Why sets of 10 can build incredible HEALTH AND STRENGTH! (and power)
- And they do.

Well, as I progress into the second (1.5) day of my fast (complete fast as I said before, water and teas excluded – although I haven’t even had my favorite green tea, I’m on jasmine as of now) – I got this to say – my core – and abs – feel … man, stronger than ever.

Tensed when I’m not even trying to tense them, like I Could take ten boulders to the midsection and I’d be just fine!

Kinda like the story I’ve often mentioned about the guy on the Louhu border accidentally elbowing me one in the stomach, and his elbow – I felt this – bounced off me like it were a wall.

True story, friend, and at the time I was doing plenty of the “best darn exercise ever” (which is sure is!).

I haven’t done that today – as yet.

But I got this to say, what I’ve said before, a lot of you older guys write back (although old is relative, for this issue anything over 35 seems to be “old”) about how high rep workouts while doable tax the joints a lot more, you cannot recover well enough and so forth.

All valid issues from a certain standpoint, you dont need to do 500 of everything everyday for one.

That aside, when you DO workout, even if you are not overdoing it daily (or doing a certain number daily) – – you might feel (occasionally) that “high reps just aren’t cutting it”.

Not because they’re too easy – not because you’re too fatigued.

It’s a CNS thing I believe (central nervous system) – it sometimes “just dont feel right” if you get my drift.

And I have this to say, my friend.

Bodyweight exercises, even the simplest and so called easiest ones like the REGULAR pushup for one can build incredible strength and conditioning done for LOW reps – if you do ’em right!

And the way to do that is manifold, we’ll cover two ways here –

One, turn each exercise into an isometric by really contracting the muscles HARD!

(So, on a regular pushup, as I’ve often said in Pushup Central, CONTRACT the thighs! This is not something people think about a lot, but it bears mentioning, it gives you a different sort of “inner” workout – worked to the bone as it were).

(Super intense version NOT mentioned  (as yet) , contract the ABS and sides as well while doing it!)

On a regular pull-up, if you can do sets of 10 easily, SLOW the movement down, really feel the lats and pull down with the elbow on each rep.

This can be hard to do (this sort of focus) during super high rep workouts. (especially daily).

But if you lower the tempo SOME – some may say, well I’m taking breaks aren’t I (between reps)?

Not really.

I said lower the tempo during a SET.

Really contract the muscles during a SET.

You dont rest for long periods after that – but done this way, you might need to rest some anyway!

Trust me on this one.

When things get “mundane and boring” workout wise – I’ve always found, suggested, and recommended, the best thing is to get back to basics, and work on mastering them MORE.

No-one is ever a true master at anything, yours truly included, but you can get pretty damn close, and thats the sort of workout you want to have – day in, day out – and be productive, and build plenty of strength, power – along with conditioning – and the most important thing, mental focus, health and gumption in spades.

Ain’t that the whole point?

To me it is.

And while sets of 10 might sound “too low” for some, they’ll work you to the bone if you superset (without any rest) between exercises.

10 pushups, 30 second bear crawls, 10 (or however many) pull-ups, 50 squats – just a sample. 

x 5. 

Will SMOKE the average Joe, perhaps even the average Crossfitter into oblivion if done in proper form. I’m not a Crossfitter, but it still gives me a damn good workout, hehe, so it will for YOU if you do it RIGHT.

And thats that.

Key thing, numbers are great to shoot for ,I wont say dont do it.

But, work in low rep + high intensity into your workouts as well to build more muscle, for a change etc.

And thats that.

More such workouts in my products – well, all of ’em – what I gave you above is but a tiny sampling of the sort of workouts that readers have told me “I dont know how anyone can do them if you’re not at least part Gorilla!”.

And that is that.

Best

Rahul Mookerjee

PS – Workout thus far “on fast” – morning workout was a 100 pushups, a few stretches, and 25 pull-ups.

I’m just getting warmed up for the rest of it, including jump rope, now thats one I have not done in a while!!

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