Today I want to introduce to you one of the simplest, shortest but most valuable strength producing workout routines. Probably it’s my usual German spleen but I love short result producing workout routines.
It’s like I always design workout routines. Selecting the target – aiming – shooting and get out of it. I know it’s probably not anybody’s taste of workout routine, because it’s not much training. But I don’t care, because I call my style results orientated training. It doesn’t need to be entertaining, it doesn’t need to look cool – all it is for results.
But the results have to be more than cool – this is what I care about.
This workout routine is not about building up huge muscle mass it’s about getting strong in the basic movements ASAP.
This workout routine contains of only 4 basic exercises:
- Squats
- Deadlift
- Pull Ups
- Chest Dip
That’s all!
You have to do one set of each exercise – nothing more – only one short set. Remember I am talking about putting on strength not putting on muscle mass.
Do at least 5 repetitions of each exercise and a maximum of 12. But now comes the little trick. Increase your weight as long as you don’t drop below 5 reps.
Don’t care about increasing reps – care about increasing weights – because you want to gain strength.
If you want to go wild like a few of my clients – increase the weight for lower body movements (Squat and Deadlift) 20 pounds and for upper body movements (Pull Ups and Chest Dip) 10 pounds with each workout.
Hmmm…probably you are not that crazy but try at least 10 pounds lower body and 5 pounds upper body. This should work fine for most people.
Again – if your reps drop below 5 – don’t increase the weight – as long as you stay at 5 reps or above – increase the weight.
Don’t overdo it when you start with your first workout. Start with a weight you could normally use for 10-12 reps.
One question is still open – How many workouts you should do? ONE SET FOR EACH EXERCISE – ONE WORKOUT EACH WEEK – THAT’S ALL
But I want to give you two example workouts:
WORKOUT NUMBER 1
- Squats – 220 pounds – 10 reps – 90 seconds rest
- Deadlift – 240 pounds – 11 reps – 90 seconds rest
- Pull Ups – (bodyweight 180 lbs + 5 lbs plate) = 185 pounds – 8 reps – 90 seconds rest
- Chest Dip (bodyweight 180 lbs + 10 lbs plate) = 190 pounds – 10 reps
END OF WORKOUT NUMBER 1
1 WEEK REST
WORKOUT NUMBER 2
- Squats – 230 pounds – 10 reps – 90 seconds rest
- Deadlift – 250 pounds – 10 reps – 90 seconds rest
- Pull Ups – (bodyweight 180 lbs + 10 lbs plate) = 190 pounds – 7 reps – 90 seconds rest
- Chest Dip (bodyweight 180 lbs + 15 lbs plate) = 195 pounds – 10 reps
END OF WORKOUT NUMBER 2
If you didn’t understand it the first time – read it again. ONE SET OF EACH EXERCISE – ONE WORKOUT EACH WEEK – INCREASE THE WEIGHT WHILE YOU DON’T DROP BELOW 5 REPS.
Sounds to simple to work?
Well I know – a lot of people said this to me about 2 years ago me. So I made one public test back between 12/02/00 and 01/24/01. This test lasted about 10 weeks.
Christian the test person was somebody you would call a hard gainer. But he was extremely motivated, this was the reason I decided he should be the test person. I wanted to show that you don’t have to be a genetic wonder to achieve great gains as long as you do your best to succeed.
Christian did only 10 workouts in 10 weeks. Here are the results:
Start (12/02/00):
- Squats – 8 reps with 80 kg (176.37 lbs)
- Deadlift – 5 reps with 60kg (132.28 lbs)
- Pull Ups – 5 reps – Bodyweight + 5kg (11.02 lbs)
- Chest Dips – 5 reps Bodyweight only
End (01/24/01)
- Squats – 4 reps with 170 kg (374.8 lbs)
- Deadlift – 4 reps with 110kg (242.5 lbs)
- Pull Ups – 6 reps Bodyweight + 20kg (44.09 lbs)
- Chest Dips – 4 reps – Bodyweight + 20kg (44.09 lbs)
This means he increased his strength by:
- Squats + 90 kg (198.41 lbs)
- Deadlift + 50 kg (110.23 lbs)
- Pull Ups + 15 kg (33.07 lbs)
- Chest Dips + 20 kg (44.09 lbs)
Not bad for a so called hard gainer within 10 weeks of training?!
After this a lot of people tried the same workout routine. And guess what – they had similar results.
You can do this too – or have even better results – but you have to be motivated.
Well this is what I call results based bodybuilding – set your aim – follow it and achieve it. The training wasn’t fancy or exotic – but it did it’s job.
And the results were better than what a lot of people with ordinary workout routines will ever achieve in a lifetime.
I always use short training routines. They don’t have to be this short but they only have to fulfill what they are for.
In my personal training software X-Size (http://www.pssmax.com) I also use short routines but in a more advanced way. I created this software to make something completely different. It’s all about timing.
Such short routines could be confusing if you add some advanced techniques like upgrading exhaustion or advanced splitting. But for this reason I created my personal training software to keep all guesswork away from you.
You see the workout routine above is completely easy to understand. But what happens after a few weeks? You can use this routine only a few weeks before you hit a plateau. But in X-Size I shoot for the middle to long term goals. For example I use a similar but more advanced routine in a feedback controlled manner to shoot for a middle term goal. What does it mean? I use for example such a routine to initialize your body for a special muscle mass phase.
Sounds complicated?! It is complicated – but what makes any routine a real winner is when you can easily follow it. If you have no guesswork. So this could only be solved with a software that gives you the exact weights and reps for any workout unit.
Results are all that count!