How did I discover the best exercises to do?
I have been a personal trainer, off and on, for over 20 years. I also owned a gym where I worked everyday. So I’ve seen, and read about, a LOT of exercises.
Some exercises are axiomatic.
There is no debate; everybody just agrees that THESE are the best exercises. And I concur. There’s nothing better than Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press, Military Press, Pullups, and a few others. Everybody has to try them, and if they don’t particularly care for one, they don’t have to do it. They can substitute one they would prefer doing.
But nobody should undertake a workout program without learning these. They are the foundation of strength training.
With one breath I say nobody should miss them, but with another I will tell you that if you train at home, and with minimal equipment, then most of these are off the table.
HOWEVER… just because we can’t do the best, doesn’t mean we can’t have a very meaningful and productive workout program without them.
There are still a lot of great exercises… not as great as the greats…but some very good exercises that will strengthen those same muscles as the “big 5” above. Some of these alternative exercises involve the kettlebell, some are just body weight, some are with dumbbells, and some might require various apparatus.
So how do we find these other exercises? Maybe start watching a bunch of Youtube exercise and workout videos?
Yes, that’s probably the best place to start. And there is no end to them. Your search, and education, can literally take a lifetime. (It gets a bit exhausting)
You will also see exercises on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and various blog posts, books, and magazines.
But this is like handing someone a bag full of ingredients when they don’t know how to cook and don’t have a recipe.
It all too quickly becomes overwhelming and you are miles from having a true, repeatable exercise SYSTEM that will keep you going for the rest of your life.
But I’ve done that hard work for you. I’ve watched countless hours of Youtube videos… hundreds and hundreds and hundreds. I’ve seen a million Facebook and Instagram videos… read at least a decade of “Muscle and Fitness” type of magazines.. I’ve been through certified personal training programs. And along the way I’ve categorized all the exercises that I felt were best-in-class.
I then test each exercise, putting it in the workout rotation and seeing how it “feels” having it in there. If I didn’t like doing it, no matter how “good for me” the exercise is, it had to go.
Here’s why:
If you try to keep that in your System, you increase your chances of procrastinating or avoiding your workouts.
This is what every other workout program misses. They surmise that if an exercise is good for you… just do it.
Well, that doesn’t work in real life.
It is extremely hard to keep a workout habit going.
Any amount of friction that can be removed must be removed.
If you don’t, it is going to require that much extra willpower and self discipline.
And why would you want to bet your whole goal of consistency on your limited resources of willpower and self discipline? You will eventually lose.
So I have curated an inventory of all the best exercises that you could possibly do at home, and removed any that suck doing. That means you will not hate your workout.
And every one of these exercises is the best you can do for each body part. If there was a better exercise to do, I’d be doing it. The only reason you won’t see a particular effective exercise in your workout programs during our coaching is because it is too unenjoyable to do. It raises the friction level, which you have learned is a no-no.
If you feel that this is the kind of workout system you need and that you have been looking for, please join my coaching program so I can help you.
I want to work with men who really need my help, who really understand how important it is for their lives that exercise become a consistent part of it, and who might not otherwise be able to do this on their own.
Exercise is King**. Let’s change your life through exercise.
** It strengthens your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It hardens your bones. It increases your circulation. It helps prevent injuries. It’s useful in self defense. It increases confidence and self esteem. It helps prevent a myriad of ills in the body, from metabolic syndrome to depression.
