When it comes to hitting the gym to get stronger, leaner, faster, healthier, and whatever else you want, there are a handful of exercises that are as tried and true as buttered bread.
In the gym community we have come to know this group as The Big 3. In my opinion it is worthwhile to extend that out to The Big 5.
Squat - Bench Press - Deadlift - Overhead Press - Barbell Row
These 5 exercises cover everything a person would want in a general strength training program.
The odds are you have done many workouts involving these exercises. You may have even become bored of them.
FOOLISH OF YOU! Do you get tired of pizza too? Fuck no you don’t.
Okay but seriously these exercises can feel new and exciting again… and I am here to help.
Let’s dig into your latest free workout: Old Dog New Tricks
Warm Up
Warm ups are still enjoying their time in the spotlight in the fitness community. There are no shortage of videos going over long and elaborate warm ups that are as long and intricate as the workout themselves. 99% of the time that is absolutely pointless.
The warm up is here to serve 2 main purposes.
literally increase body heat
prepare specific joints and movement patterns that are problematic and/or pertinent to the day’s exercises
So to handle point one you need just a few minutes of low impact simple cardio. My go-to choice is 2 minutes of jump rope but you can easily substitute walking at a brisk pace on the treadmill, hitting the bike, dragging a light sled, or doing some various crawls and light calisthenics.
To handle point two you will need to address things on an individual basis since each person experiences different trouble areas in terms of joints/muscles/movements. Now we can confidently put a few movements in still based on the day’s workouts and since we are looking at a full body workout with a decent amount of axial load on the spine we will want to prioritize getting that area prepared.
***This section should still only take a few minutes there is no need to get carried away***
Example warm up:
2 minutes jump rope
1 minute Angels
1 minute Scorpion Pose
1 minute Deadbugs
1 minute Shoulder Rotations
get a sip of water and let’s squat
Section 1 : The Squat
For our Squat section we will be doing 3 total sets. The first two sets will consist of 5 reps each done at a weight that would allow you to perform another 2-3 reps. You will take that weight and drop 10% then do a final set of 20 reps.
It would be written out like this : 2x5, 1x20
It would be a good idea to spend a couple sets warming up to the first set. The heavier weights you will use will require more warm up sets. Let’s say for example your first set is going to be 165lbs for 5 reps. I would recommend doing the following warm ups: 45x10, 95x5, 135x2.
The 2x5 is pretty straightforward. The 1x20 is hell. At least it should be.
You see there is something special about the squat that allows for something as ridiculous as 20 reps to be done at a pretty high intensity. This is why we are only dropping 10% of the weight from the previous set. A good rule of thumb is if you are getting the set done in less than 60 seconds then you can work WAY harder.
The squat is unique because when you stand up it is actually a fairly effective resting position. The Bench Press isn’t the same. The Row sucks because you don’t breathe normally until you are done and can actually stand up (and by sucks I mean fucking awesome). The Overhead Press sucks the energy out of you the longer you stand there.
Since the squat involves these miniature recovery moments it allows you to push yourself harder than you can likely imagine.
I say you stop imagining and start practicing.
Section 2 : The Bench Press
For our Bench Press section we will performing 3 sets of 6 repetitions of a Bench Press variation known as The Spoto Press.
The Spoto Press is the same exact movement as the bench press except you stop short of the chest by barely an inch (not 5 inches folks) and pause slightly before pressing back up.
This variation forces you to have complete control of every inch of range of motion. This is super important for all exercises but particularly an exercise that is so commonly turned into a messy display of ego.
Section 3 : The Deadlift
For our Deadlift section we will performing 3 sets of 4 repetitions of a variation known as the Deficit Deadlift.
This is simply the same deadlift exercise but performed with your feet elevated on plates or mats by 2-4 inches.
This small elevation forces an adjustment to starting position, more work on the quads and low back, and due to all of that it means the weight on the bar will likely be reduced which is a good thing since we are already performing so much barbell work today to begin with.
Section 4 : The Overhead Press
For our Overhead Press section we will be performing 3 sets of 4 repetitions with a 5 second eccentric portion of the lift.
This means that coming down from the top position you want to take a full 5 seconds to get back to the starting position.
This will help teach discipline in how to keep the body rigid and tight during a heavy compound lift. It will also teach a stable “tight” low back feeling that isn’t extreme. Oftentimes people are afraid to have a lean back during this exercise but it is actually very necessary and going so slow will force you to learn the right position for each individual.
I also love this approach because if you think about the 2 ends of the spine you have the low back/hips and then you have the neck/shoulders. In an exercise like this there will be ample opportunity for things to breakdown somewhere along the way from those two ends so this will force you to be extra focused and mindful to keep things together.
Section 5 : The Barbell Row
The king. The leader. The unsung hero. The Barbell Row is avoided by many for precisely one reason: it is difficult.
Now we will be performing an EMOM (every minute on the minute) set. Every minute you will perform 3 reps and you will continue this for 5-8 minutes. Very simple and straightforward.
Now, what this will allow you to do is still work heavy but without taxing the body so much since we are at the tail end of a very difficult and damaging workout.
A nice side effect of the EMOM set is that it will let you be perfect with those 3 repetitions and there isn’t so much rest that it becomes simply too easy.
Conclusion
Give this a whirl next time you are crunched for time. This workout itself will likely take about an hour but this is a great example of something you can do just 2 times per week and feel confident that you are checking off all of the boxes.
Get after it gang.
Take Action, Believe
Coach Dill