3 Simple Principles To Build Strength, Creating Great Days, And Crafting An Essential Intent
3 Simple Principles To Build Strength, Creating Great Days, And Crafting An Essential IntentBuilding strength strategically, guiding words from Tim Ferriss, and one decision that eliminates 1,000 others.Happy Thursday! Here is your weekly dose of Longevity Minded, 3 things I’m exploring in the realm of longevity this week. Let’s dive in. 🫀 Live Longer3 Principles For Building Strength (And Muscle) Without EquipmentPrinciple 1: The Rep/Set SchemeEvery week, aim for the following quotas:
If you have been training for a while, you will need more sets (around 15-25) per week to continue growing. If you are new to training, 10-15 should suffice. Principle 2: Stability and TensionKnowing how to leverage stability (or lack thereof) and maximize tension is critical to building strength without equipment. StabilityBy dispersing your weight unevenly between limbs, you can increase the strength required to perform the movement. The goal is to work towards single-limb variations of the push-up and squat. This is addressed in Principle 3 below. TensionThe harder the contraction over a greater part of the body, the more effective the exercise. So, you can build strength without weights by contracting your muscles harder while performing an exercise. The main advantage of advanced bodyweight exercises (such as the pistol squat and one-arm push-up) is that they demand a complete, full-body contraction.
Principle 3: The MovementsIf I could only pick 3 exercises to do for the rest of my life, it would be these three. No question. When exercising without equipment, centre your routine around two movements:
(Don’t worry if you can’t perform them yet, there are modifications for both movements explained below.) Movement #1: (One-arm) Push-upPersonally, I cannot yet perform a one-arm push-up. Instead, I do a stabilized version of them:
You can use these modifications to make the movement easier or harder:
Movement #2: Pistol (One-leg) SquatOne-leg squats are a feat of strength, stability, and balance. When starting, I suggest performing these with support. The easiest way to do so is by standing in a door frame, with each hand on one side of the frame to support yourself. As you descend, use the door frame to balance. On the way up, use the frame to balance or to help pull yourself up if you don’t yet have the leg strength required to propel yourself up. Eventually, you can progress to one hand against a wall for balance and then to performing the movement with no assistance at all. Movement #3 (Bonus): Pull-upIf you have access to a pull-up bar, add them. 💪 Feel HealthierThe secret to living a great life? Create great days.I have revisited this excerpt from The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss at least once per month since I first read the book 4 years ago. In times of anxiety, stress, muddled thinking, and when I feel a general lack of direction in my life, these words reign my mind back in to focus on what’s important.
🧠 Cultivate PurposeCrafting An Essential Intent: The one decision that makes 1,000 others.In his best-selling book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeown writes about crafting your Essential Intent. An Essential Intent is both concrete and inspirational. It is the one strategic decision that eliminates 1,000 later decisions. It eliminates a universe of options to make space for the one option you choose. It will map a course for your life for the next 5, 10, and maybe even 20 years. To craft your own Essential Intent, ponder two questions:
As Greg writes:
If an opportunity, task, or activity does not align with your Essential Intent, the answer is “No.” For inspiration, here is my Essential Intent: To educate and inspire change in 100,000 people (particularly Type As) on living longer, feeling healthier, and cultivating a purposeful life while reducing complexity, living simply, and creating more space in their lives for the things that truly matter. And, as always, please give me feedback on Twitter. Which bullet above is your favorite? What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Just send a tweet to @jackrossdixon. Much love to you and yours, Jack P.S. If you enjoyed today’s newsletter, follow me @jackrossdixon on Twitter for daily tweets and threads on how to live longer, feel healthier, and cultivate purpose while living simply. If you liked this post from Longevity Minded, why not share it? DISCLAIMER: I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on the Internet. Speak with a medical professional before doing anything medical-related. |
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