{"id":2352,"date":"2012-03-23T03:00:59","date_gmt":"2012-03-23T10:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/leanmeanvirilemachine.com\/?p=2352"},"modified":"2012-03-22T22:43:52","modified_gmt":"2012-03-23T05:43:52","slug":"the-minimalist-guide-to-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/theguycancook.com\/blog\/2012\/03\/23\/the-minimalist-guide-to-exercise\/","title":{"rendered":"The Minimalist Guide to Exercise"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Do you think you need spend six hours in the gym every week to get the results you want?<\/p>\n

Or that you need to work every muscle group in isolation to failure once or twice a week?<\/p>\n

Or maybe you think you need fancy equipment, expensive classes, and complex supplements to lose fat and build muscle?<\/p>\n

If the answer to any of these questions is \u201cyes,\u201d then you probably have a case of exercisitis, a terrible affliction that has been spreading around the globe for decades.<\/p>\n

Exercisitis is a disease that causes its sufferers to spend too much time exercising, to the point that it starts to affect the rest of their lives negatively.<\/p>\n

And there is only one known cure: to renounce their former ways and embrace a new path.<\/p>\n

The path of minimalism.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Zen of Exercise<\/h2>\n

Over the past few years, I\u2019ve become more and more interested in the concept of minimalism<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Instead of constantly striving to increase the complexity in your life, you instead focus on eliminating distraction and focusing instead on what really matters.<\/p>\n

Instead of quantity<\/em>, you focus on quality<\/em>.<\/p>\n

While I\u2019m by no means an expert in this area, I have found that it has improved my life, and one example is in the way I approach exercise.<\/p>\n

Gone are the days of spending endless hours a week in the gym; doing a million variations of crunches, curls, and chest presses.<\/p>\n

Instead, my routine is centered on compound movements, full-body workouts, and high-intensity exercises.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a primer to start you on your own minimalist fitness path.<\/p>\n

Quality, Not Quantity of Movement<\/h2>\n

The second pillar of our philosophy is \u201cMove Smarter,\u201d which can be broken into three chunks:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Move Your Body\u2013<\/strong> No matter what you are doing, moving more is better than sitting still. But moving your body the way it was meant to is at all times more efficient than most of the insignificant, unproductive, and just plain bizarre fitness routines most people follow.<\/li>\n
  2. Don\u2019t Overdo It\u2013<\/strong> Most people with an interest in fitness are frankly overdoing it, if for no other reason than it is getting in the way of things in their lives that are more important. But it doesn\u2019t stop there.<\/a> The obsession with increasing weight, reps, and sets often comes at the expense of form, which leads to injury.<\/li>\n
  3. Have Fun\u2013<\/strong> Conventional wisdom states that exercise is man\u2019s punishment for having a body that wants to gain weight regardless of context. Nonsense!<\/em> You should be doing physical activities that are fun<\/em> if you are ever going to stick with it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Three-Hour Rule<\/h2>\n

    If you\u2019re struggling to get the results you want from working out, you should focus less on what you should start adding and more on what you should start taking away.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Hammer curls? Bent-over rows? Wrist curls? Waste of time.<\/em> Get in some pull-ups and get out.<\/p>\n

    Cable crossovers? Triceps kickbacks? Dumbbell lateral raises? Fuhgeddaboudit!<\/em> Get in some push ups and get out.<\/p>\n

    Leg extensions? Hip abductions? Calf raises? Don\u2019t bother!<\/em> Get in some squats and get out.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s crazy how many exercise routines out there are focusing on minutiae at the expense of the big picture.<\/p>\n

    All that advice out there to isolate every muscle group in isolation and exhaust once or twice a week? It gives great results\u2026 If you are a bodybuilder and need to work out a few hours every day in order to see very small changes.<\/p>\n

    But if you are that person, you are reading the WRONG website.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    If you\u2019ve got a job to deal with, or school, you\u2019re going to need more bang for your buck. If you like to spend time with friends and family, you\u2019re going to need to find something better. And if you frankly have bigger things going on in your life than reaching 3% body fat, you need a new set of rules.<\/p>\n

    Unless you are someone whose livelihood is dependent on your appearance or fitness level, you should not spend more than three hours each week working out.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Three hours is the absolute ceiling. Two hours will work for most people, and the super-dedicated will be able to squeak by in an hour.<\/p>\n

    The \u201ccatch\u201d here is that the foundation of your exercise routine should lie outside the gym, and it doesn\u2019t count towards your three hours.<\/p>\n

    You need to become more physical in your everyday life. Start walking places instead of driving. Take the stairs rather than the elevator, and find some fun physical activity to do at least once a week.<\/p>\n

    You can get into very good shape without ever having to count a rep or set, and you should try to make this your goal as much as possible.<\/p>\n

    Think of \u201cworking out\u201d instead as the brief amount of time you spend each week doing the kinds of intense movements that you won\u2019t otherwise do, exercises that will give you the most bang for your buck<\/a> and leave you in great shape as a result.<\/p>\n

    Minimalist Equipment\u2013The Gym vs the Basement<\/h2>\n

    This is the exact opposite<\/em> of minimalist fitness:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \u2026yet it is what most of us think is necessary in a gym.<\/p>\n

    If your goal is to use the absolute minimum of equipment, you can often get away with having a small home gym with just a few pieces of gear. Here are some that I\u2019d recommend:<\/p>\n