How do you like to work out? After years of lifting, one of the key things I've learnt is the need to understand not just what works best for you, but how you prefer working out. If anything, I'd say the second aspect is more important than the first, at least for longevities sake: knowing and using your preferred method of strength-training ensures you'll stick at it indefinitely...even if there are aspects to your program that can be improved on.
When you consider how people like to work out you're looking at a broad range of variables from sets to reps, splits to methodology, program length to work out length, times of the day the list goes on. I found it helpful (still do, actually) to read up on what others do, what their preferences are and more importantly, what their reasons are for the options and choices they make. So today I'm going to share with you some of mine.
I LIKE LOW REPS
I've discovered that overall, I prefer low reps: roundabout five per set is the sweet spot for me when performing squats, deadlifts and RDLs. I have no reason for this bar personal preference. Sometimes I'll do higher reps, sure, but if I ever 10-rep anything I'll always increase weight/decrease reps and start over. I'd rather do less reps at a heavier weight than more reps at lighter weight as this makes better use of my time. I don't really give a fuck what the intel on this is and besides, I have zero interest doing long work-outs.
Just remember, my "heavy" may be your light.
...or vice versa.
For upper body I tend towards heavy doubles and singles. I absolutely love benchpressing this way and usually do 5-sets of doubles for my working sets. Note that I'll also follow this up with incline DB benchpress. However, I also do the same for shoulder-pressing, fluctuating between cluster sets (sets made up of, say, five singles each performed with 30-60sec between) and heavy doubles -- with no other additional work. I find this style effective because you can really focus, move some heavy weight and yet recover easily.
These days I'm increasingly more strength-focused and find a low-rep protocol much easier to progress on. As an aside, I've also gained size and definition. Sometimes, sometimes I know that if I reduced weight and increased reps on certain lifts like the gym bros, I'd have better results physically. After all, the bodybuilding boys know their shit. But. That's secondary in terms of strength for me and besides, I'm lifting for me not the gym bros, as I'm sure you are too. I'd rather do something I like doing it, even if the results are not optimal.
People may say I'm wasting my time doing this but am I?
Is getting stronger, healthier, improving my cardiovascular system, immune system and diet, developing increased energy and longevity really a waste of time? Or are they really saying it's a waste of time because it's not what they do or it's not as intense and hard-core as they like? Look out for people who march in and dismiss what you've spent years learning, least of all about your own body, because who knows that better than you?
I LIKE TO WORK OUT IN THE MORNING NO MORE THAN AN HOUR
Mornings work best for me because we're a family with lots of commitments, routines and shit to get done after school even if the kids are older. I don't work out for more than an hour because A) I don't want to and B) I can't afford the time to. At one point I got up 5am for four mornings a week to work out. I did that for roundabout 5yrs. Like I always say, if you want to do something you'll find a way and I did. I still hit mornings I just get up at 6am now.
Luxury!
The take-home points are to figure out when the best time for you to exercise is, then ask yourself how much time you're prepared to give it. Remember, your program does not dictate you but you dictate your program. You can make gains working out twice a week. You can make gains reducing all sets down to 1-2 working sets only. You can make gains using strictly body weight performing push-ups, sit-ups and lunges, that type of thing. Find out what works for you to meet your goal. If you're in my age bracket, health and longevity should be right at the top.
As an aside, most of my work-outs are around 45min by design not intent; I need to be in and out of the shower in those last 15min. The only reason I say this is because somewhere between 2015-2018 it became popular to espouse 45min as the ideal duration. Netspurts proclaimed going past this was detrimental to your gains, health, recovery blah blah blah and released cortisol blah blah blah. Horseshit. Work out for as long as is beneficial and which you can recover from.
And again: work out for as long as is beneficial and which you can recover from.
...did I mention you should work out for as long as is beneficial and which you can recover from?
90% OF MY WORK-OUTS ARE COMPOUND MOVEMENTS
Because I work out in the mornings I've learnt to be exercise-efficient. I don't want to hit every muscle from a thousand different angles let alone three. I'm not a body-builder. I employ compound lifts. I perform few if any isolation movements because I don't really enjoy them, aren't striving for aesthetic perfection and to be brutally honest, can't be arsed. I'm still amazed by the amount of people who just can't seem handle the fact I'm not doing wrist-curls, flys or calf-raises. Like I said, strength and health are my focus. What's yours?
I use compound lifts as they're the best bang for buck body-wise and time-wise. They increase size and strength. They can achieve in less time what a zillion isolation movements can do. They also have spill-over effects for example: when you squat free weights you're not just hitting calves, hamstrings, glues and quads but also lower back, upper back, core, erectors, flexors, shoulders you fucking name it. Deadlifts are the same: the whole goddamn body is being called upon to get involved and that's just good from top to bottom.
Why have a dedicated shoulder-day when you can shrug something straight after deadlifts and simply leave it at that? Did you know that benchpressing and upright rows alone can, for some of us, be all that's necessary for upper-trap size or deltoid development? I've experienced this personally. Find out what works for you. I've seen, read of and know guys who have put on size everywhere just by doing the basics of benchpress, squats, rows, deadlifts and shoulder pressing. Basically, if you're not a bodybuilder then why train like one?
I COME AND GO WITH CARDIO
When it comes to cardio I'm a bit up and down. Some times I'll walk for 30-45min pretty much daily for months on end. During that time though I may only walk twice a week due to weather or because I feel like it. I like running too and will run anywhere from 2-4 times per week roundabout 4-5km but again, only for 2-3 months before I lose interest. Some weeks I'll do an HIT focus using jump-rope or the rowing-machine. Some weeks I'll do zero cardio in fact, some months I'll do zero cardio.
I feel absolutely fine about this.
Personally I think if you walked every 2-3 days for say, half an hour or so, that's good enough for any adult and by "walk" I mean just that -- not stroll round with your dick in your hands but at a good steady stride that gets your heart rate up and maintains it there. Anything past that is a bonus. If you've read my article Why walking is still valid cardio you'll know walking is not only on the most under-rated exercises available to us but also one of the most natural and beneficial.
MUSCLE GROWTH IS VERY SLOW
I'm lucky if I can put on 5lbs of new muscle a year. Hell, I'd be stoked with 2lbs per year which is more normative. I can train 3-6 months and whilst I may get stronger, I create no new muscle. I'm essentially maintaining but y'know what's really weird? When I do put on muscle it's like I'm having growth spurts. Half a year with zero difference and then suddenly as I'm passing the mirror I'm like, "Hang on, what's that?" My shoulders look better, more rounded. My legs are thickening. My chest is beginning to show greater definition. Huh.
I think sharing the above is really important because even at my age you expect to suddenly mass-out quickly and when you don't, you start doubting what you're doing and question whether you're doing it right to start with. Listen, you're doing it right when you turn up for every scheduled training block. Plus we're all different, we're all individuals, which means some of us are going to grow faster than others. Some of us are going to lean out quickly and others of us may struggle for years to lose body fat. It is what it is, kemosabe.
I've reached a point in my own lifting whereby if I never gain further muscle I'm okay with that. I accept we have a limit. I can see improved shape and definition with what I have and that's A-okay by me. If I never "grow" any further won't really change anything for me because I love doing this shit. It's like an old surfer: he or she may never learn another trick or surf a new, challenging break, but they're still going to keep surfing because they love that shit. Take heart and make this your mantra: I do it because I LOVE THIS SHIT.
:: CONCLUSION
I never wanted to join a gym and use what the experts recommended in fact, I wouldn't know what to do on most modern gym machines, how to use them let alone where to sit. The idea of working out with others always repelled me. I like working out alone in my garage. In fact, I like being alone by myself a lot these days. I don't want to be around other people. I can do pretty much every main exercise at home using just a barbell and/or dumbbells in my home-made rack and this too is an important part of how I like to work out.
I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't able to strength-train. I wouldn't go insane, I'd find another way to exercise because it's become immensely therapeutic for me, both relaxing and stimulating at the same time oddly enough. It's a great internal battle and one that develops mental hardness. If you do end up joining a gym and it doesn't work for you, drop it and set yourself up at home. If you do train with others but they're fucktards, drop them and find others who'll act as steel-on-steel for you, sharpening -- not blunting -- your own vital edge. Life is too short to fear authority and tolerate fools.