If you don’t want to figure out the planning process, do what George did and grab a copy of Kettlebell MAXIMORUM.
I routinely get asked about the “best” workout or program structure.
My response is usually, “Best for what?”
As in, what exactly is your goal?
And more specifically, you ever wondered what the “best” is for you?
Well let’s take a closer look at the possibilities…
Here are 10 common and not-so-common programming structures:
[+] 3x week, Total Body
[+] 3x week, A/B Split
[+] 3x week - Heavy / Medium / Light (or some variation)
[+] 3x week - Push / Pull / Legs (This one is making a resurgence in popularity)
[+] 3x week - Max Strength / Hypertrophy / Power (or some variation)
[+] 4x week - Upper / Lower / Upper / Lower
[+] 4x week - Strength / Conditioning / Strength / Conditioning
[+] 4x week - Power / Max Strength / Power / Max Strength
[+] 5x week - “Bodybuilding Bro Split” - chest, back, legs, shoulders, arms
[+] 5x week - Grease The Groove (1-3 exercises, performed daily, very low volume)
And yes, that’s a lot, and a lot to choose from.
(No wonder people get confused, eh?)
And yes, all of them work.
And all of them fail, at some point.
And yes, of course, these successes and failures are dependent on many factors:
[+] Exercise selection
[+] Loading parameters (sets, reps, weight used, rest periods)
[+] Recovery (including PEDs)
[+] Duration
And then the one very few people ever take into consideration:
[+] Personality / Temperament
And that’s because you can have the “best” program ever written in your hands, but if it doesn’t fit with your “wiring,” you won’t get it done.
Generally speaking, I recommend training 3x a week for 20-30 minutes.
And that’s because that’s the duration and frequency most people can “realize” the following equation:
“Get A Good Workout In” X “Find The Time” X “Not Kill Myself” = See Measurable Results
But… And maybe you can relate here, {firstname_fix}...
It’s hard not to hop around from program to program because there’s the fear of “missing something”...
As thoughts of “not getting enough”...
Strength work… or …
Conditioning… or…
Leg work / squatting… or…
You name it.
Of course, this is why kettlebells are so great.
They accomplish so many things at one time and eliminate the need for traditional “accessory” exercises, when you know how to use them and program them correctly.
Oddly enough, even though I recommend 3x a week programming for most, I’ve found the 4x a week template of -
“This / That / This / That”
… Works spectacularly for those who can find an extra 30 minutes or so in their week.
One of my favorites is this one:
Power / Max Strength / Power / Max Strength
It’s the best of both worlds - maybe even all of them for activating those all-important Type 2x/a fast-twitch muscle fibers…
You know - the ones that we lose by 10% a year after the age of 30 if we don’t go out of our way to train them…
You know - the ones that make you look - “more muscular”...
And you know - the ones that “drive your metabolism” - that require more energy at rest once you’ve built them and used them.
And you know - the ones that help you burn off body fat because they require so much energy (fuel) while you’re using them.
And yes, of course you know, those muscle fibers you train and build to Press more, Snatch more, Squat more, jump higher, and run faster (if you like those sorts of things like I do).
Yeah… Those. 🙂
Simply alternate ballistics practice with heavy grinds practice.
George agrees. Look -
If you don’t want to figure out the planning process, do what George did and grab a copy of Kettlebell MAXIMORUM.
It’s not for everyone for sure - only those who not only want to feel stronger and more powerful, but to actually BE stronger and more powerful.
And yes, you can still become stronger and more powerful alternating ballistics and grinds “just” 3 days a week. I show you how inside Kettlebell MAXIMORUM using the 3-day option.
Stay Strong,
Geoff
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