There’s a plethora of information out there on how to train, and it seems half the internet is devoted to arguing over which programs are the best. The latest and newest program is just a click away, full of novel movements and intricate strategies. If Hoarders did an episode on the fitness industry, it wouldn’t be very difficult to gather enough material.

Fortunately, there’s been a bit of a backlash in society against needless clutter. The practice of throwing out the excess and leaving only what’s necessary has permeated into many aspects of our lives, from material possessions, to toxic friends, to digital clutter. While the trappings of modern life may appear vastly more sophisticated than those of years gone by, most facets of life have changed little over the years. What we need to live, what can help with work, and family values aren’t all that complicated. Discipline, organization, and understanding are all universal principles that have stood the test of time, no matter how many social media sites you can belong to.

Why should your training program be any different? Why would you clean out so many parts of your life but leave your training philosophy as cluttered as your grandmother’s attic?

Why You Should Be a Minimalist Lifter

If you’re just starting out, look at some of the lifting programs of the guys from the 50s and 60s. What do they have in common? They were simplistic in nature. They were void of complex systems requiring meticulous record-keeping and confusing sequences of execution. Yes, you could argue that this was before science got its hands into the exercise realm, but you can’t dispute the results these guys reaped.

If you’re the type who has lifted for a while, think back to your early days when increases in muscle, strength, or whatever your goals were came quickly. It was the basics that got your there. It was your efforts toward the necessities and little else that enabled you to focus on just a few principles without any fluff.

As we get more experienced in the iron game, we tend to want to complicate things. We think things must become more scientific, involved, and confusing to the layman for some reason. We want to put ourselves on some sort of pedestal to feel special and let others know we are far more advanced than they could handle.

The reality is that the opposite is more effective. Simplifying your training will free up your attention, so you can apply more effort toward pushing yourself to progress. Overcomplicated training leaves you constantly questioning your methods, and never settling on a path so you can go to work. The old principles of training are still as relevant today as they were decades ago. It’s up to you to believe again.

The Rules of Minimalist Lifting

These rules of minimalist training aren’t brain surgery. You’ve heard them before, but I feel it’s important to get a quick review. Are you still following these vital principles?

• More compound, less isolation: This sounds like a broken record, but it needs to be stressed again and again. As so many lifters migrate to concentration curls and machines that meticulously isolate every muscle fiber, I feel the message of compound, multi-joint movement has gotten lost.
• Progression is king: This principle is key when you want any change to occur. Utilize progressive overload with moderate weights and reps. It’s fine to go heavier or lighter some days, as long as you’re moving the needle forward.
• Practice form and function: This is another simple but seldom-followed rule. Learn to correctly brace, contract, and move each areas of the body. For example, the deadlift has many things to consider other than just lifting the bar off the floor.

You Don’t Need a Million Dollars in Equipment

Here is a short (but complete) list of what you’ll need on this minimalist training program. It isn’t sexy, but you also won’t have to go out and buy the latest gadget to track every rep, step, and breath. Feel free to add your own minimalist pieces of equipment, but just keep it simple.

• Barbell
• Plates (iron or bumper)
• Pull up bar
• Adjustable bench
• Squat or power rack
• Parallel dip bars
• Kettlebells (optional)

The Minimalist Lifting Program

Perform the following program three nonconsecutive days per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday). Feel free to perform cardio or other recreational activity on non-training days.

Pay attention to warm up periods, to include general warm up (walk, jog, jump rope) and specific warm-up sets for each area trained. Also, pay close attention to rest periods. This is one of the most abused aspects of training, but has a major impact on progression. Feel free to switch up exercises when you need to.

Stay on the program for at least four weeks, and preferably six. This will enable your body to adapt and see results. After 4-6 weeks, take a few days off from weight training, and then run the program again.

The post The Minimalist Guide to Lifting appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Bodyweight training also focuses on movement before muscle isolation. Think about it – almost all bodyweight exercises are total body exercises. Squats, chin ups, push ups, and lunges are all movement-based exercises. They’re functional, essential, and utilized on a daily basis.

Yet there is one glaring issue with bodyweight exercise – it lacks an effective way to train the hinge movement.

The Hinge Is an Essential Movement

The hinge is an essential movement that must be trained. It consists of folding over from the hips while keeping the spine neutral and stacked. When performed correctly, hinge exercises train the glutes, hamstrings, and the entire posterior chain in a functional manner. Common hinge exercises include deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and stiff-legged deadlifts. But these need added equipment.

What if you love bodyweight training and aren’t a big fan of the weight room? What if you are training on the go and can’t bring kettlebells with you? Fear not! I’ll detail a few minimalist solutions to help you train the hinge with nothing more than your bodyweight and some resistance bands.

Enter the Hip Thrust

When it comes to bodyweight-based alternatives for the hip hinge, many people like to use exercises that focus on the muscles of the posterior chain. Common choices include bridges, back extensions, or locust pose, to name a few. While these are good ways to train the muscles of the posterior chain, they don’t work the hinge movement. When it comes to functional training, you must train the movement, not just the muscles.

There is one exercise that works the muscles of the posterior chain in a hinge-like manner, yet it’s not exactly a hinge. That exercise is the bodyweight hip thrust. I think of the hip thrust as a pseudo-hinge. It works many of the same muscles as other classic hinge exercises, but the movement isn’t quite a hinge.

Yes, the hips do hinge during the hip thrust. The hip thrust also focuses on the posterior chain and loads the glutes. And yes, you continuously move through hip flexion and extension during this movement. However, it’s still not technically a hinge because of your bent knees and prone position. This is why I refer to the hip thrust as a pseudo-hinge. It’s almost like the hinge’s cousin, and an attractive one at that.

Even though it might not be a classic hinge, the hip thrust is a valuable exercise. It loads the glutes in a unique way, helps develop forward hip drive, and is a great introductory exercise. It can also act as a substitute for the hinge when you find yourself without any equipment.

4 Minimalist Hinge Exercises

If you have a little equipment on hand, you open up a whole world of awesome hinge exercises. My go-to pieces of portable equipment are resistance bands. They are light and effective, and also great for mobility, stretching, adding resistance to bodyweight movements, or even reducing the load during bodyweight movements. And they allow you to effectively train the hinge without heavy equipment.

My favorite banded hinge exercises are demonstrated in the video, and include:

Band Dead Lifts: It’s a classic hinge exercise, it needs no real introduction, and it’s simple to replicate with resistance bands! Stand in the middle of the band, grab an end with each hand, and proceed to dead lift just as you would with a bar. Increase the resistance by choking down on the band with your hands, or use a heavier band. That’s about as easy as it gets.

The Banded Good Morning: Good mornings are often forgotten as a hinge exercise. The best thing about good mornings is that they’re effective with a lighter load at higher reps.They also train the hinge at a higher angle than the traditional deadlift.

Standing Hip Thrust: Earlier we discussed the classic hip thrust and how it’s not a real hinge. However, there is a hip thrust variation that works the hinge. The standing hip thrust is a rarely used exercise that places unusual stress on the glutes. Unlike deadlifts or good mornings, the standing hip thrust resists force in the horizontal plane, training your hinge in a new way.

Banded Good Morning/Standing Hip Thrust Combination: This is actually an exercise I invented (to the best of my knowledge). But whether I actually invented it or not, it’s one hell of a hinge exercise. The combination of vertical and horizontal force, the way it taxes the glutes, and the ease of set up are all fantastic qualities. I would suggest becoming comfortable with both exercises on their own before combining the two.

There’s no reason to be without a way to effectively train your hinge. With these minimalist approaches, you’ll never have that problem. All you need is a little creativity, some bodyweight training knowledge, and a few bands. Now, get training!

You’ll also enjoy:

• Establishing Your Drive Train: Screening and Correcting the Hip Hinge
• 4 Tips for Building Your Own Bodyweight Training Programs
• The Physics of Lifting: Don’t Forget to Hinge
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

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Photo courtesy of Strength Education.

The post Anytime, Anywhere: 4 Minimalist Hinge Variations appeared first on Breaking Muscle.