How to Get Stronger with Minimal or No Weight

When it comes to strength training the most common way to make progress is just keep adding weight.  But what if you are limited to a fixed barbell like in the old days or don’t have any equipment at all.  How does one get stronger this way?  This is where the real challenge comes in and that is getting stronger with a weight you already can easily handle or no weight at all.  I am always impressed by gymnasts and how they are able to gain tons of strength and size with just bodyweight training.  So there is proof that you can get stronger without weights but the question is still how?  Well there are basically two different ways you can approach this one is by simply increasing your reps and the other is through advanced movements. 

One way to get stronger is to simply increase your volume.  So being able to perform more reps than you could previously before.  Now you could simply just keep adding reps each workout, but eventually there will come a point where you will have do 500 reps each day.  A lot of people may not have time for that so a better way to add more volume to your training is by using a ladder method.  In a ladder you start with say 1 rep, then 2 reps, then 3 reps, then 4 reps, then 5 reps, and then start back over at 1 rep.  That is 15 reps right there in a short amount of time and minimal effort.  There are several ladder rep methods you can use such as 2,4,6,8,10 or 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10 or 2,3,5 or even 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20.  There are endless rep variations you can use with these.  The ladder method is an easy way to get more reps in a short amount time than say doing 30 reps straight.  Start off by doing 3 sets of say 1,2,3,4,5 reps and then each training session try to keep increasing the number of sets.  Then once the sets start to increase you can always go back and change up the rep combo. 

It is also good to have a balance of strength and endurance reps.  So don’t always limit your reps to 3-5 reps or 10 reps and under.  You still want to test yourself and see how far you reach such as 30, 50 , or even 100 reps.  And guess what if you were only able to do say 12 push ups before and can now do 25 reps, you got stronger and I guarantee you will be leaner as well!

The other method to get stronger with minimal or no weights is by using advanced movements.  For instance if regular push ups are easy try changing the level and put your feet on a box instead.  Or try doing a more challenging push up such as a tiger bend.  Changing the difficulty of the exercise is going to recruit more muscles and fire up your brain activity, because you are learning to master a new skill.  Of course again you will get stronger as you are able to conquer a new movement like a one arm push up.  Think of your body as levers the closer your arms and legs are to your body the easier the movement the farther away they are the more challenging the movement.  A classic example would be holding yourself in a flexed arm position on the rings verse an iron cross. 

You can even challenge yourself by slowing down the movement.  Let’s keep using the example of the push up in the up position you could hold for 5 seconds then lower down and hold again for 5 seconds, you just keep repeating as long as you can maintain good form.  Another way to slow it down is by slowing lowering down in the push up from the up position pause for a second or at the bottom and then explode back up.  These are called negatives and they work well for increasing strength gains.  The reason these slow controlled movements work so well is a little thing called “TUT” (Time Under Tension) which is the more time one can last in a movement the stronger they will get.  An example would be going from only being able to do 30 seconds of push ups to doing 2 minutes of push ups.  Going for time instead of reps has it’s rewards as not only will it increase your strength, but also your endurance, you will get leaner, and it will also strengthen your mind as well.

So there are a couple ways one can get stronger with minimal weights or no equipment at all.  Now if you are a powerlifter looking to lift maximal weight then this would be more of assistance thing for you as to lift max weight you need to lift heavier weight.  Although for the rest of that are short on time, space, and equipment these methods will work wonders.  Just remember to always maintain proper form in your movements and to stay consistent in your training.  Those two things go a long way in getting the results you want.

Got Inflammation?

If you are like most Americans chances are you have inflammation in your body.  Two main causes of inflammation are stress and the food you eat.  Stress can be either emotional or physical.  You may not think it but emotional stress is actually more harmful on your body than physical stress.  Stress inflames your body weakening your immune system causing you to get sick, tired, and fat.  This is why daily mediation and getting outside into nature on a daily basis are good things to do to help reduce the amount of stress on your body. 

A lot of people may not think it, but most of their health issues come from what they eat.  When you eat food that that irritates your body and causes inflammation it will lead to other problems such as leaky gut, arthritis, insomnia, weight gain, depression, fatigue, and the list goes on.  This is why it is important to always make your gut health a number one priority.  If you are not healthy on inside then it does not matter what you do on the outside because it will have no effect until your inside is healthy first.  Now here is another problem and that is most people have no clue what foods are bad for them personally other than junk food and processed junk.  The main foods that cause inflammation in your body are sugar, corn, eggs, gluten, and alcohol.  This is not the same for everyone though as different people react different to the food they eat.  

So how does one go about finding out which foods are bad for them?  Well there are few things you can do.  One is an elimination diet where you completely remove a certain food from your diet for a length of time at least 7 days or more.  If you notice changes in your body and start to feel better and have more energy, then chances are your body cannot tolerate the food you eliminated.  You will know for sure if that food you eliminated is bad for you by slowing reintroducing it back into your body.   If you start to feel bad again then you know for sure that it is a food you want to avoid.  Another option is to do a poop test (that’s right a poop test) and what this will do is tell you which nutrients you are deficient in and also what kind of bacteria you have in your body.  From the results one can make recommendations on what to eat and which supplements to take to get your body back into working order.

Why is any of this stuff important?  After all stress and eating what you want is all a part of life right?  Your body has the ability to heal it’s self from just about anything if it is in proper working order. Imagine getting more sleep at night without going to the bathroom in the middle night.  Imagine having more energy throughout the entire day.  Imagine having full range of motion in your joints with no aches or pain.  Imagine never getting sick because your gut health is superior and have an impenetrable immune system.  Imagine getting stronger in all your lifts and reducing your body fat to cover page material.  This is what life will be like if you remove the inflammation from your body!

Here are two books to read about with more information about inflammation on how to heal your body with what you eat.

“The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal your Body”                                                            by: Sarah Ballantyne

“The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook: An Allergen-Free Approach to Managing Chronic Illiness”                   by: Mickey Trescott

Below is a chart that can help you pick foods to an inflammation free body.

A Simple Effective Workout for Fat Loss

 There is a lot of information on the internet and in magazines that can make your head spin on what is the right way or wrong way to lose that unwanted fat around your midsection.  First off when it comes to fat loss nutrition is key.  Here is a simple rule I follow and that is “if I can’t kill it or grow it I don’t eat it”.  Make sure every meal you eat has protein, fat, vegetables, and sometimes carbs in it.  Look into a hiring a nutritional expert if you need more help or experiment on your own by simply eliminating certain foods from your diet.  If you feel better after eliminating a certain food chances are that food you eliminated was causing inflammation in your body.  So this would be a food you would highly want to avoid. 

Now when it comes to training and fat loss you must first look at the way you train now or lack of training for some people.  If you constantly do long slow cardio and lift light weights like most people then the only way you are going to experience any changes in your appearance is by implementing some anaerobic training and strength training into your workout.  So things like sprints, weightlifting, and intervals.  Vice versa if you are a crossfit athlete always doing high intensity workouts then you need to implement some long slow cardio in your routine.  You see once your body adapts to a certain training stimulus your fat loss results will diminish.  The only way to keep getting results is to add more volume and then set yourself up for a potential injury, and major crash and burn.  Or you can take the intelligent approach and do something on the other end of the spectrum to give your training a balanced approached and which also will be better on your heart and help you live longer as well. 

Most people are cardio junkies so they will benefit more by incorporating some high intensity interval training into their routine.  Dan John has created a simple yet very effective workout he calls the “Humane Burpee” and you only need just one kettlebell.  It involves just three exercises which are the Swing, Goblet Squat, and Push Up.  I have come up with my own version of this and added rows into the equation so that all the basic movements are covered.  I have created two different versions for you to try one is based on reps and the other time.

Fat Loss Workout Version 1: 

Round 1                                                                        Round 2
Swings 20 reps                                                             Swings 20 reps

Goblet Squats 5 reps                                                    Goblet Squats 10 reps                   

Push Ups 5 reps                                                            Push Ups 10 reps
Rows 5 reps each side                                                  Rows 10 reps each side                                                

After round 1 go right into round 2 and then back to round 1 and so on.  Keep repeating this pattern for a total of 15 minutes.  Try and see how many rounds you can get in 15 minutes using good form, no failing around bad reps here.  Rest as needed but keep it short as possible as your goal is to be constantly moving as fast and efficient as you can.  You only have 15 minutes so put the work in and go hard for that time.  Then be on your way to take on the rest of your of day.

Fat Loss Workout Version 2:

Round 1                                                                             Round 2

Swings 15 sec                                                                    Swings 30 sec

Rest 15 sec                                                                         Rest 30 sec

Goblet Squats 15 sec                                                         Goblet squats 30 sec

Rest 15 sec                                                                         Rest 30 sec

Push Ups 15 sec                                                                 Push Ups 30 sec

Rest 15 sec                                                                         Rest 30 sec

Rows 15 sec each side                                                       Rows 30 sec each side

Rest 15 sec                                                                         Rest 30 sec

Follow the sequence as prescribed perform an exercise for 15 seconds and then resting for 15 seconds.  At the end of round 1 go immediately into round 2 and then once you are done with round 2 go right back to round 1 and continue going back and forth between rounds 1 and 2.  Round 1 and 2 together equals 1 set.  To start off perform 3 sets in a row and work your way up to completing 6 sets.  For the rows do one side first then the other with no rest in between.  Count your reps on the first set and try to keep hitting that number of reps throughout the entire workout.  Whether your reps go above or below is fine just try and stay within a rep or two of the first set.  On your last set try to beat your starting rep number. 

So there you have it two simple yet very effective workouts for strength, fat loss, and conditioning in minimal time.  Go ahead give them a try and you will be feeling great afterwards.  I would at least try to do this once or two times a week and in no time you should start to notice some changes in your body.  For an advanced version use you could use two kettlebells instead of one.

Your Warm Up Needs Improvement

What is the first thing you do when you go to a gym?  Is it hop on the treadmill like everyone else and then grab your 10lb weights and crank out endless reps with no sense of control for the movement?  If so then you your warm up sucks and so does your programming, but no worries I am going to tell you how you can fix it.  Yes walking on a treadmill can be healthy for some people, but it does nothing to prepare your body for the workout you are about to perform.  The only thing a treadmill will do is assist you in walking or running since it pulls you along and depending on the fitness level of the person it may increase your heart rate.  After people get off the treadmill they immediately go into a workout of squats or some kind of weird thing on a bosu ball with a shake weight. 

Think about the joints in your body and the way they bend and move.  At any time on the treadmill did your hips, knees, and ankles experience full ranges of motion?  No they did not.  What about the joints in your arms, back, and neck did they experience any full ranges of motion?  Once again the answer is no.  A warm up should include full ranges of motion to all the joints in your body this is how you properly prepare the body for the workout it is about to perform and prevent injury.  Joints need blood in order to perform properly and the best way to get blood flowing to the joints is by using movements that require full ranges of motion.  Focus on joint mobility movements and movement flow which is constantly moving your body freely in just about any range of motion you can think of.

Warm ups are also a time to work on your weak areas such as being tight in certain joints.  Can you do an overhead squat holding a stick overhead with your feet right against the wall going all the way down thighs to calves without the elbows bending, back bending, knees calving in, heels coming off the ground or falling backwards?  If not guess what you are an average American and your mobility sucks and needs work.  So why not take time in warm up to work on your mobility and improve your range motion.  Your body will be better prepared for the workout and you will also notice that your lifts will be better as well.   By taking time to work on your mobility in the beginning of each training session, your joints are going to feel better and you will also increase the longevity of your life by constantly working your joints through full ranges of motion.  Remember joints crave blood and the only way to do that is with movements that create full ranges of motion.  Otherwise the joint gets stiff and sore and that is when problems occur, hence why sitting all day is terrible.  If we were a smart health conscious society we would get rid of all the chairs, put are beds on the floor, and lower the toilet seats down to the floor as well.  This would force us to go through full ranges of motion each day without even thinking about it and it would be much better for our health.

So what joint mobility exercises should you be doing for your warm ups?  Well there are a lot of people with some great information about joint mobility movements.  Two people I highly recommend looking up is Steve Maxwell and Max Shank.  I listed some links on here to both of them below.  So in your warm ups take time and work on improving your mobility and if you do this on a consistent basis over time you will start to see your range of motion improve as well as having joints that feel better as well.  Treat joint mobility the same as flossing make it a habit of doing it every day!

 Here is a link to one of Steve’s articles about the daily mobility exercises he does:  http://www.maxwellsc.com/articles.cfm?art_id=3000&startrow=51 

Here is a link to a video of Max explaining about his 5 minute movement flow method: https://youtu.be/6oaJ_mnuzPc

Get Strong Just by Carrying Something

Loaded carries are probably one of the simplest and most effective exercises there are.  They are also one of the basic movements we perform on a daily basis.  We constantly pick stuff up and carry it throughout the day.   Now it may not always be a refrigerator or a huge boulder unless you work in some kind of labor position, but you are still carrying something every day.  This is why loaded carries should be included into everyone’s training.  Some benefits of loaded carries are increased strength, size, conditioning, and fat loss.  The reason loaded carries are so effective is that we try to carry a maximum load as far as we can before setting it back on the ground.  The longer we are able to carry the load the stronger we will get.  This is called time under tension which you may have heard about.  So not only will you get stronger the longer you are able to carry the load, but you will also increase your muscle size as well.

 Now think about the muscles involved on a loaded carry which one’s are we using?  Well if you answered just legs you are wrong.  Every muscle in your body is being used to help you carry that load across a certain distance.  The longer you carry that load the more you will start to notice and feel muscles you never knew you had.  This is the beauty of the loaded carry and effect it has on training your body.  Loaded carries are self-correcting as well.  Which means the heavy load you are using will force you to use good form otherwise it will be a short trip as you will be quickly setting the weight back down on the ground.  Didn’t I mention something about conditioning and fat loss?  Yes indeed I did.  Pick up a heavy weight and carry it as far as you can without putting it down and you will notice your lungs are on fire from gasping for air.  Don’t believe me give it a try and see for yourself.   Like Dan John and others we believe this is one of the best fat loss solutions out there.  Dan even created an infomercial about it and what he says is “pick up a heavy weight carry it as far as you can, thank you I will now take your money”. 

So I can see you are ready to start carrying around some weight transforming your body if not you may go back to your bon-bons and Oprah reruns.  Well for those of you that are ready here are a few different variations for you to try. 

Kettlebells loaded carry complex:

1.)    Grab 2 kettlebells carry them overhead for 25 meters or more

2.)    Then perform 5 double push presses

3.)    Keep the kettlebells in the rack position against your chest and walk back 25 meters

4.)    Now perform 5 double front squats

5.)    Lower the kettlebells to your sides and perform a farmers walk back down for another 25 meters

6.)    Finish with 5 double cleans or long cycle then you can rest and put the kettlebells down

*Once you pick up the kettlebells you cannot set them down until after you have finished your 5 cleans.  This can be done with only one kettlebell as well, just do one whole side first before moving on to the other.

Sandbag loaded carry complex:

1.)    Perform 5 sandbag clean and press

2.)    Carry the sandbag in a front loaded position and walk for 25 meters

3.)    Perfrom 5 sandbag front squats

4.)    Carry the sandbag back for 25 meters

5.)    Rinse, recycle, repeat for as many rounds as your heart desires

*Obviously you will be setting the sandbag down on the ground during the clean and press.  Do not set the sandbag down during the carry and squats.

Triple pleasure loaded carry

1.)    Grab a backpack and put some weight in it, use a bodyweight vest, or put some chains around you

2.)    Grab a harness and attach a sled, tire, car, etc. to you

3.)    Pick up a heavy pair dumbbells, kettlebells, anvils, etc.

4.)    Now just go for a walk with all 3 as far as you can

*If you don’t have a harness and still have something to push, carry the heavy weights with the backpack on you first.  Then drop the weights keep the backpack on you and then push the object you have.  Just keep going back and forth between the two.

So there you have it a few different variations for you to try.  You can do these for a certain amount of sets or go for time and see how many rounds you can get within a certain time period.  Add these to your training sessions at least 1-2 times a week and you will witness firsthand the benefits of loaded carries.

Real World Strength

What is real world strength you ask?  Real world strength is having the ability to take on any task physical or mental at any time.  At a moment’s instance we need to be able to sprint, jump, crawl, climb, lift, carry, fight, etc.  In the real world there is no set amount of sets or reps with adequate rest in between.  You have to carry out a given task until completed and that could be a few minutes or the whole day.  We have no time warm up in the face of an accident or unseen danger.  You have to be agile and mobile to be able to react and move quickly or suffer the consequences.  At the same time if we have poor agility and mobility then when it comes to moving quickly you will more than likely injure something. 

Real world strength could be something as simple to carrying groceries up a flight of stairs to helping someone from drowning in a freezing lake.  Real world strength is unique to each individual and their daily habits and profession.  Think about your profession and the task it involves and what you need to get through a successful day.  I say successful because you should be striving to get better every day and not just going through the motions.  Now think about those tasks are they more physical or mental.  For most people it is mental as they are constantly sitting all day and having to use their brain a lot.  For others their jobs are more physical as they are more labor intensive. 

Here is something most people don’t know and that is getting stronger physically will also make you stronger mentally.  So by getting stronger the office worker will be to be more productive and have more energy and not be drained at the end of the day.  The laborer will also be more productive and will notice that they do not need as much rest as they once did.  You see when you strength train properly you push yourself into the state of being uncomfortable and a strong urge to quit suddenly appears in your thoughts.  It is that moment when the mental training begins and you can either give up or you can take on this new discomfort and fight through.  This is how we become stronger mentally from strength training by pushing ourselves to do something we once thought in our minds was impossible.  The most successful people in the world are mentally strong as they are able to take on any challenge and risk knowing full well there is going to be a long treacherous road ahead of them.  Some physical benefits the office worker will gain from strength training is going to be improved posture, no more back pain, and they will sleep better at night.  The physical benefits for the laborer is that his joints will feel better, more stamina throughout the day, and no more aches and pains.

This is what real world strength is all about and that it is being able to function and move pain free and while having tons of energy to enjoy and live life.  After isn’t that what it’s all about it?  Having the strength to lift some object off another person or being able to carry your kid for 3 miles if need be is real world strength.  Taking a 5 hour test or being able to concentrate on work in a room full of distractions is real world strength.  So when you train, train to become stronger both physically and mentally.  Make sure incorporate sprinting, crawling, climbing, jumping, carrying odd objects, and mobility into training sessions.  Also make sure you work the basic movements of pushing, pulling, hinging, and squatting.  One thing you should incorporate into training as well is learning how to defend yourself, this is just one thing everyone should know how to do.  You should be able squat, sprint, climb, do push ups, carry an object, and crawl with ease. Remember in life there is no prep time or ideal situations just the fact that you will need to have the strength to be able to react and move quickly.

A Complete Workout with Just One Exercise

Clean, Squat, Press

 If you had to choose just one exercise to do this would be it.  With the complex movement of the clean, squat, and press you can train the whole the body in minimal time.  This complex covers each of the 4 main movements push, pull, squat, and hinge.  You can build enormous strength and size with just this movement.  Also you will need to buy some new pants or get some suspenders, because your pants won’t be able to stay up from all the fat you have burnt off.  What makes this movement so effective is that you are constantly changes levels between major lifts.  All of your muscles will be working overtime on each rep you take as well.   In this movement you also spend a lot of time under tension which will make you stronger and build muscle.  You will also notice that your lungs will be on fire after just a few reps.

 How does one perform this wonderful movement you ask? 

1.)    Clean the kettlebell up to the rack position

2.)    Keep the kettlebell in the rack position and then perform a front squat

3.)    Lock out the legs and then press the kettlebell overhead

4.)    Lower the kettlebell back to the rack position and repeat the process all over with the clean

Now this exercise can be performed with one or two kettlebells.  You can also perform this exercise with a barbell, sandbag, rock, lamb, etc.  For the kettlebells start with one master the movement and then move on two kettlebells.  The exercise will humble you all over again when you make the switch to two kettlebells. 

How many sets and reps should I do?

Here are two different variations for you to try.

1.)    Ladder method – do 1,2,3 reps or 2,3,5 reps or even 1,2,3,4,5 reps and then pick between 3-5 sets .  For example: do one rep set the bells down rest and then do two reps.  Once you get to 3 reps that is one set and now you get start all over back at 1 rep.

2.)    Time – just pick a rep range between 2-5 reps and then pick a time limit between 10-30 minutes.  Just see how many rounds you can get with good form in the time set.

Just a few side notes make sure that each movement has been completed before moving on to the next we want quality movements here, not fish out of water.  Easiest way to do this is take a breath between each movement.  So clean the kettlebells up into the rack position and take a breath.  Get set and then perform your front squat.  Once you have stood up from your front squat take another breath.  Get set again and then press the kettlebells up overhead we want to make sure we are pressing the kettlebells from a dead start with no momentum.  Once overhead lockout the arms and take another breath and lower the kettlebells back to the rack position where you can take one more breath before going back into the clean.  The breaths in between the movements will help slow down the movement so that each rep performed with good control.  It will help you relax and focus as well.  So give it a try and quickly you will see why this movement is so effective in such little time.