Pairing Exercises for Time

 #38 9/19/2025


Greatness, on the other hand, requires liberty and the drive to make the most of yourself. - Charlie Kirk


Fit Tip: Pairing Exercises to Save Time

One key element of resistance training is the rest period in between sets. This rest period often feels awkward to people coming from a different sport or who feel unproductive when pacing around while recovering. It is crucial to take this 1-2 minute rest period before moving on to the next set because that allows you to perform that second or third set with a degree of power that is actually beneficial to building muscle. With no recovery between sets, you have turned it into cardio and will not see as much strength and muscle gain.

I do have one loophole for those trying to save a little time. You can strategically pair exercises that have no conflicting muscle groups. This can more easily be done in a full body type of workout, but also works in upper/lower body splits. For example: you can pair your close grip bench press with some pullups or a lat pulldown. Right after you finish your first working set of the bench press, you take a second to regain composure and walk over to complete your first set of the lat pulldown with almost no break in between. While you are working all the pulling muscles of your upper body during the lat pulldown, your pushing muscles from the bench press can recover. After a short rest from the lat pulldown you can return to set number two of the close grip bench press. Be careful not to rush this too much; you shouldn't be huffing and puffing like you just sprinted 800 meters. Also be careful not to label something like the deadlift as a leg exercise and pair it with some rows. The deadlift basically works the whole posterior chain and should probably be left alone and not paired with anything else but some light mobility work in between. 


September Challenge: Bodyweight Exercise

Time to put the work in, no more excuses. This month we are picking a bodyweight exercise to perform daily. This is the most accessible way to get into strength training. Choose a reasonable number of reps to do each day; something that won't obliterate your muscles, but will still stimulate them a bit. 

This week let's try some lunges. You can do walking lunges or a step-back lunge. Challenge yourself to get pretty deep in the lunge position. Well-performed resistance training doubles as your mobility training, and the lunge is a great example. 

Win the weekend!


Brad


Durable Dad Training

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cereal is Dessert, Change My Mind

 #24 "What a blessing it is to be tired in the pursuit of a challenge of your own choosing" Fit Tip: There is No Specific Exercise You NEED Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned lifter, there is no one exercise that you MUST include. There are certainly exercises that are fantastic and may provide a lot more benefit than other moves. If these are intimidating and keeping you from lifting weights at all, then relax and forget about them. I also bring this up as a popular social media tactic is to post a short video with this kind of message: "The ONE exercise you need to be doing!" These kind of taglines can make you feel like you are far from optimal and maybe even wasting your time training. Remember, they are just fishing for clicks . If you simply have goals of getting stronger and healthier (aesthetics naturally follow) then no one specific exercise is going to keep you from that. Do what you are comfortable with for a while and progress to other moves as you...
Read more

Help Your Children Breathe Better

  Breathing Training for Children Prevent Your Child from Extra Illness and Future Dental and Airway Issues   Proper breathing and oral posture: All breathing, day and night, child or adult, should be done through the nose. Obviously we use our mouths to breathe often while speaking or singing, but even most mild to moderate exercise can performed while breathing through the nose. While the mouth is closed, the teeth should be in light contact and the tongue resting on the roof of the mouth. Normal breathing should not be seen or heard, and should involve a closed mouth. And the  Lord  God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his  nostrils  the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7   Corrective Exercises Meaningful Chewing: Reserve a few minutes at least one meal a day to focus on chewing. Chew a minimum of 15-20 chews or until food liquefies. Chew with lips together and close the jaw and pause 2 secon...
Read more

If You Build It...

  2/7/2025 Issue #6 If You Build It…             Fit Tip: How to Build a Great Home Gym .       If you are considering building or expanding your home gym, I am here to offer some advice. The first thing you are probably considering is what space in your home you will use; then how much money to spend and what equipment is worth it.  I will start by pointing out that your “home gym” might begin as nothing more than a few open square feet dedicated to establishing a workout routine. Establishing the routine is the most important part , because $1,000 worth of equipment does not guarantee you will actually use it. If you have a chunk of money that you are ready to blow on an epic gym, that’s awesome, but I am going to split this up as if you are beginning your workout journey and slowly building your gym.  Get a mat or some dense foam puzzle pieces to establish a workout area and give some ...
Read more