Most everyday athletes want some combination of looking better, feeling better, performing better, and adding quality years to their life.

We also want bang for your buck tools to achieve that.

Here’s how I’d build a program that ticks all those boxes. I call it complete fitness training.

Step 1 is to measure where we’re at:

• 🏋️ Strength and cardio: Note training numbers, and your physiological data (HR, HRV, RR) if you have access
• 💪 Muscle and fat: Photos, body scan
• 🔋 Subjective measures like mood, energy, focus: use a 1-10 scale and write about how you’re feeling in each

This is your baseline.

Step 2 is to design the session.

• Session length = 50 mins
• Session frequency = 3x per week
• Session structure = activate, aerobic power, strength, cardio, recovery

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1. Activate (7 mins)

🎯 Purpose: activate mind and body for session, injury proofing, skills

Example:

1. 💨 Cadence breathing: 5x 4-second inhale, 4-second exhale (connect with the breath)
2. 💨 Fire breathing: 10x 1-second inhale, 1-second exhale (fire up nervous system, oxygenate body and brain)
3. 🤸‍♂️ Half wall hang or bench pullovers: 10 reps (upper-body injury proofing, posture corrective)
4. 🤸‍♂️ Dynamic squat pry: 20 seconds (open up the hips)
5. 🤸‍♂️ Jefferson curl: 10 reps (posterior chain injury proofing, opener)
6. 🚶‍♂️ Backwards sled: 2 mins (lower-body injury proofing)
7. 🤹‍♂️ Skills e.g. juggling, hand-eye games: 2 mins (switch on, fun)

More detail here

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2. Aerobic power (5-10 mins)

🎯 Purpose: an all-in-one strength, cardio and mitochondria bomb

🧐 What does it look like: Full body explosive power movement working to the edge of our ATP/PC energy system

(If I only had 30 minutes to training each week, I would do this)

Example:

• 🏋️ 5 sets x 10 reps of kettlebell swings OTM (Start each set on 0:00, 1:00, 2:00… rest for remaining minute)

More detail here

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3. Strength (22 mins)

🎯 Purpose: Build strength and muscle (quality of life, healthy weight, control our blood sugar levels, brain health and function, and protect us from injuries)

🧐 What does it look like: hit all the movements (squat, hinge, push, pull, cross body, unilateral, carry); multi-joint compound movements like squats, deadlifts, presses, pull ups; each set should go 1-2 short of failure, superset (alternate opposing exercises to halve time spent in gym); rest 1-2 mins between each set; 3-5 sets; 5-10 reps per set (5 favours strength, 10 favours muscle growth)

Example:

• 🏋️ 1a. 3 sets x 5 reps goblet squat
• 🏋️ 1b. 3 sets x 5 reps pull ups
• 🏋️ 2a. 3 sets x 5 reps trap bar deadlift
• 🏋️ 2b. 3 sets x 5 reps military press
• 🏋️ 3 sets x 30 seconds (each side) single arm farmers carry

More detail here

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4. Cardio (5-10 mins)

🎯 Purpose: Improve cardio fitness (physical fitness and quality of life, mood, energy, focus, brain health, longevity and reducing the risk of disease)

🧐 What does it look like: high intensity efforts on cardio machines like assault bikes, rowers, ski ergs, treadmill.

Example:

• 🚴 6 sets of 20 second maximum effort, 40 second rest

More detail here

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5. Recovery (5 mins)

🎯 Purpose: activate our parasympathetic/rest and recovery nervous system, release muscle tension

🧐 What does it look like: focused breathing, static stretching of muscles just worked

Example:

• 💨 2 mins exhale emphasis breathing (4 second inhale, 8 second exhale)
• 🤸 30 second static stretch of muscle just worked – slant board j-curl hold, 90:90 stretch, couch stretch, dead hang, adductor

More detail here

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Step 3 is to design sessions 2 and 3 of the week:

• Change the strength movements using examples below
• Change the cardio using examples below

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Step 4 is to progress the sessions over a 6-8 week block:

• Do the same 3 sessions each week for 6-8 week
• Week 1: light week, honing technique
• Weeks 2-6 build add 3-5% to intensity/weight each week
• Assess progress based on week 1 data
• New block, change exercises

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But is it really complete fitness?

It couldn’t hurt to get some super cruisey zone 2 cardio work in there for the mitochondrial benefits: low-intensity run, ruck, bike, swim.

More detail here

There we go. Complete fitness in a few hours a week.