Strength is an important part of being a gentleman. But too many people overcomplicate what can be incredibly simple. By focusing on a few key movements, you can build levels of strength you would otherwise have thought unattainable. Below you will find a general outline of my “non-routine Strength Routine”. Use it to build Strength through Simplicity.
The Basics
The three main movements in this routine are the Press, Squat, and Deadlift. All of these movements are performed with the Barbell, and are utilised for their ability to take the body through large ranges of effective motion, thereby training the body to exert strength in a wide variety of ways.
The technique for these movements will be discussed in an individual post for each, so stay tuned and sign up for the email list to be notified when the guide becomes available.
Key Principles
The Three Key principles of this routine are as follows:
1. Progressive Overload
Each time you perform one of the movements, you should be aiming to measurably improve your performance from the previous session. This could be through an increase in the weight, an extra repetition, an improvement in technique, or by moving the weight more explosively. Intensity is the name of the game here, and you should be TRYING HARD each time you lift, otherwise you are effectively spinning your wheels.
2. Simplicity and Consistency
The main reason that I prescribe so few exercises is so that you can completely give adequate attention to them. If you have 20 different exercises to perform, how can you truly be focused. You will either drift and become bored, or you will stagnate and lose interest. Both will result in you giving up. On the other hand, focusing on just a few key lifts, and improving each session will hardwire your brain to seek success, and motivate you to keep coming back for more.
3. High Intensity, High Frequency
By only training a few movements, you can give each movement your absolute fullest effort. This is what truly leads to astronomical strength gains. The fewer movements also allows you to train each movement pattern multiple times a week, meaning you have more opportunities to improve over the week.
Accessory Movements
Whilst I recommend focusing on only 3 movements, I am not saying to ONLY perform these 3 movements. If you still have time and energy, then I wholeheartedly encourage you to perform some accessory lifts. These lifts should be progressively overloaded in the same way as the main lifts. Your progress may not be as quick due to the fatigue from the first lift.
That said, my 3 favourite supplementary lifts are:
1. The Chin Up
2. The Dip
3. The Power Clean
The combination of the 6 lifts will adequately train the entire body, allowing rapid strength gains.
Strength is found in simplicity. Switch your generic program for this “non-routine routine” a try for a couple of months, and be amazed at how quickly your strength explodes. If it works for you, leave a comment down below, and stay tuned for more Strength Training guides in future.