Many of you see cardio as a necessary evil required to meet your goals, but what if you could do away with the activity entirely and still get to your end game?

Step away from the treadmill – there is a better way to spend your time at the gym.

In fact, you may be doing more harm than good. A 2011 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that when the research was analyzed according to type of endurance exercise and body part, running lead to an interference effect on lower body strength and hypertrophy. The meta-analysis did suggest low-impact aerobic exercise, such as cycling, wouldn’t have a negative impact on hypertrophy. So, if you enjoy the odd bike ride or dog walk, have at it.

But why not combine full body modalities of cardio and weights as an effective way of reducing interference with your strength-training goals while still getting the benefits of cardio, notably the metabolic boost, EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption).

Enter complexes, specifically Cinco Sets, that can be incorporated within your training program and accomplish the best of both worlds. Want to oxidize more fat? Then you need to inhale more oxygen. Cinco Sets aren’t easy, but they help you accomplish just that in short order.

Cinco Sets Are a Time Saver, Too

Realistically, most of you don’t have the time to emulate the high-volume workouts of Arnold and his cronies. Nor can you regularly get in an hour of strength training in the morning and sprints on the track in the afternoon. You have a long commute, dogs to feed, and reality TV to binge watch. Whether you could cut back on time spent scrolling through your Facebook feed is a moot point.

“[W]hy not combine full body modalities of cardio and weights as an effective way of reducing interference with your strength-training goals[?]”

A five-movement Cinco Set allows for a ton of volume, is completed in a short window of time, and can be modified for whatever training goal you seek as I’ll explain below.

The K.I.S.S. Method to Cinco Sets

No pie charts or arithmetic necessary. Simply line up five exercises in a row that target the muscle groups you’re training that day and crush them in succession. Pair antagonist (i.e. biceps and triceps) exercises as non-competing sets to increase blood flow to the opposing muscle group. This prevents fatigue from setting in as quickly as when you work the same muscle one set after another.

The rep range you opt for is entirely up to you (again, depending on your goals). Here are your options:

• Strength: If strength is your priority, use a range of 3-8 reps per set. The mechanism at play here is mechanical tension, which equates to muscular force. You want to generate the largest muscle force possible through a full range of motion. But because we’re working under fatigued conditions, I’d suggest sticking to the higher end of the range. If your form breaks down or you can’t lock out the weight for more than a rep or two, then it’s too heavy.
• Hypertrophy: You’ll be working with lighter weight, but still relatively heavy, in a rep range of 8-15 per set. The goal is to keep constant tension on the targeted muscles by performing controlled reps and reversing direction just short of lockout. It’s all about the pump, baby.
• Muscular Endurance: Muscular endurance is the ability to produce maximum force for a maximum amount of time. Sprinters and strength athletes, take note. You’ll be working in the 15-30+ rep range.

No matter the rep range chosen, rest after completing the Cinco Set until you’ve recovered enough to hammer it out again. Repeat for 3-5 total rounds.

Knowing your physical goals will help you decide on weights and rep ranges for the workout.

When to use Cinco Sets:

• If you’ve had a tough day at the office and the couch is calling your name. Convince yourself to commit twenty minutes to the gym before you sit down for a binge session of Game of Thrones.
• Even more pressed for time? Combine five exercises for shoulders and chest in a Cinco Set fashion for three rounds and call it a day.
• If you’re feeling fresh and prepared to run through a wall that particular day, tack on a few Cinco Sets at the end of a strength or hypertrophy-based program.

There’s something to be said for a five-exercise Cinco Set circuit. Most people stop at two (supersets) or three (tri-sets), but you’ll truly meet the devil maker at five sets. But Cinco Sets are not just glorified supersets taken to extremes. Here are some well-established training methodologies can apply to Cinco Sets – density training, barbell complexes, and AMRAPs.

Density Training

If you’ve never heard of escalating density training, you’ve been missing out. The basic principle is that you perform as many reps as you can in a given time frame, instead of focusing on a set amount of reps per set. Simply going for 3 sets of 10 reps on a given exercise can be limiting. If you think 10 is your limit, you won’t push for 12. But if you’ve got 15 seconds on the clock still to get through of a 45 second round, you’ll find a way to squeeze out a few more reps (in a safe and controlled fashion of course).

Increasing training density helps boost hypertrophy and fat loss, but also strength endurance, which has a lot of benefits for athletes. The method of density training I’ve used with Cinco Sets was stolen directly from John Romaniello (who modified Charles Staley’s theories).

“If you’re in a rut with your training, add in a Cinco Set (or two) and kiss your comfort zone goodbye.”

Here’s how to implement a density training Cinco Set using a Smith machine (no need to take up five machines in a busy gym). Simply perform each exercise for thirty seconds, and then add weight and try to increase your reps on the second circuit.

Again, depending on which goal and rep range you’re focused on, the weights chosen should reflect that choice. If you’re opting primarily for strength, you’ll perform fewer reps during the allotted work duration (with rest periods in between) than if you’re focus is hypertrophy, for example.

Circuit 1

• Javelin Overhead Press: 90 pounds for 30 seconds
• Stiff-legged Deadlifts: 90 pounds for 30 seconds
• Inverted Rows: Bodyweight for 30 seconds
• Explosive Push Ups: Bodyweight for 30 seconds
• Bicycle Kicks: Bodyweight for 30 seconds

Circuit 2

• Javelin Overhead Press: 110 pounds for 30 seconds
• Stiff-legged Deadlifts: 110 pounds for 30 seconds
• Inverted Rows: Bodyweight + weight vest for 30 seconds
• Explosive Push Ups: Bodyweight + weight vest for 30 seconds
• Bicycle Kicks: Bodyweight for 30 seconds (increase reps)

Alternatively, here’s another option requiring simply a pair of dumbbells and a bench.

Circuit 1

• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts: 40lb dumbbells for 40 seconds
• Dumbbell Hex Press: 40lb dumbbells for 40 seconds
• Step Ups (one leg at a time): 40lb dumbbells for 20 seconds each leg
• Feet Elevated Push Ups: Bodyweight for 40 seconds
• Alternating Lunges: 40lb dumbbells for 40 seconds

Again, depending on which goal and rep range you’re focused on, the weights chosen should reflect that choice.

Circuit 2

• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts: 50lb dumbbells for 40 seconds
• Dumbbell Hex Press: 50lb dumbbells for 40 seconds
• Step Ups: 50lb dumbbells for 20 seconds each leg
• Feet Elevated Push Ups: Bodyweight + weight vest for 40 seconds
• Alternating Lunges: 50lb dumbbells for 40 seconds

Barbell Complexes

Again, nothing revolutionary here, but the tried and tested work, so why get funky with it?

A barbell complex is nothing more than a circuit of compound movements using a single barbell. You use the same weight throughout the circuit and never take your hands off of the bar.

In Cinco Set fashion, you’ll be doing five exercises in sequence without putting the bar down. For a full-body routine to try: floor deadlifts, overhead presses, barbell rows, stiff-legged deadlifts, and floor barbell bench presses with the same weight. The weight chosen will, again, depend on which performance goal you’re focused on.

AMRAP

CrossFit does a lot of things right, and AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) sets are one of their redeeming qualities – they’re hard and demolish your comfort zone in one badass way. But often AMRAP sets involving heavy lifts lead to poor form late in the circuit.

To curtail that, instead of completing a circuit rotating between two or three exercises, i.e. 5 deadlifts, 10 kipping pull ups, and 20 kettlebell swings, rotate five exercises involving different muscle groups on each exercise. You’ll be less likely to compromise form if you’re engaging a relatively “fresh” muscle group on each set of the circuit.

This could look simply like so: 5 deadlifts, 10 lunges, 15 kettlebell swings, 20 goblet squats, and 25 hanging leg lifts. Rinse and repeat for 3-5 rounds or until a specific time limit is reached.

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

A five-set circuit is hardly revolutionary, but they are extremely challenging using any of the training methods mentioned above. If you’re in a rut with your training, add in a Cinco Set (or two) and kiss your comfort zone goodbye.

Check out these related articles:

• The 3 Pillars of Fat Loss
• Hill Sprints – How to Build Muscle and Burn Fat
• Go Anaerobic – What It Is and Why to Do It
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

References:

1. Wilson, J.M., “Concurrent training: a meta analysis examining interference of aerobic and resistance exercise.” J Strength Cond Res, 2011.

2. Helms et al, “Recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: resistance and cardio training.” Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 2014.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

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The back is a large muscle group that can’t be neglected – even if you’re focusing on more sport-specific training and not looking strictly for size, or you’re a powerlifter who just wants the weight on the bar to go up above all else, the back needs to be a focus of your training. A strong back is behind every touchdown pass and every long throw from the outfield.

Even as a powerlifter, though your focus will be on compound movements like the deadlift, you can still benefit from additional accessory work to target those neglected secondary muscles. You will likely find your deadlift weight starts to climb by incorporating some outside-the-box movements into your weekly routine.

So how did I force my back to get bigger and stronger? Instead of pounding my head against the wall, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, I figured I needed to change my approach to back training. Hitting my back in the low rep range that worked for my chest simply wasn’t yielding results, so I needed to think outside the box.

Basically, I “got freaky with it” when it came to building my back. What does this mean, you ask? Answer: Changing angles, rep schemes and exercises as often as possible, and pumping up the volume (16-20 sets a workout). I found if I focused on movements that allowed me to really feel the lats contract with each rep, and didn’t focus so much on the weight I was using, my back rewarded me with more width and definition.

One-Arm T-Bar Rows

I start every back day with rows. One outside-the-box movement that fits this category is one-arm T-bar rows. You want to emphasize the stretch on the negative portion of the lift (slow and controlled) and explode upward. See the video below for an example. I use smaller plates for the largest range of motion possible, and work in the 12-15 rep range for the best pump, generally pyramiding up in weight for 4-5 sets. Start with a couple plates and keep adding weight each set until you no longer hit your desired rep range.

Dumbbell Rows

Another rowing movement I favor is dumbbell rows – single arm or at the same time. For bent-over rows, grab a pair of dumbbells and bend until your upper body is parallel to the floor. Arch your back with your butt out and your head forward, and pull the dumbbells upward to the side of your body, maintaining strict form with a pause at the top. You’ll need to check your ego at the door and use lighter weight than you’re used to, but this really isolates the lats. Use a neutral grip (like you’re making a fist punching the floor). Props to former IFBB pro Phil Hernon for this one.

After you’ve rowed your lats into submission, it’s time to stretch them. Triple Ps – pulldowns, pullups and pullovers – are the name of the game here.

Pulldowns

Start with pulldowns. I like using a heavy weight and utilize partial range of motion – emphasizing the negative, stretched position of the movement. Lock your legs under the pad and pull the weight down to the top of your head, then slowly fight the negative to full extension at the top, pausing there for an extra stretch. Be sure to reach, and if your butt pulls you out of the seat a few inches, so be it. Just make sure you’re maintaining good form. John Meadows at Mountain Dog Diet gets credit for this one.

Pullovers

Pullovers are a great movement for lat width as well, but form is key here. Lie on the bench with your head hanging off the end. Lower the weight slowly and feel the stretch at the bottom. On the concentric portion of the movement, only pull up to a point where the bottom half of the dumbbell is parallel to the top of your head. If you feel it in your triceps you’ve gone too far. Three sets of 10 with a fairly heavy weight will work wonders here.

Lower Back & Traps

I also like to spend some time working the lower back and traps for overall development. I usually throw these in at the end, but they can be inserted anywhere. Unlike the exercise selection that came before, I keep it simple with these two targeted areas. Any shrug variation using dumbbells, machine, or barbell, with a three-second pause at the top hits your traps well. The lower back can get plenty of work with hyperextensions and deadlift variations – nothing fancy here.

In conclusion, compound movements should still form the foundation of your back workouts, but don’t be afraid to get freaky with it and mix up the angles and exercises once in awhile. You may find you become a better, more well rounded athlete, and that’s ultimately what we all want, don’t we?

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

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The cycle continued until after high school graduation, when something inside finally spoke up. I discovered my motivation within. I had reached a point where I knew if I did not make a change at that very moment, I would never be truly happy with myself and my life. I don’t know what finally clicked, maybe it was being forced out of my comfort zone in my first year of university and being forced to interact with people my age in social situations, or maybe I just became more self-aware of the damage I was causing to myself both physically and mentally. Some people can be comfortable at a heavy weight – or at least outwardly portray a façade of confidence – but I wasn’t that type and needed to make a change if I was to accomplish the things I wanted to accomplish with my life: marriage, travel, and career objectives. I felt my weight would be a mental obstacle in my way – so I felt it was necessary to address it.

All that mattered at that point was that I knew I had to start somewhere. So began my late night walk-jogging (because I could only run in spurts). That progressed to nightly jogs and the runners’ high people talk about became my motivation. I cut back on food intake, but didn’t have a clue about diet. The weight came off over time, slowly but surely, and my addiction to food and video games became less. I went from a pudgy 225 pounds at 6’2″ to a skinnier 180 pounds in a span of about a year. I eventually got good enough at running to enter a few 10K competitive runs, and then eventually the half-marathon on Father’s Day in June 2006 – commemorating the two year anniversary of my lifestyle change.

Despite all that running, I wasn’t in love with my body. I still saw myself as skinny-fat with little muscle tone, and I had some stretch marks and loose skin in certain areas. That’s when I turned to weight lifting. Soon my passion for running transferred to the gym, where lifting weights became my passion. Desire to change motivated me to return to my gym asylum every day, and I began to learn more and more about nutrition and proper weight training. Slowly I gained weight of the good variety and fine-tuned my look, adding some muscle and definition.

In the after picture, I sit at 216 pounds – only nine pounds shy of my heaviest weight, but as a much tighter package. My journey is by no means over, however. I continually strive to get better and have a lot of room for improvement. It’s been gratifying to work each day on self improvement, both physically on the OUTSIDE and as a person INSIDE. The two go hand-in-hand. If you only focus on one without the other, you aren’t truly growing and improving.

That last point is especially important: In order to succeed and achieve, you need to improve yourself on the inside along the way. You need to create a positive mindset of yourself. We are our own worst enemy, but our thoughts are not some kind of truth manifestation, they are what you have created for yourself over many years. If you harbour a self-defeatist attitude in your mind, your goals will never be within reach. You must create positive thoughts so your brain will actually work for you, not against you.

Once you start to think positively, you’ll see all the opportunities life has to offer. When you start to get your self-esteem back and start to live and give and receive, positive thinking will spark your journey to a better life. There are tools to help you change your way of thinking – every day is a battle, and anything you can use to help win that battle should be utilized. I found the motivational speaking of Tony Robbins and books discussing the “Law of Attraction” can help you convert that pessimistic attitude into a positive one. Employing those principles in your everyday life CAN change someone’s perspective, and that simple change CAN have a profound impact on the individual, BUT only if the person is willing to pour their heart and soul into their goals and dreams and NOT rely on these tools to convert their positive thoughts into real world successes overnight. Hard work, in a smart and effective fashion – with these tools as the foundation – is the common denominator.

Hard work doesn’t just mean grinding it out in the gym day after day, but a commitment in all areas. Don’t get me wrong, I’m by no means perfect with my diet 365 days a year, I enjoy the odd dinner out and socialize over a few drinks with friends, but I prep and pack food every day of the week and focus on good nutrition and hard, honest weight training 99 percent of the time.

Listen to your body and take a few days off if you need to, but don’t let it stretch for weeks and months on end. Consistency in all areas (diet, rest, training) over many months and years will get you to where you want to be. Slow progress is still progress. Don’t expect profound change after a month, but over time the work you put forth in the kitchen and gym will pay off. If you want it bad enough, nothing will get in your way.

I have some fat to lose and some muscle to gain, but that’s the beauty of this lifestyle. If you feel you’ve completed all your goals, there will be nothing keeping you on task driving you to succeed. Start your journey today!

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