There Are Only 5 Exercises You Need at the Gym

For gym workouts, less is more. This includes keeping your number of exercises at your lucky number 5.

The key to maximizing the return on investment (ROI) from your gym session is to cut the excess. You should focus on five exercises, sometimes called the “Big 5”. nothing else.

Met-con workouts (short for “metabolic conditioning”) are strength-training exercises that rev up your metabolism and turn it into a fat-burning furnace. They build a little strength and a lot of heart.

If your parents were into fitness, they would have known these workouts as circuit training. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) also falls into this category. It’s basically circuit training with some additional bells and whistles.

As you know, there isn’t much new or original in the fitness world, but if you can brand it to look like it, it will sell better. no problem. For those with limited time and money resources, at-home Metcon workouts can help you lose weight and build a little muscle in the relative comfort of your own home.

Motivation can be an obstacle. Even 8-10 minutes a day is the time you need to break a sweat and unwind from the strains of your daily desk job.

After a long day at the office, after putting the kids to bed and grabbing a snack, it can be the last time I run out to my bedroom and do the 10-minute circuit.

Because that’s probably the best thing you can do for you, your family… hell, the dog.

Sometimes I feel like I need to leave the house and hit the gym for strength training. You reason that no matter how intense (or not) it is, at least it will actually do something there.

It’s flawed logic, but perfectly understandable. Because I was in that position.

If the gym is open late and everyone else is sleeping, there’s nothing wrong with going out for a workout.

For example, going to 8:30 p.m. after the little angel goes to bed and the after-work crowd has gone home requires plenty of motivation.

And it has to be efficient.

In other words, no messing around. No selfies. Don’t read social media. No need to try the new isolation exercises you saw on Mens Health. Just a good, hard, honest transplant. (As an added bonus, this also helps keep sessions under 40 minutes.)

Why strength training?

By the way, if you’re not sure if strength training (that is, lifting heavy) is in your schedule, there are a number of reasons why heavy lifting costs money.

• • Develop strong bones. By stressing the bones, strength training can increase bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
  • Manage your weight. Strength training can help you manage and lose weight and increase your metabolism to help you burn more calories.
  • Improve quality of life. Strength training may improve quality of life and improve the ability to perform daily activities. Building muscle can also help improve balance and reduce the risk of falls. This allows them to remain independent as they age.
  • Manage chronic illness. Strength training can reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic diseases, including arthritis, back pain, obesity, heart disease, depression, and diabetes.
  • Sharpen your thinking. Some research suggests that regular strength training and aerobic exercise may help improve thinking and learning abilities in older adults.

[Source: Mayo Clinic]

There is something primitive and satisfying about lifting and moving increasingly heavy objects. This is probably evolutionary and you’d be better off carrying rocks to build walls and shelters.

However, in most cases a barbell and some plates will suffice.

big five

#1 Squat

I read an article that if you want big thighs, squat. If you want a bigger buttocks (buttocks), do squats.

I then applied this same principle to my back, chest, shoulders and arms.

The point is, squats affect everything. Squats are the ultimate full-body workout, and it’s rare to see someone in the gym who can do big squats but doesn’t have an equally large physique in their entire body.

Squats grow everything. It’s a full body exercise.

For a decent back squat (a normal man with training experience), that’s 1.5 times your body weight, but it takes some training to achieve.

Start with an empty bar (note that an empty bar weighs 20 kg).

This may seem very easy at first, but stick with it. Squats put a strain on the central nervous system.

SFD PR: 120kg

#2 Deadlift

Sometimes called the King of Exercises, the deadlift competes with the squat for the most important exercise in your gym routine.

It provides a counterbalance for the squat by hitting the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, back) and shoulders. And it’s a massive test of your minerals.

This requires some technical know-how, so I recommend taking a session with a powerlifting coach at your gym (if you have one) to help you lock in proper form. It can save your back. Or take it easy at the gym and ask his trainer for advice.

Good cues are: chest up like a proud gorilla, keep your back firmly in place, keep your arms perfectly straight, and push your feet to the floor. The bar moves up and down in a straight line, effectively rubbing your shins and thighs.

As the weight increases, grip is lost first and you have to switch to mixed grips (see photo).

Start the lights again and build to 5 sets of 5.

SFD PR: 170kg

#3 Bench Press

Monday can be a common bench press night at any gym, so you should schedule it later in the week.

Vanity muscles? Maybe.

But don’t skip them.

Completing the powerlifting trinity (squat and dead), the bench press is a premium upper body exercise that builds strong chest, big shoulders, blocky triceps and works the full range of stabilizer muscles.

Warm up with a few repetitions on an empty bar (I like to do 2 x 2 sets of 20 reps with a normal grip followed by 2 sets of 10-15 reps with a closed grip) and slowly build.

SFD PR: 85kg

#4 Shoulder Press

Although probably the most isolated exercise listed here, the press is still an integral part of the mix, creating rock-hard rocks in your shoulders.

Hold everything up and lighten the weights as you progress. There’s no shame in starting with an empty bar or something lighter once you find your way.

As always, 5 x 5 is a good protocol to follow, but if 3 x 8-10 interests you, go for it.

Tighten your body – that means squeezing your glutes and abs. And don’t forget to lock out at the top.

SFD PR: 60kg

#5 Pull-ups

It’s the only exercise here that doesn’t require a barbell, and one that you can practice at home using a doorway pull-up bar.

I tried pull-ups for the first time when I landed in Australia six years ago. As an experienced gym-goer, I immediately knew he could do 10 hard reps. After 2.5 repetitions, I went back to bed and was humble yet determined.

If you’re new to the pull-up game, there are a few easy ways to get started. Some gyms have machines that allow you to gain weight. Avoid these. Instead, use the powerband wrapped around the bar as a stirrup and support it with your feet.

Or try chin-ups (palms inward), jumping pull-ups, or controlled reps from the box.

Depending on my mood and frequency, I like 5 repetitions every minute for 5 to 10 minutes.

For the reps to really count, you need a dead hang where you drop down until your arms are straight and then pull up.

SFD PR: 17 unbroken dead hangs

cram this into your workout

The benefit of focusing on the Big 5 is minimizing think time. Go to the gym, warm up, then move the iron.

We’re not jumping around from machine to machine, looking for different handles or devices, or messing around in general. This is practical strength training that delights with fat burning, muscle building, central nervous system loading, and many other great features.

You can even sleep like a baby.

Below is an example of a 3 day routine. Simple, isn’t it?

Do this for 30 days and you will see results.

First day:

5 minutes rowing

5 minute stretch

Build into a 5 x 5 bench press.

Do 5 x 5 squats

5×5 pull-ups

cool down

the 2nd day

5 minutes rowing

5 minute stretch

Build to 5 x 5 Deadlift

Build to 5 x 5 press

5×5 pull-ups

cool down

Third day

5 minutes rowing

5 minute stretch

Build to 5 x 5 Deadlift

Do 5 x 5 squats

5×5 pull-ups

cool down

Conclusion

This may seem easy, but try it for 4 weeks straight and see how it a) feels and b) how it looks afterwards. These workouts start building muscle strength and, importantly, turn your body into a fat burning center.

You don’t have to worry about lack of cardio. It takes a toll on your heart, lungs, limbs, and mind.

If the lack of weight bothers you or if you think working out is easy, give it some time. Wait until week 4, then add a few more pounds and see how 5 sets of 5 feel.

These workouts speak to everything we care about. You don’t have to think about anything other than focusing on the weight you are moving. 35-45 minute time frame. Huge return on investment.

means

Strong lift: A great site full of simple yet effective information on the 5×5 training protocol.

Dan John: If you’re ready to take the plunge (even if you’re not), Dan John’s books and articles are probably the most accessible and professional resource you can find.i especially like Never Let Go: A Philosophy of Lifting, Living and Learning.

Author Ben Ford super fit dada lifestyle blog focused on health tips for busy dads.

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This story has been updated since it was first published.