For building pure strength, improving strength skill and acclimatising to new weights, rep ladders are excellent. Only 1 exercise is used but that exercise is repeated as follows:
- Exercise A x 1 rep (Double Clean & Press)
- Exercise A x 2 reps
- Exercise A x 3 reps
- Exercise A x 4 reps
- Exercise A x 5 reps
- REST & REPEAT
Rest periods following each ladder is usually longer (2 – 5 minutes) so you can recover. These types of workouts should be used on large compound movements, for example, clean & press, pull-ups, pistol squats, and Turkish get ups.
Once you combine the 5 essential movement patterns that I’ve been sharing with you this year along with the above workout formats you have a recipe for success regardless of your goals.
Learn more: I use all of the above workout formats within my workout programs
Here’s an intermediate workout from my 12 Week Fat Loss Program
- 1A. Goblet Squat – 15 reps
- 1B. Regular Row – 15 reps each side
- 2A. Single Handed Deadlift – 15 reps each side
- 2B. Push Press – 15 reps each side
- 3A. Reverse Lunge – 15 reps each side
- 3B. Shoulder Taps – 30 seconds
Here is an example of the Superset workout format in action.
Each pair of exercises (eg. 1A and 1B) are performed one after the other before resting for 75 seconds. Each pair of exercises is performed twice, 2 sets.
Notice how each pair of exercises uses totally different movement patterns and therefore muscles. Constructing workouts in this way enables you to perform more work in less time while still challenging your heart and lungs.
Click to download this workout
If you only had to do one thing
Research has shown that if people are told to “JUST focus on increasing their fibre intake” it resulted in more fat loss than trying to combine lots of fat loss tactics.
Fibre is found in fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains, and not in meat and dairy as many believe.
Most people do not eat enough fibre but here is why you should:
- Constipation: most fibre is indigestible and so helps to bulk out your stools
- Fewer calories: the fibre in fruit and vegetables slows down the intake and absorption of calories. Compare drinking orange juice to eating oranges.
- Appetite suppressant: the bulk from fibre helps you feel fuller
- Burn more calories: fibre makes your intestines work harder during digestion and this takes energy
- Fat & Sugar wrappers: fibre helps transport fat and sugar back out of the body and prevent storage
Just a simple focus on increasing the fibre in every meal will make a radical difference.
Chia Seeds have an extremely high amount of fibre, I eat them for breakfast soaked in almond milk and mixed with coconut yoghurt and cinnamon.
If fat loss is your goal then I challenge you to increase your fibre intake at every meal.
Start adding beans, lentils, fruit, vegetables, oats and rye to every meal and I’m convinced you will notice the difference.
Exercise at home
You don’t need a gym or lots of fancy equipment in order to stay fit and healthy.
One kettlebell is all you need for most exercises.
On this topic, here are 3 articles which I think you will find useful:
- Complete guide to buying the best kettlebell for you
- What kettlebell weights I use for the different exercises
- 7 ways to progress your workouts without adding more weight
That’s all for today my friend,
Take care of yourself and each other,
Greg