Newsletter 2025-1-19
Topics Covered:
How I structure a strength training workout
Strength training overwhelm?
First off, I'm not talking about weekly workout programming. As someone who prioritizes running and martial arts training, how I choose to spend my training time is going to vary greatly from someone who prioritizes -- for example -- basketball or mountain biking.
That said, every human being should be engaging in some form of resistance training. And it's resistance training that tends to intimidate those without a ton of experience.
Think about it. People don't delay starting a jogging routine or playing pickup basketball because they're embarrassed about not knowing what to do.
But that is certainly a reason many people delay strength training.
😟 Which muscles am I supposed to train?
😟 Which exercises work which muscles?
😟 How much of each exercise am I supposed to do?
😟 Which muscles pair together?
😟 How often do I train each muscle?
If you're overwhelmed by all the muscles you're supposed to be hitting in a strength workout, I need you to understand something:
Training individual muscles comes from bodybuilding. If you're not a bodybuilder, you don't have to train this way.
Bodybuilding is a sport based on a judge's opinion about how big and shapely your muscles look.
Because bodybuilding is an aesthetic sport, bodybuilders train to manipulate every little detail of how their muscles look.
Like everything, it has it's pros and cons...
Bodybuilding Pros:
Great for individual muscle growth
Great if you want to look a very specific way
Isolation exercises can load a muscle without requiring the rest of the body to have requisite stability.
Bodybuilding Cons:
Can lead to disconnection and poor movement, due to muscles not training to work together
Growing muscles beyond their natural tendency can cause stiffness and movement inhibition
Requires a lot of time and attention to small aesthetic details that don't matter to most non-bodybuilders
When strength training became part of pop culture in the 1980s, it took the form of bodybuilding protocols.
This is probably due to the mainstream's obsession with aesthetics over health, as well as the accessibility of isolation movements for beginners (versus more athletic, total body movements).
And even though other "functional fitness" approaches have made their way into the mainstream since the 2000s (CrossFit, Powerlifting, Kettlebells, etc.), most folks still think in terms of individual body parts.
I'm going to help you rethink that so that you can save time, conserve mental bandwidth, and build a body that actually feels good.
Griffin's Strength Workout Formula
**If you prefer to listen, I have a YouTube video that includes a similarly detailed explanation of everything here.
Ok, let's dive in. Below is the anatomy of a resistance training workout in my current world.
Griffin's Resistance Workout Formula (60-minute workout):
Break a sweat (~5 min)
Dynamic warm-up (~3 min)
Warm-Up Exercises / Activations (~5 min)
Optional: Plyometrics (~7 min)
Main Exercises (~30 min)
Conditioning or Movement Application (~2-5 min)
Recovery Breathing (5 min)
Now let's break that down.
Break a Sweat
Anything that raises your core body temperature and puts minimal stress on your joints (since they're not yet warm). I sometimes even stand in a dry sauna for this if I have access to one.
Dynamic Warm-Up
Athletic drills at an easy-to-moderate pace to get my body used to moving through space in different ways. Things like butt kicks, high knees, shuffles, hops, skips, etc. at about 15-30 seconds per movement.
Activations
Bodyweight stability movements that mimic the tensions you're going to aim for during your workout. Options include:
OKF Stability Shuffle
OKF Isometric Squat Variations (Bodyweight)
OKF Reactive Shoulder Stability Variations
OKF Supine Leg Lift Variations
OKF LPH Rotations (Standing and/or Quadruped)
Select Tiger Transformation "Recode" Exercises
Plyometrics
It's important to train myself to be springy, and for my connective tissue to be able to handle and disperse impact. Things like box jumps, depth drops, broad jumps, etc. are on the higher intensity side. Lower intensity would be OKF rhythm/oscillating squats. Sometimes I'll just dance for 3 minutes (lots of hopping and bouncing).
Main Exercises
I like to pick 2-4 exercises depending on the time I have and the volume I'm after. If I do 4 exercises, I'll only go for 3 sets each. If I do 2 exercises, I'll push for 5 sets each.
Some upper body options: OKF Push-up variations; dumbbell press; unilateral cable press; standing unilateral dumbbell shoulder press
Some lower body options: OKF Level 2 Squat variations; OKF Level 3 squat variations; OKF Single Leg Squat
I'm choosing a load that allows me to hold an isometric for 1-2 minutes, or complete no more than 12 reps of that exercise.
Finisher Option 1: Movement Application
Sometimes, after I strength train, I want to apply the tensioning I'm feeling in my body to movement that's important to me. So I might finish off with a little running or kickboxing. Nothing high intensity; I'm just focusing on how things feel.
Finisher Option 2: Conditioning
My "cardio" workouts pretty much consist of running, sprinting, and working the heavy bag. None of these hit the super high end of my aerobic training zone, so I want to make sure I add a little bit of that in at the end of some strength workouts. For me, this usually involves 10 intervals of 10 seconds on, 10 seconds off.
Recovery Breathing
I end every work out with 5 minutes of intentionally slowing down my breathing and tapping into a deep sense of body awareness and relaxation. This kickstarts the recovery process and ensures that I don't carry stressful breathing patterns into everyday life.
Note: I have a great post-workout recovery protocol as part of my Guided Breathwork Collection.
Additional Considerations:
Frequency
I do resistance training about twice a week. I either do two full-body workouts or an upper body / lower body split.
Volume & Intensity:
For warm-up exercises, I'll do 2-3 exercises for 2 sets each. Each exercise is done for 60-90 seconds.
For main exercises, I'll do 2-4 exercises for 3-5 sets each. If I'm doing isometric exercises for time, I'll aim for 1-2 minutes. If I'm doing exercises for reps, I want to choose a load that will allow me to do no more than 12 reps if possible.
Not Sure How to Perform These Exercises?
If the structure is making sense, but the movements themselves aren't, here are a couple of useful options.
Option 1 - OKF 8-Week Foundations Course
Most of the movements I use have their roots in this course by One of a Kind Fitness founder, Devon Brown. It packs a ton of value with detailed exercise tutorials, programming recommendations, and lifetime access.
Option 2 - Private Coaching
If you're ready to be guided by me in detail, I'd love to see how I can help. All new clients start with a quick questionnaire that you can find here.
Have a beautiful day,
Griffin
