The Power of "Simple"

The act of stripping things down to their barest elements and approaching tasks in a step-by-step manner has been largely forgotten in our 21st century instant access culture. When speaking of health we are sold on the outcome. The potential for massive change in a short amount of time utilizing some new way of eating, moving, or living is all too common. The majority of the consumers of these products achieve no such results or consistency in their life. One can't blame the product, but look no further than society in general's approach to life... making excuses as to why we failed. Justifying the act of quitting is even more prevalent now in the age of social media, where each one of us has our own pulpit. Break the change. Build momentum. Some of my favorite workouts each week are my foundation training sessions. They are structured and approached wonderfully, with an excellent balance of education and application. Rarely do they cause me to break a sweat, meaning I can focus intently on my form, and they can be done anywhere at anytime during the day in 5-15 minutes. I also really love strength training sessions that take me from my feet to the floor. Simple. Take two exercises: lower body or full body, standing exercise (KB swings, squats, step-ups, lunges, etc.) and pair it with a prone movement (plank, pushup, or any floor pressing, or core intensive exercise). Moving between the two exercises will challenge your cardiovascular fitness as well as your total body strength and stabilization. Example Circuit: 10-1 Ladder of KB Swings paired with a Plank: 10 swings / :30 plank, 9 swings / :30 plank, 8 swings / :30 plank, etc. down to 1 / :30 ... this is not easy if done properly, but can be completed in under 10 minutes. Example Circuit: 4 rounds of (:30 Squats of Step-Ups / 5-10 x Pushups / :30 Rest) ... simple yet effective, for more challenge you can eliminate the "rest" portion and just alternate between Squat and Push. Note: when making your workout "simple" you'll want to focus hard on your form. Get the most out of each movement. Tackle the reps with confidence and be careful to not look ahead. Too much focus on the "end" of the session will result in minimal gains from the workout. Know your intention and pay attention!