Since I started The Strong Human program on August 2, 2021 (492 days ago), I’ve logged 240 strength training and cardio workouts on the Trainerize app.
That is about 49% of the days I’ve worked out in that time frame. To be fully transparent, that doesn’t include the 100+ times I’ve played pickup basketball or went for walks. Those are my two primary forms of cardio I do and I usually don’t log them on Trainerize.
During that time frame there have been weeks that I’ve strength trained 6 days in a week and there have been weeks (probably only 1 or 2) that I trained 1 or zero times in a week.
Typically, I’m somewhere in the middle. For the past three months I’ve been pretty steady with three to four strength training days, typically Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday. Plus two to three basketball days usually Tuesday, Wednesday, and/or Thursday.
On average my strength sessions are about 40-50 minutes and that is what I’ll get into more detail today as an expansion of this previous newsletter about what the Strong Human program is.
In this current phase of the Strong Human I am focusing on building max strength in:
Day 1: Barbell Bench Press
Day 2: Hex Bar Deadlifts
Day 3: Chin Ups
Day 4: Barbell Bulgarian Split Squats
Most of my exercises revolve around assisting those movements or building up supporting areas to improve weak spots.
Each day I’m starting out with 1 to 2 stretches to target some tight areas and improve mobility. Particularly in my pecs, t-spine, hips, and ankles which is where I tend to lack the most mobility.
On Day 1 & 3 I am doing these three exercises to work on mobility in my shoulders & upper back.
Banded Shoulder Routine
Dowel T-Spine Mobility
Suspension Trainer Chest Stretch
After I do my active or dynamic stretches I’ll move into something more athletic. This could be dragging my sled, some ladder drills, plyometrics, or direct ab work.
I use those movements as an additional warm up and to prime my body to perform the main lift of the day that directly follows. I try to keep these short, sweet, and effective. I don’t want these exercises to zap me of my energy before I get to my priority.
Those two first phases of my workout typically take between 5-10 minutes depending on the day & how I’m feeling while doing them.
From there I hit my primary strength exercise of the day. As I mentioned, I’m currently in a max strength phase after a steady build up over the last 12 weeks, so I’ll be doing triples, doubles, or singles for the next six weeks at 85-95% of my 1 RM.
Following my primary strength exercise phase, I’ll move into my secondary strength exercise. For this current program I’m using my estimated 8 rep max for 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps. These exercises are typically different versions of my primary strength and meant to assist my primary lift.
For example, in day four my primary lift is a Bulgarian split squat and my secondary exercise is a heels elevated goblet squat.
After my secondary strength phase I mix in a couple of accessory movements. These will vary from day to day and become a bit more specific for my training goals.
On upper body days these will usually be geared more towards gaining muscle and targeting weaker areas.
On lower body days these exercises will typically be more athletic in nature such as a Kettlebell Swings as an example or meant to help build some resilience like an isometric lunge.
The final phase of my workouts consists of isolation work for smaller muscles like my biceps, triceps, or calves.
By the end of each workout, I’ll usually do 5-8 exercises and a total of 16-24 working sets for my direct strength training in a wide range of rep ranges.
If this kind of training interests you and you want to learn more, feel free to respond to this email to find out more about my Online Coaching Business so I can help you get in the best shape of your life!
I have some big things I’ll be rolling out over the next few weeks and heading into 2023, so make sure you stay tuned and subscribed to my newsletter, follow me on Instagram (@t_mercfit), and my Facebook page so you don’t miss out on some opportunities to work with me on your way to becoming a healthy human!