When I was in my 20’s and 30’s I used to work the bro splits. Every workout was dedicated to 2 muscles (ie. Chest & Triceps). I would end up performing 12-15 sets per group and aiming for 6-12 reps per set.
Once I hit 40 I found myself facing a few realities-
1- The older you get the longer it takes to recover from each session.
2- The stress I was placing on my spine and lower back was starting to make its presence felt.
3- I just didn’t have as much time to spend in the gym.
4- Gains from the bro split were not what they used to be.
So I started doing full body strength training and HIIT sessions at home and haven’t looked back. These workouts are designed to hit every muscle or muscle group in a single session. I start with a 5-10 minute warm up and worked my way from legs (being the biggest muscle group) to back, chest, shoulders, arms and abs. I do 2 exercises per body part and 2 sets per exercise. I workout every other day so I usually do a full body strength routine 3-4 times a week. I might take an extra day here and there if I feel like I need more rest.
To keep things interesting, I craft each session with a fresh batch of exercises, sets, reps and speeds. I tend to work through a rotation of 6-8 unique routines and then circle back to revisit each workout.
Mixing up the movements helps me keep my muscles guessing, which eventually translates into strength and conditioning gains. It also forces me to get creative with my workouts, which helps me stay engaged and avoid burning out. I’m always trying new things.
I have been actively engaged with this method for almost a year now and I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life.
I will continue to share some of my routines and I’ll have a few videos to share with you from my YouTube channel but here is a breakdown of a common week for me…
- 100 Jumping Jacks
- Lateral Lunge- fluid movement with arms extended outward.
- 25 Jump Squats- Be explosive with pump before you jump (a half rep in between each full rep)
- 20 Jumping Lunges- alternate
- Revisit Jump Squats.
- Revisit Jumping lunges.
- Single leg deadlift- 15-20 each side.
- 30-40 Single arm rows with a kettlebell or XL jug of spring water.
- 2 sets of 15 Resistance band “Superman’s”
- 2 sets of 20 close grip pushups. Using a regulation basketball to push from. (better for my wrists)
- 1 set of half rep, wide grip push ups.
- 2 sets (each side) of 20 resistance band lateral raises. Hold the move at the top of each rep for 3-5 seconds.
- 2 sets of 30 resistance band standing curls. Had the love at the top of the rep.
- Straight leg tricep dips with a chair. 2 sets of 20 reps.
- 2 sets of 25 leg raises. Half reps then finish with 10 reverse crunches.
- 40 ankle touches from a crunch position. 20 each side.
So that’s one workout. I take the time to breathe and stretch throughout each session but I can usually get through this routine in 45 minutes.
Jcliffyhuf & The Healthy Stuff 