So I was talking to a friend of mine who is a trainer.
He told me that he used to have his clients do 16 exercises per body part.
But now he's having his clients do full body workouts, and they are doing 16 exercises per workout, all different body parts and his clients are getting much better results!
I'm like, ok… sure…
My clients do four exercises every workout.
And four only.
Trainers are often shocked by that. I had one trainer ask me if my clients get mad because there are only four exercises per workout! WTF? Are you serious?
People love it because it's simple, and it actually makes sense. Oh yeah, and it works really, really well.
The Four Big Bang Movements
1.) Push (chest and triceps)
2.) Pull (back and biceps)
3.) Squat (quads, butt, hamstrings)
3.) Deadlift or Kettlebell Swing (your butt, and most athletic power)
We put it all together and we've hit your whole body.
But the sum is more than the parts. Bigger movements produce faster results.
These are the four biggest movements.
Simplicity Illustrated
Unlike the mainstream fitness world which really does just focus on "doing more things", the kettlebell world focuses on doing fewer things, and doing them better.
Case in point – in the kettlebell world everything centers around two movements:
1.) The Kettlebell Swing
The swing of course fits into the deadlift/swing category of movements.
2.) The Get Up
Believe it or not, the Get Up actually falls into the push category. In the process of getting up, your pushing muscles have to do a ridiculous amount of stabilizing. The get up is a crazy, full body, static push.
Narrow Your Focus. Get Better. Watch Your Body Transform
If you talk to a Senior RKC or Master RKC (really badass kettlebell instructor), you'll find they base everything around these two movements, the swing and the get up.
Or even look at Pavel, the RKC Head Instructor, the guy who brought kettlebells to the US – I've never seen him create a workout program that focused on more than two exercises.
*Note: When you move from the RKC Curriculum (get ups and swings) to the RKC2 Curriculum, they add Pistols and Pullups… hmmm, doesn't that sound like push, pull, squat and deadlift?
You Already Have the Tools
If you don't have a kettlebell, no problem.
I often have my clients do Swings with a gripper plate.
And there is no reason you couldn't do Get Ups with a dumbbell.
Cut Out the Distraction and Just Cause A Result
Lots of people are too distracted in their workouts to even know if they are making progress.
The biggest benefit of such a focused routine is that you either get stronger and fitter, or you don't.
Check out this workout we did in my kettlebell bootcamp class last night:
Get Ups x 5 left + 5 right
Kettlebell Swings x 50
Get Ups x 4 left + 4 right
Kettlebell Swings x 40
Get Ups x 3 left + 3 right
Kettlebell Swings x 30
Get Ups x 2 left + 2 right
Kettlebell Swings x 20
Get Ups x 1 left + 1 right
Kettlebell Swings x 10
Simple, ultra powerful workout.
Dave "The Irontamer" Whitley, Sr. RKC, says "Spend time finding depth in the things you think you know."
In other words, instead of looking for the next thing, get better at the things you're already doing.
It doesn't have to be complicated to give you results.
Often times a program being overly complicated can be what is holding you back.
Simplify and kick ass.
********************************
News: "Project X" is coming.
Project X is going to stay top secret for another couple weeks, because I'm making some final revisions.
(And no, Project X doesn't have anything to do with the new Wolverine Movie coming out!)
I'm just calling it that right now because I can't tell you what it is yet.
But it's going to change everything.
For the last few years, I've helped so many people lose fat and transformed their body with The Stubborn Seven Pounds or Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss. I still get emails every week from people who's fitness has been changed forever.
Project X is something completely different. It will make the books work even better.
I know everyone reading this blog want every edge they can get to lose stubborn fat.
For a year now I've been working on what could take S7 and FW4FL to the next level.
It's ultra simple. And it's just what you need.
Keep an eye out.
By Josh Hillis
Josh is the author of the ever-popular fat loss e-book: The Stubborn Seven Pounds
If you've already completed The Stubborn Seven Pounds, take it to the next level with one of these two programs:
"I've seen more results in 6 weeks training with Josh than I saw in the previous two years working out on my own" -Stephanie Weis
Right on. Short and focused is how I like ’em, too.
Along those same lines, I’ve been following Dan John’s One Lift a Day program (http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_one_lift_a_day_program).
Before that I was doing a complicated “bring a computerized printout to the gym” thing, and it was distracting, took a long time, and wasn’t very fun.
Focus on just one (or four) core movements per workout, and you can still get in enough variation week to week to keep it fun, which will keep you coming back.
As Dan The Man put it,
“The biggest problem is that there are no excuses. If you choose to do squats, it’s a squat day. There’s no place to hide in this program. You can’t convince yourself that you had a good day because you did 41 different lifts or a lot of volume or you did a lot of abs after blowing off the stuff you hate.”
Josh I have to agree your fighter workouts are super simple and I LOVE them!!! As my cousin likes to say (it may be a quote from a movie?) KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID!! The fighter workouts are simple but they kick your butt! I am on week 5 after buying your program and I already see some amazing results!! Thanks Josh!!
Josh, I love you! 3 mornings a week, I get up and use the weights before my 4 kids get up. I never plan my workout, so to speak – I just wake up and look over the Fighter Workouts, or mix up exercises for something of my own. I do what I feel like. I pick 4 exercises; for example, today I felt like swings – so I did sets of: 20 swings, 10 military presses, 8 backwards lunges on each side, 15 pushups with my feet on a chair; repeat 3 times. I work hard. I am done in 20 minutes. I look great. You are awesome. Thank you!
PS Don’t you feel bad for the people who spend so much time on their workouts, especially the ones who don’t look that great anyway?
I just LOVE the Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss too!
Simple, focused! Right on target, like a fighter!
I love that book, I love you!
Josh I have a quick question for you.
I am currently doing 70 snatches total with a 44lb KB. I’m a 32 year old male weighing 210ish.
I am wondering do I fork out the money to buy a 55lb kb or heavier or x2 35kbs for renegade rows?
Basically do I change it up and work on renegade rows or opt for a heavier KB for snatches.
KBs are a bit expensive so I am purchasing them incrementally… Which would be the best KB purchase for me?
You, and your blog, are AMAZING.
I’m so indebted to you.
I’m one of the girls who has fallen on-and-off the bandwagon of health too many times, and something needs to happen to really, REALLY change things. I have an okay body, and that’s what causes my complacency: I’m not “fat”… but there is a layer of bulge and ripply excess that NEEDS to be gone.
I start my journey now. And I take from my mistakes into a better future.
This needs to work.
Josh, great article, couldn’t agree more. I think everyone who’s every trained goes through the phase of “more is better” but ultimately, the major exercises cover so much in so little time! I’ve never tried the kettlebell exercises but will have to give it a shot, thanks. Great blog by the way!
Thank you for these very helpful tips on exercising. I’ll be looking out for more tips from you in the future. 🙂
Hi Josh
I have just started looking into using kettlebells (would be using them already if i could buy one locally) im not completely convinced though about the locking out of knees and elbows? i know youre a fan of kettlebells but do you think its bad for your joints? also squatting below parallel with the floor? thanks for your thoughts on this
Hi Kell, I bought a kettlebell at Target and bought others for my sister from Amazon.com. They shipped for free! Good luck with your new kettlebell workouts!
I just did this with a 20# and it wiped me out. Love it!
Thanks Tracy will check Target out! I live in Darwin (Australia) so freight was going to cost as much as the kettlebells themselves!
Josh,
Should you take a rest between each set of Getups and Swings?
Thanks,
Lenny