how much more is better

Im starting to feel dan John's comment in the easy strength omnibook - sometimes more is just more.

He described for him training is either 1 hour a day or 10hrs a day. The in between is where time is lost. I.e. in 1 hour a day he could promote muscle and strength gain while managing fat loss in the kitchen. If he wanted to reach the heights of his genetics and be on a bodybuilding stage, he would need 10hrs a day (lifting, meditation, eating, cardio, etc). 2hrs would not move the needle.

Right now im hitting close to 45min a day in the mornings. I haven't particularly felt the need to get in afternoon workouts minus the odd mid day walk. Every thursday, I have personal training and honestly it has been a slog. Everything we train for strength or mobility has already been trained that day. 

This isn't a call to say extra does nothing. Far from it. In the example above, I get to work on work capacity so the same situation is less shitty weeks down the road. But in terms of body composition and strength, more might just be more. 

you cant lift like youre 20 anymore

What does the phrase 'you cant lift like youre 20 anymore' mean? 

Firing from the hip, it can mean:

- increasing weight at all costs.

- ignoring mobility.

- ignoring imbalances. 

- practicing movement dogma.

- lifting heavy every day.

Increasing weight at all costs

The biggest lie we ever learned was increasing weight was the gold standard of progression. Make no mistake, eventually weight on the bar has to increase in some format. But there are so many forms of progressive overload that you would be remiss to forget they exist.

Specifically - volume, density, range of motion, variation. Its the creative question of how can you make a light weight feel heavy other than JUST using a slow af eccentric.

Ignoring mobility 

This is a big one. Mobility for years felt like this black box. Even worse, now that its more popular everyone and their mother wants you to sign up for their subscription service to learn their certified method of moving joints slowly. Do these programs work? Probably. Are they necessary? Hell no. Mobility is building strength in all ranges of motion. You want to do this so small deviations of lifting or life do not become injury. Ye old I went left and my knees went right.

Mobility feels like an extra homework assignment no one wanted in the first place. But here is the rub. It can be done any time. I.e. rest periods of other lifting is fucking $$$ for mobility of other body parts. Even conditioning sessions can have 1 mobility and 1-2 more normal dynamic movements. Mobility is concentrated and 'rest.'

Ignoring imbalances

Not the same as mobility, but there is an overlap. Im more so thinking body constraints like flat feet and bad arches. What do you think has a more deleterious effect on your joints? A few had reps of squats or millions of steps where one foot caves in spread over decades.

Practicing movement dogma

This one is tough. I was caught in this trap for years. I.e. if I can do X then I cant make progress. Very simply, this is loser talk. Winners find a way. 

If a movement hurts or you hate it, dont do it! Wild.

Lifting heavy every day

Partially calling myself out and partially calling out my nephew. The immortality of youth is mired in shit you can get away with for free. When you are older, you have to actually care about whether or not you are recovered. This doesn't mean you cant or shouldn't do some sort of physical activity every day. Far from it. Your daily light may look like someone else's extremely heavy. It does mean you need to respect you current ability to jump back each training session.

failure to progress. what do now.

The wall exists for everyone on every exercise. The idea that you can improve indefinitely feels possible when you are in the first few weeks of a program, but that's just not how life works.

You will improve:

The nervous system 

Muscles

Tendons

Bone

Somewhere in there, progress will stall. So what do now?

Option1: do nothing

This is definitely an option but it SUCKS. It means hitting the same weight and the same movements week after week until progress occurs. 

Option2: deload

This means a week of lighter weights and volume on the same movements. The idea is that you will restart a new cycle at a lower weight (but a higher threshold than the previous cycle) post deload. Great if you plan on keeping the same movements for a longer period of time.

Option3: change movements

This is NOT a program overhaul. It is a form of deload by exchanging the stalled movement for a similar movement. This is the money shot if you have no intention of being an expert on what stalled. I.e. Gen pop, quadrant 3, non sports specific damn near everyone training.

on isolation exercises

They're good. They work. And they have their place.

But...

Isolation is one of those weird topics its easy to get passionate over. Ask yourself this - do you want a bigger body oe bigger (body part)? If you have the time and the capacity and the passion then go for it. Conversely if your entire body is weak and small, reconsider. It isn't that Isolation has no value, but it has less value in this instance. Isolation brings up weak points. But when your entire body is a weak point your training capital is best spent elsewhere. 

I.e. worry about small arms or shoulders when your big compound lifts are respectable or stalled out.

the hinges in sword. not always a deadlift variation.

Looking at the word hinge in sword workouts may make you nervous. Shit bro, it makes me nervous. The idea of doing light deadlifts dynamic kettlebell work doesn't sound too batman for someone recovering from a back injury. Here's the rub. You can and should hinge every God damn day, but hinging does not need to mean axial loading.

Examples of hinging with load

Romanian dead

Dead

Sumo dead

Power clean

Swings

Snatches 

Landmine dead

Landmine clean 

One arm deadlift

Kickstand deadlift

Windmill

Mace deadlift

And examples without loading

Pigeon pose ground or elevated

Staggered hinge against rack

Kickstand deadlift

Windmill

Nordic

Hamstring reach (turn stretch into strength movement)

Elephant walk

All of these unweighted movements can be both strength and mobility. Even if they are regressed, weight can be added for extra tension once tissue health isn't a factor.

Net net, hinging does not have to be scary. 

sword - collection of circuits

1. Fluffy Mike tyson

Elevated pigeon hinges

Mace swings with band around knees

Lateral step ups with band around knees

Great for recovery and mobility. Can just as easily get loaded heavy.

sword and shield: realistic training for multiple goals

I keep on wavering between easy strength and 5/3/1. If im being honest with myself, I want my main driver to be strength. In reality, it is size with a side hustle of conditioning and mobility. Sword and shield is a free program I've run before, but never I corporated mobility or set days based on my schedule. The autoregulation is strong with this one.

Sun: shield

Mon: mobility or sword

Tues: sword

Wed: sword

Thurs: shield, personal training 

Fri: mobility or sword

Sat: sword

Shield - upper bodybuilding for armor

Press 50 in 5 super set with Pull 50 in 5

Giant set shoulders, triceps, biceps/back all 60 in 4

Rest periods between movements in the same super/giant set can be 30-180s. In those rest periods, MOBILIZE. I.e. hold and explore different positions.

Keep the same movements until they stall (no additional reps or weight in 2-3 sessions). Swap out stalled movements.

Example

Floor press ss ring row

Bottom up press, bw tri ext, pelican curl

Sword - build work capacity 

Circuits of hinge, upper, lower.

Primary movements should consist of kettlebells, sandbags, maces, clubs, and bodyweight so this can be done outdoors.

Be volatile. The goal is conditioning not weight or hypertrophy.

Mobility

Work movements head to toe. All movement is deliberate. 

easy strength and everything else, sept 2025

The everything else is what I always struggle with when running easy strength.

Easy strength is a 15-30min workout 2-5x a week all done for easy reps. Slowly nudge the weight up over time. Profit. 

The everything else comes next. Dan built this program for athletes who are expected to practice their sport for hours on end. The minimalist program takes care of strength so all other sports specific qualities can be developed. Whelp, what if you are NOT an athlete? I.e. most people. What is everything else for you?

Here's an idea.

- 1 compound movement a day 3x8. Geared more so towards hypertrophy rep ranges. Bodyweight progressions fit in great here.

- 1 isolated movement a day 3x20. Get a pump and some blood in the muscles.

- fasting as a practice. This is not training, but it is a larger indicator of how you look in the mirror. If your volume and intensity is low, shouldn't your caloric intake match it?

- conditioning outside. This is the wild west man. The proclaimed trunk circuits, mobility, mace work, sled drags all have a great role here.