Improving Your Overall Fitness is Easy When You Know How – Here’s How to Get The Job Done…

By Elliot Newman

As Powerlifting Legend and World Renowned Strength Coach Louie Simmons often says:

“A Pyramid is only as tall as it’s base”

What this means, is this…

If you want a high level of Fitness – you need a wide base. This ‘wide base’ is often referred to as General Physical Preparedness. Or, General Fitness.

Even if you don’t play sports, this matters.

Why?

Because, the more ‘General Fitness’ you have – the easier day to day activities become. Heck, I know guys who get winded walking up a flight of stairs…

And, guys who are huffing and puffing making love to their wives!

This demonstrates a quite PATHETIC level of General Fitness. And, sadly, we’re now inflicting the same kind of physical inadequacies upon our kids…

…the ‘Smartphone’ Generation of kids being the fattest, and most unfit ever.

What I want to show you are some simple 10 minute workouts that’ll ‘build your base’ – so you can create a higher peak. And, I don’t care whether your ‘higher fitness peak’ is directed towards sports, screwing your Mrs senseless, or simply being less out of breath living your day-to-day life!

Let’s get into it…

How to Get Fit in a Way That’ll Carry Over to Pretty Much Anything… Sports, The Bedroom or Even Just Day-to-Day Life…

Option 1: Pushing and Pulling a Weighted Wheelbarrow

This is something I learned from Louie Simmons at Westside Barbell.

You simply load up a Wheelbarrow with some weight (or sand. Or Chain. Whatever you have that’s HEAVY will do) and take it for a walk!

That’s it.

It’ll work every muscle in your body, from head-to-toe. And it’ll smoke the hell out of your forearms and grip.

• You could go really heavy for trips of 10-20 yards. And do 6 to 8 trips.
• Or, you could go moderately heavy and do 40-60 yards. For 8 to 12 trips.
• Or, go lighter, and walk non-stop for 10 minutes.

Point is…

You can’t really go wrong!

You can either use a heavy-duty builder’s wheelbarrow, or something designed specifically for going REALLY HEAVY, like this.

Here’s what it looks like:

Option 2: Dragging a Sled

Many Finnish Powerlifters were exceptionally good Deadlifters. With a lot of Middleweights – guys weighing under 200lbs – Deadlifting over 200kg, the first time they ever tried the exercise!

How could this be possible?

Well, many of them were Lumberjacks by trade. So, they spent all day cutting down trees (which builds a strong back), then dragging the wood, on sleds (which builds the back even more, and the legs).

You can drag the sled forwards, or pull it backwards. Forwards builds the gluts and hamstrings. Backwards smokes the quads. Either way, there’s little pressure on the lower back (so it’s perfect if you have an injured back).

The sled also has almost no learning curve. It’s dead simple. 

Here’s a video to show you how it’s done:

Option 3: Pushing The Prowler

The Prowler is particularly nasty.

You basically push it. Heavy or light. Either way, it sucks (in a good way).

The heavier you go, the more it’ll build your legs.

Lighter will still build your legs, and also your lungs!

Here’s how it looks:

Option 4: Crawling

Crawling is in many ways the best option on this list. And, in some ways, the best exercise you can ever do – because it resets your body, improves posture, gives you more than it takes from you, builds reflexive strength, balance, cooridation, strength and more.

Tim Anderson and his team at Original Strength have done tremendous work teaching people how to crawl. So, I’ll let him tell you more in this video:

Anytime you can crawl for 10 minutes, you’ve done something good for your body and mind.

I rarely, if ever, go a day without crawling, even if it’s just for a minute or two.

Option 5: Lifting Light Weights, with Short Rest Periods

This is an option I really like.

You choose simple exercises, and do 15-20 reps per set, for 2-3 sets per exercise, with 30 seconds between sets.

As an example:

Upper Body Focused:

A1. Press Ups
15-20 reps x 2-3 sets

A2. One Arm DB Rows
15-20 reps/side x 2-3 sets

B1. DB Curls
15-20 reps x 2-3 sets

B2. Tricep Pushdowns
15-20 reps x 2-3 sets

Lower Body Focused:

A1. Kettlebell Goblet Squats
15-20 reps x 2-3 sets

A2. DB Romanian DL
15-20 reps x 2-3 sets

B1. Band Only Leg Curl
10 reps/side x 2-3 sets

B2. Reverse Lunge
10 reps/side x 2-3 sets

You can finish either of these workouts with mid-section work – such as plank variations, leg raises, ab wheel rollouts, side bends and so on, if you like.

I often do this kind of training the day AFTER I’ve done a heavy upper or lower body session. Because, not only do these higher rep sets, with lighter weights build fitness, they also pump the muscles with blood and help recovery!

Got Questions?

Leave them below and I’ll get back to you ASAP…