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Optimize Exercise

Build Muscle

Maximize Muscle Growth (Hypertrophy)

  • Take 1-2 days before re working same muscle group. Overtraining leaves no room for muscles to heal & grow.
  • Rep range is flexible for hypertrophy. 5-30 reps is fine. Intensity is more important.
  • Maximize intensity. Indensity = Speed x strength

Maximize Muscle Strength

  • For strength, you should be at 80-90% of 1 rep max. Find 1 rep max based on your current 10 rep max using tables online.

Maximize Muscle Endurance or Power

  • For Endurance or Power, you could train the same muscles 6 days a week. E.g. runners can run every day.

  • Eat whole foods

  • Hydrate

  • Baking soda as supplement

  • Creatine best supplement

  • Heat after workout is good

  • Cold shower in morning is good, right after a workout is bad

  • Consider electrolyte beverages to improve hydration

  • Breathe and only breathe for 5 minutes after hard workout or climbing. Don't go straight to social media. Good for neurons and improving technique (applies to musical instruments too)

  • Also good advice is to hit peak heart rate 1x per week minimum. 220 - age = max. 196 bpm for me. Listen to fast music like drum and bass (170-180 bpm) to make running easier. I try to do a "maximum effort" 3km run, where my legs are on fire and I'm gasping for air by the time I get home.

Reduce time spent working out

  • Superset to reduce workout time. E.g. do a push exercise while resting from a pull exercise.
  • Or stretch between sets

Weekly Exercise Goals

  • 150-180 mins of cardio per week
  • 3x intense resistance training sessions
  • 3x stretching (superset stretching in between sets)

Burn fat

  • Fidgeting burns calories
  • Shivering from cold makes fat cells produce more heat. Increases base rate of calorie burn.
  • Fasting before long exercise will burn fat after 90 mins of exercise
  • Optimal: 20-60 mins HIGH intensity workout. Squat, deadlift, etc. Superset. Then any moderate intensity after that should start burning fat instead of sugars. Do this fasted
  • Caffeine before exercise is helpful. Mate tea is even better. Boosts glp1 guayusa same as mate . Tastes better?
  • Less carbs> less insulin > burn fat not sugar. Eat carbs later in the day.
  • Acetyl L Carnatine increases oxidation.

Get Flexible

https://hubermanlab.com/improve-flexibility-with-research-supported-stretching-protocols/

  • 30 seconds static stretching is optimal
  • 3x30s per muscle each exercise

Steven's Efficient Home Workout Routine

Play workout playlist in wireless earbuds Should take about 45 minutes total

Repeat 3x:

  1. 1 set weighted pull-ups
  2. Stretch upper body
  3. 1 set weighted leg raises
  4. Stretch lower body
  5. 1 set pushups (archer, decline, standard)
  6. 5 minute rest