5 Ways to Increase the Effectiveness of ANY Exercise

Last night at the gym as I was having a post-training conversation with one of my students, and he asked me – “how do you know how to make every single exercise we do more challenging???”

It’s a good question, is it not?

How do you take ANY exercise and make it more effective?

Well, there’s 5 different ways to do that…

 

  • Use a heavier weight. I always say – everything is easy until it gets heavy! This however is not a factor in bodyweight exercise since the weight is always the same. You can however adjust the leverage to make the exercise easier or more challenging.
  • Add more sets or reps. This, unfortunately, is what most bodyweight exercise programs do – continue to add sets and reps. While it works for a little while, overtime, the workouts simply become monotonous and boring.
  • Reduce or eliminate the rest periods between the sets.
  • Adjust the tempo (the speed at which you do the exercise) – making it faster or slower can change the effect and the level of difficulty
  • OR…. and this is a BIG one ….. Increase the sophistication of the exercise so it creates a greater demand and thus a greater training effect on the nervous system

 

Inside the brand new Bodyweight Mastery Program we focus on the last type of progression. We incrementally increase the level of sophistication for each new movement to focus on the most effective way to create lasting change in your strength, endurance, mobility, energy levels, and body composition.

 

Each of the 6 movement patterns have 6 progressions that move in sophistication from basic to advanced over the course of 6 weeks.

6 Movement Patterns Trained in Bodyweight Mastery:

  • Push-up x 6 Levels
  • Squat x 6 Levels
  • Lunge x 6 Levels
  • Frog Press x 6 Levels
  • Core x 6 Levels
  • Isometrics x 6 Levels

Inside the Bodyweight Mastery Program you will progress through 6 unique variations of the 6 foundational (notice I did not say ‘basic”) movements to build a very unique type of strength and flexibility that builds muscle, burns fat, and increases your daily energy all at the same time!!

 

 

 

With It or On It

The ancient Spartan maxim, “with it or on it” is a very stark reminder that we must be fully committed to whatever battle we are waging.  The full meaning of this phrase that Spartan mothers used to say to their sons before heading off to war is, to either come back with your shield – as a returning hero – or come back upon it. 

There is no middle ground. 

No room for wavering or debating. 

No having your cake and eating it too. 

When moving towards a goal, there must be no hesitation in your actions.

In the Bujinkan martial arts that I study, there is a similar saying, “Hell gapes beneath the upraised sword, step in to heaven.”  This may seem like crazy advice, after all who in their right mind would step forward when faced with an opponent armed with a 3 foot razor blade?!  But in training, through experience, one comes to understand and realize that the safest place when facing an upraised sword, paradoxically, is to move forward and step closer, thus finding “heaven”.

Again and again throughout warrior cultures, from ancient Greeks to Japanese Ninja and Samurai, we see this idea of complete and utter commitment, 100% determination in moving forwards towards our goals, no matter what they are.

So how about you?  How committed are you?  How much do you talk about taking action rather than actually taking action?  Do you step forward into heaven and achieve your goals when confronted with difficulty and adversity?  Do you walk the razor’s edge in life, or just in your mind? 

It’s time to step forward.  Take action.  With it or on it.

Click HERE to take action on your health and fitness goals today!