To Progress or Not to Progress?
That is the question. I've been getting a lot of interest from many of you recently about why I choose the exercises that I do for each of your programs. Why is it that some of you are doing 3 sets of 15 reps of kettlebell deadlifts while a couple of you are doing 5 sets of 5 reps of barbell deadlifts? Why should some of you do a single leg glute bridge while others are doing a single leg deadlift? The answer is because you are all unique and special sunflowers that have different wants and needs. Let's start simple.
Intensity and Volume
This is the obvious one. Intensity = how much weight you lift. Volume = the amount of reps you do. More weight is typically harder. Same with increased reps. Your goals and current capabilities dictate how much you lift and for how many reps.
Example:
Strength/Speed/Power: 4-10 sets of 1-6 reps
Hypertrophy (muscle gain): 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps
Muscular endurance: 3 sets of 12+ reps
2. Tempo
What happens if you speed up an exercise? What happens if you slow it down? I guarantee you if you do one or the other, it's going to make a huge difference without doing a thing to intensity and volume. Just like with anything though, it comes down to wants and needs. If your goal is to be an American Ninja Warrior, we may want to train exercises at a quicker tempo since the goal is to get through the obstacle course as fast as possible. However, if the goal is to get strong and ripped, we should slow the exercise down to increase the mechanical tension on the muscle.
Example:
Strength/Speed/Power: As many reps as possible in 10-20 seconds
Hypertrophy: 6-12 reps in 30-60 seconds
Muscular endurance: 12+ reps in 30+ seconds
3. Base of Support
I'd be willing to bet that all of us are focused on fighting the effects of aging. One such effect is the deterioration of balance and stability. Changing your base of support (the connection between yourself and the ground) will change an exercise immensely without altering the movement pattern. You're going to be much more stable with your feet hip width, flat on the ground. But what if I put you in a staggered stance? A split stance? Balancing on only one foot? Regardless of the exercise, it's going to make it more challenging. Below are examples of movement patterns that become increasingly more difficult based on base of support.
Example:
Hip Dominant:
Level 1: Deadlift (bilateral) > Level 2: Staggered stance deadlift > Level 3: Single leg deadlift
Knee Dominant:
Level 1: Squat (bilateral) > Level 2: Reverse lunge >
Level 3: Pistol squat
Horizontal Push:
Level 1: Standard push-up (bilateral) > Level 2: Triangle push-up > Level 3: Single arm push-up
4. Elevation
This is the one that blew my mind when I was first studying to be a personal trainer. The perfect example of this progression is the development of a child. Children start as infants, flat on their backs and unable to roll over. After some time, they are able to roll over to a prone position. Next, they gain the ability to push themselves up to a quadruped position and start crawling. Before you know it, they go from four limbs to walking around. This progression perfectly describes how elevation can change the way we move. The further your center of gravity (your belly button) is from the ground, the more challenging the exercise will be. Below are examples of movement patterns that become increasingly more difficult based on elevation.
Example:
Hip Dominant:
Level 1: Glute bridge > Level 2: Hip thrust > Level 3: Deadlift
Knee Dominant:
Level 1: Reverse lunge > Level 2: Rear foot elevated (RFE) split squat > Level 3: Deficit RFE split squat
Horizontal Push:
Level 1: Incline push-up > Level 2: Standard push-up > Level 3: Decline push-up
5. Different Tools
Dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, trap bars, cables, resistance bands... who should use what for why?! This one is really about where you are in your fitness journey and what you're ready for. Once you feel comfortable with one level, you're ready for the next one, as demonstrated in the examples below.
Example:
Level 1: Assisted movement (TRX), bodyweight movement
Level 2: Resistance bands, dumbbells, kettlebells
Level 3: Trap Bar, barbell
6. Complexity
Let's say you've mastered a basic exercise, like a squat. In other words, you don't have to think about the sequencing or procedure of it anymore. Perfect, now let's turn it on its head so you have to think about it again by introducing either additional exercises or planes of motion. Let's take that squat and add a single arm overhead press. Great, you've mastered that. Now, let's make it a squat with a rotational single arm overhead press. Great, you've mastered that. And so on... You're taking exercise back to square one and making it cognitive. After some time, you'll still have to think a little, but not as much; making it associative. And finally, you don't have to think anymore. It's become autonomous. Complexity is a progression of the mind. It's about learning. You're improving depth perception, awareness, coordination, and memorization. Personally, this is my favorite progression. This is where we get to really play.
In conclusion, there are approximately a bajillion ways to do each exercise. It ultimately comes down to how your body wants to move and how you want it to move. I select each exercise based on where you physically and mentally land in each spectrum of progression. From there, the sky's the limit.
