From Force to Flow
Minimizing Training While Maintaining Results To Get More Out of Life
I don’t like spending more than an hour in the gym.
I mean, I do enjoy lifting heavy weights and I have fun in the gym from time to time.
I still don’t want to be in the gym too long.
I have lots of goals and ambitions.
While remaining healthy and, to be quite honest, having a lean and aesthetic physique are some of my goals it's not my main goal.
My main priority has been to study skills and work on projects that will allow me to make more money.
I have certain business, financial, and career goals if you will.
Those are my main priorities.
Thus, it's hard for me to justify spending 1 hour and a half, sometimes 2 hours, in the gym after working my full time job.
During the weekdays I’d have about an hour to study and work on any current projects and interests. When I did sit down it was hard to focus and stay awake after the long day I had. I was drained.
This is how the past 2 months have gone:
5 days a week.
An hour and a half minimum in the gym right after my full-time job.
Little to no time to study or work on other projects.
Unfocused. Tired. Low energy.
I started to RESENT going to the gym.
I was in a place of force.
Trying to force it to all work out.
Trying to force myself to sit down in the evenings and focus on other goals.
Trying to maintain maximum productivity and wishing I had more time for my hobbies.
I mean can I watch a basketball game from time to time without feeling guilty that I’m not being ultra productive?
Besides feeling tired after work and gym session I was also mentally fatiguing.
It was frustrating not to be able to focus 100% on projects that interest me. Not to mention, I was sacrificing some time on those projects and goals to be in the gym.
I burned out.
Of course.
I was working with a fitness coach at the time. I ended up breaking it off and told them that I didn’t want to continue with their program. I planned to do a 4 day split because it would better fit my lifestyle and other life goals and ambitions. They wished me the best and we went our separate ways.
Here I am now.
I’m not quite sure when the idea of minimalist training was first introduced to me. I only remember watching a video from a favorite YouTuber of mine (Cole Hastings) from quite some time ago. He talked about how he gained a bunch of muscle while doing 2 exercises per session with a push/pull/leg split.
Only TWO exercises.
I instantly went back to this video and rewatched it. He didn’t do any isolation movements (like bicep curls.) And yet he had tremendous results.
There was two main points in the video:
Do compound movements because you are hitting multiple muscles in a single movement.
Intensity over volume.
That’s it.
Cole also pointed out in his video that one of the benefits of his new routine was better recovery and not feeling groggy after a session.
Even more recently another YouTuber (Jeff Nippard), whom I watch from time to time, happened to release a minimalist training program. It was for people that wanted to make gains without spending more than 45 minutes in the gym.
I purchased it.
Although his style is a bit different because:
He does include isolation movements in his program and
He has more than 4 movements on any given day.
But one point remains the same:
Focus on intensity over volume.
With this information in hand I decided to create my own program best suited for me and my lifestyle.
A 4-day split.
Day 1: Upper body.
Day 2: Lower body.
Day 3: Active rest. (Run.)
Day 4: Upper body.
Day 5: Lower body.
Day 6: Rest.
Day 7: Rest.
I am still refining it but so far from my week and a half of training I have not spent more than 45 minutes lifting.
Honestly, it feels downright criminal to get done with training in 30 minutes.
Even after the gym I have been able to sit down and have enough energy to get into a focused session. I've been able to study a skill or work on a current interest or project for 2 to 2 and a half hours.
Oh, and I still have time to watch a basketball game afterwards if I want.
I’ve been in a place of flow lately.
It really doesn’t feel like I’m forcing anything but allowing it to come to me.
It’s pretty nice.
I will, of course, share my progress in the upcoming weeks and months.
I will also share more details on minimalist training in upcoming newsletters.
As well as my fascination with human potential and consciousness.
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