The Best Workout Plan for (Almost) Anybody
We’ve talked about the importance of diet and sleep. We’ve talked about the difference between working out and training. And we’ve covered common mistakes many people make with their exercise routine.
So, what’s the best workout plan for (almost) anybody?
Well, it should be one that avoids the mistakes that we discussed in our previous post and provides great bang for your buck. It should be scalable to your current level of experience and fitness, and if you are new it should be easy to learn with low injury risk.
My favorite program that encompasses all of that (and more), is The Quick and the Dead by Pavel. It’s based on the king of all exercises:
THE KETTLEBELL SWING
Here are a few thoughts by Pavel from the book:
“The Q&D protocol was designed to maximize your performance at a lowest biological cost - and to leave you fresh and able to perform at a high level, physically and mentally, at any time. You will get powerful, very powerful. While power is awesome for its own sake, training in this particular manner also delivers a wide range of other effects. Muscle hypertrophy. Fat loss. Endurance. Anti-fragility. Anti-aging.”
Yep, that pretty much nails it.
Also here’s Pavel talking about today’s Metcons and HIIT training that everyone seems to be doing:
“‘Metcons’ ravage your system with acid, free radicals, and toxic ammonia. They deplete your muscles’ energy pool in a manner similar to chronic fatigue syndrome and leave your carcass sore, tired, and injury prone. They burn you out mentally, wreak havoc with your hormones, and make you feel like hell. Are you willing to pay such a high price for getting ‘in shape’?”
“Q&D does not beat the body up and takes only 12-30 minutes per training session, two to three times per week.”
You can do the Q&D program by itself and get amazing results, or do it like I do and combine it with other training strategies that are specific to your goals. Since I compete in endurance events, I need that component as well, and if you are interested in that (or just love running, cycling, swimming, etc) I would highly recommend the book 80/20 Running by Matt Fitzgerald. This teaches you the reasoning behind doing most of your endurance training slow, with an appropriate amount of speed work built in.
Not ready to try kettlebells yet? Currently doing bodyweight or traditional weights (barbells and dumbbells) at a gym? That’s ok! A great all-around guide to an appropriate style of training can be found in the book The Primal Blueprint by none other than our oft-referenced friend Mark Sisson. While not a “training program,” this book explains the proper way to train and why, which can then be applied to numerous exercise modalities.
Have questions? Feel free to reply. Happy training!