....continued........
The next off-season I trained using my new knowledge, with a barbell. Four core lifting exercises with two accessory exercises. Six lifts total.
That’s it.
I followed the programs laid out by the people I studied.
The first thing I noticed was the exercise sessions took 30 to 35 minutes at the most.
I looked forward to these new training days because the workouts were shorter.
Get in, get it done, get out.
Let’s be honest, life is busy. In our limited free time, we can all find something better to do than weight train. Like.....take a nap.
Oh yes, naps.
Short workouts were a big selling point for me.
I also didn’t feel like shredded paper anymore. With the prior muscle building program, muscle soreness was like the annoying guy at the party who would never go away.
The simplicity astonished me. Six exercises sprinkled throughout the week, mixed in with rest days. Not flashy, not fancy, but very effective.
The little aches and pains in my joints went away. The mountain of exercises and repetitions of my earlier program wore me down to always having small injuries. With these gone I felt healthier, and dare I say, younger.
My body started to change. My big, puffy, muscles got tighter and harder.
I was stronger in ways I never felt before. Lifting and carrying heavy objects, like 50# bags of chicken feed, didn’t feel heavy anymore.
Did I mention our chickens?
There were times I carried two 50# bags at once. Probably not the smartest thing to do, but my wife was very impressed.
I liked it.
The defining moment was setting up for a local wrestling tournament. I lifted up one end of a 500+ pound ice chest to get a dolly under it. When I set it down, the other coaches were staring at me like I was an alien.
That’s when I saw what this strength program did for me. I didn’t look muscle bound anymore, but I sure felt like I was. I was stronger than ever before.
The next wrestling season I manhandled every single high school stud there was.
Victory.
Being strong is a wonderful feeling. I want everyone to feel this way. Especially those of us in our second 50 years.
It’s also incredibly healthy.
Strength has no negatives. Not one.
I have been training this way ever since, and honestly, I can’t find anything better.
Simple + Safe + Short = Strong.
Yup, I can do that.
Get strong as hell,
Coach Ken