I am a firm believer in training most days of the week, at least 3 - 6 days per week. Training does not mean walking or cardio. Training is some sort of strength training, be it body weight movements, yoga, dumbbells, free weights or machines. If your body only allows you to do one yoga pose, do that pose for 30 minutes and train your body multiple times per week. Adapt, evolve and thrive. Everyday is a day to elevate the performance of your entire system.
Training is not just as simple as doing some push ups or lifting some weights and calling it a day. We need intentions and purpose. We need specific programs and techniques to target balance, body mechanics, strength, hypertrophy, athletic performance and maximizing the motor control of our bodies.
At the end of this post is a excellent body weight & mobility routine. It is the perfect for routine for anyone in the family. Young children, older adults, moms, dads, or for anyone big or small. There are also a few extra training split routines. The bro and gal splits are bellow as well.
Each of our bodies are different and we each have different goals. We could all have a plan designed for ourselves that optimizes our performance. Personally I thrive with 2-4 training sessions per week, on top of training Jiu Jitsu 2-5x per week. I have found the optimal training methods and recovery routines to allow be to train hard weekly. Many of my personal routines involve near full body training sessions that my joints and body can easily recover from daily.
We are all capable of training 3-6 times per week. Be it a routine involving full body workouts, a classic 4-6 day split routine used since the early 1920’s or maybe a custom plan designed for you. It could be optimal for some people to train 5-6x per week. They should not have any issues in terms of overtraining, joint health, or recovery with proper programming, rest and nutritional nourishment.
Training will vary from person to person. Intensity, RPE levels and exercise variation change accordingly to each individual. A specific workout might involve a lower body emphasis focused on squats and deadlifts performed at a high intensity or RPE of 8, 9 & 10. While lower and upper auxiliary exercises like lunges, presses and hinges would focus on lower intensity levels like a RPE of 6 or 7.
You can have a program designed to work on body form, balance, core strength, mechanics stability and strength. Each workout could be strategically designed to allow high frequency of training while also avoiding overtraining and joint stress. If you have a specific program designed for you performance, recovery can joint health and mobility will all greatly enhance. Not only does body mechanics and balance improve train 3-6 times per week, it also optimized functional strength and hypertrophy as well.
Training can be very therapeutic and relaxing. When our technique and mechanics improve through repetition and progression. As a result our body will be able to handle more and our mind will seem to be craving more. It can be highly therapeutic to train 3-6x per week. All while eliminating poor mechanics and poor posture. If in fact you feel overtrained and the joints feel beat up, this may either be a sign that your form and mechanics still need some improvement. It may simply mean that the intensity and RPE needs to be reduced for some of the movements.
Figuring out your perfect blend of frequency, intensity and overall volume of your training is the key to strengthening our bodies and improving our health. In many of the programs I often start the routines with core exercises, next I’ll move foot and ankle movements. After I focus on explosive movements, squats, rowing exercises, and or chest presses. There are specific reasons for each and every exercise.
Including core exercises somewhat in the beginning of the program helps to ensure that the muscles that stabilize the spine and hips are doing their job. Not only does it minimize injury and reduce low back stress, it maximizes performance on deadlifts, squats and other movements.
A lot of exercises throughout various routines can be performed as a superset or even a giant complex set. Personally I am a huge fan of superset, giant sets, and drop sets. These types of workouts focus on grouping exercises together. For instance you can go from a push movement to a pull, you can go from an supper to a lower. You can work force production on lift and then balance & stability on the next.
During upper body portion of the work out, back rows and chest presses, our body would be allowed to maximize muscle activation, performance and recovery. The lifter would do the first set of rows, rest for the allotted time, perform the chest press, rest again for the allotted time, then repeat this circuit for the desired number of sets before moving to the next circuit.
Programming and routines can be adjusted accordingly. The prescribed exercises can be substituted out for another movement within the same exercise movement pattern. Creating and modifying programs tailored to individual goals is needed to ensure success. Every program can be modified to fit your fitness levels and goals.
If weighted pullups or even pull ups are too difficult, one could simply perform lat pull downs, assisted pull ups, negative only pull ups or any movements within the same pattern. When swapping, out a movement simply use the same programmed protocols (sets, reps, rest, intensity RPE, and body mechanics). Other examples include swapping out goblet squats for barbell squats, deadlifts for trap bar deadlifts, dumbbell press for barbell bench press, etc. Ultimately, a prescribed routine can be customized to any individual, from beginner to advanced.
Body Weight Old, Young, Big or Small Routine
Neck Unwind (rotation, side flexion & front flexion/extension)
Spine Unwind (bend, fold, rotate)
Plank, Modified Plank, Bird Dog or Dead Bug
Squat, Supported Squat or Jump Squat
March in Place
Supported Standing Leg Extension
Supported Standing Leg Curl
Supported Calf Raise
Statue of Liberty
Y Raise or Shoulder Raise
Lunge Iso or Lunges
Push Up or Knee Push Up
Lunge Iso or Lunge Jump
Glute Bridge
Groiner Lunge/Stretch
Neck & Spine 20 - 50 Reps
Plank, Iso Lunge, March & Bridge 1 - 5 minutes
Squats 10 - 50 Reps
Leg Ext, Leg Curl, Calf Raise 20 - 100 Reps
Push Ups 5 - 50 Reps
Staute of Liberty & Shoulder Raise 20 - 100 Reps
Bro Split 5 Day
Lower Body (Squat, Leg Press, Hack Squat, Leg Curls, Leg Extensions, Calf Raises)
Back Biceps (Bent Over Row, T-Bar Row, Supported Dumbbell Row, Lat Pulldowns, Barbell/Ez Bar Curl, Dumbbell Curls)
Chest Shoulder Tricep (Cable Fly, Decline Bench, Military Press, Incline Bench, Dumbbell Bench, Tricep Dip Machine, Lateral Shoulder Raises, Tricep Extensions)
Rest
Leg Day (Deadlift, Trap Bar Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, Leg Extensions, Leg Curls, Calf Raises)
Upper Body (Decline Press, Incline Press, Cable Chest Fly, Dumbbell Bench Single Arm Shoulder Press, Bicep Curl, Tricep Extensions)
Rest
Gal Split 5 Day
Lower Body (Squat, Dead, Leg Press, Romanian Deadlifts , Single Leg Glute Bridge)
Booty (Weighted Hip Thrust, Abduction, Frog Pumps, Lunges, 45° Hyper Extensions)
Upper Body (Seated Row, Shoulder Press, Lateral Raises, Face Pulls)
Full Body (Squat, Bench, Romanian Deadlifts, Lat Pulldowns)
Booty (Weighted Hip Thrust, Lateral Band Walks, Bulgarian Split Squat, Single Leg Hip Thrust)
Rest
Rest
3 Day Body Weight Gal Split
Shoulder Supported Hip Thrust, Bulagairan Split Squat (lean forward), Elevated Reverse Lunge, Single Leg Hip Thrust, Side Lying Abduction, Frog Pump, Bird Dog Leg Kickback, Reverse Crunch, Side Plank
High Intensity Interval Training
Pulse Squat, Pike Push Up, Curtsey Lunge, Push Up, High Step Up, Dips or Diamond Push Up, Glute Bridge, Frog Pumps, Bird Dog, Dead Bug
3 - 5 Sets 8 - 20 Reps
3 Day Body Weight Bro Split
Push Up, Squat, Pike Push Up, Lunge, Calf Raise, Diamond Push Up, Lying Leg Raise, Hamstring Bridge Planks
High Intensity Interval Training
Push Up Variations, Jump Squat, Split Squat, Pike Push Up, Single Leg Glute Bridge, Reverse Lunge, Glute Bridge, Bird Dog, Dead Bug or Bicycles
3 - 5 Sets 8 - 20 Reps
20 Minute Body Weight Booty Routine
Curtsey Lunge, Supported Shoulders Hip Thrust, Frog Pumps, Leg Kickbacks
Squat Pulses or 1 1/2 Squats
Side Lying Hip Raise, Extra Range Hip Raise, Lateral Band Walk, Banded Glute Bridge
I appreciate you taking the time to read this article. If you find this post informative or beneficial to yourself and or others you may know, feel free to share this post or share my Facebook group.
Cardio Options
45 minute walk
15 minutes jump rope
20 minute swim
15 minute jog
10 minute bike
5 minute sprint
