The Highland’s Workout Plan Overview
This blog is primarily a resource for patients who have worked with Dr. Josh and need a little reminder of how their resistance training can be structured once care is done. We’re always here to provide on-going support, accountability and guidance. Our primary goal is teaching and educating in a way that anybody can leave our clinic with an actionable plan that will lead to improving their health and resiliency. We need more strong people and less people scared to live life to the fullest because they don’t trust their bodies, and we’re doing our part to make that happen.
Please note, this is not medical advice. This is designed for general fitness and incorporating resistance training into a busy schedule. If you’re struggling with an injury or pain, come get assessed and let us help you get back to full speed - then we’ll dive into the wonderful world of resistance training together.
Overview:
The Highland's workout plan is designed to enhance strength and mobility while incorporating progressive overload and conditioning to build a stronger, more resilient body.
Focus Areas:
Strength and Mobility: Prioritize exercises that improve both strength and mobility, targeting functional movements that enhance daily life activities.
Progressive Overload: Gradually increase the intensity of exercises to continuously challenge the body and stimulate muscle growth and adaptation.
Incorporation of Conditioning: Include conditioning exercises to improve cardiovascular health, endurance, and overall fitness levels.
Key Concepts:
Building a Bigger Engine: By progressively overloading the body and incorporating conditioning, the goal is to develop a stronger, more efficient physiological system capable of meeting the demands of daily life and physical activities.
Raising the Floor vs. Raising the Ceiling: Strive to improve baseline fitness levels (raising the floor) while also aiming for peak performance (raising the ceiling), ensuring a balanced approach to overall fitness and health.
Benefits:
Improved Metabolic Function: Enhancing metabolic function through regular exercise can lead to better energy utilization, weight management, and overall metabolic health.
Reduced Pain: Strengthening muscles and improving mobility can alleviate pain associated with musculoskeletal issues and improve overall comfort and quality of life.
Enhanced Mobility: Increasing mobility through targeted exercises can improve flexibility, range of motion, and reduce the risk of injury during daily activities.
Improved Blood Circulation: Regular exercise promotes better blood circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients to tissues while removing waste products, contributing to overall cardiovascular health.
Risk Reduction for Falls and Disease: Strengthening muscles and improving balance can reduce the risk of falls and injuries, while regular exercise also lowers the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.
Structure:
Frequency: Perform the workout routine twice a week to allow for adequate recovery and adaptation.
Warm-Up Routine: Begin each session with a comprehensive warm-up routine consisting of three exercises aimed at increasing heart rate, mobilizing joints, and engaging key muscle groups.
In every workout, perform an exercise variation from the squat family, lunge family, hinge family, press family, pull family, and a heavy carry.
Use a variety of repetitions and sets to prolong progress and provide new stimulus for improvement.
Utilize supersets and circuits when appropriate to incorporate additional mobility in your strength workouts and to speed things along while improving your conditioning.
Example workout:
This workout is designed to take 30-45 minutes to complete, assuming rest times between supersets of about 60-90 seconds.
Warmup
Perform a circuit of dead hangs totalling 60 seconds, 2 rounds of 10-15 repetitions of cat cow and 10-15 repetitions of bulgarian split squat without weight.
The Lifting
Superset 1: Goblet squat 3x8 & Chinups 3x5
Superset 2: Glute bridges 3xAMRAP BW & Half Kneeling KB Press 3x8
Superset 3: Bodyweight split squat 3xAMRAP & Suitcase Carry or March 3x60 seconds (or 60 metres)
Cooldown (optional)
20 minutes walk around the neighbourhood
Arms circuit for a pump
Repeat the warmup or modify to mobility/rehab that you may need to do
By following this structured plan, you can progressively enhance your strength, mobility, and overall fitness, reaping the numerous benefits for your physical and metabolic health while reducing the risk of injury and disease.
If this is something you are interested in learning more about or want to try out with some supervision and guidance, let us know. We love this kind of thing.