Guest blog from Josh Hillis
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.
