Like most things in life, maintaining a healthy body is simple (not EASY!). Eat the right foods, move every day, and get enough sleep.
Here's how I train: my goals, the principles I follow, and my actual weekly plan. I lift in the mornings, train jiu jitsu three nights a week, and do cardio the other nights.
I'm not a doctor or a coach. This is just what works for me. If you have an injury or a medical condition, get checked out before you start a new plan.
My goals
- Solid overall fitness. Strong, fast, good gas tank.
- Move well and feel good. Mobile joints, no nagging pain.
The principles I follow
1. Stop 2–3 reps short of failure
I used to think the last rep had to be to failure every time. Now I stop most sets with about 2–3 good reps left in the tank. That's close enough to build strength and muscle without leaving me too beat up.
2. Technique is EVERYTHING
The weight is secondary. Never sacrifice technique for more weight.
3. Train movements, not just muscles
Compound lifts are the base: squat, hinge, push, pull, carry. Then I add targeted work like side raises, curls, external rotations and tib raises to keep my joints healthy and fill the gaps.
4. Trust the process
Show up, stick to the plan.
My week at a glance
| Day | Morning | Evening |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Heavy Up | BJJ |
| Tuesday | Light Low | Cardio |
| Wednesday | Light Up | BJJ |
| Thursday | Heavy Low | BJJ |
| Friday | Bodyweight, Other, or sleep in | Cardio |
Every morning starts with my mobility flow and ends with a 20-minute sauna.
Morning mobility flow
Before every workout I do a joint-by-joint flow on a grounding mat: wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, spine, hips, knees and ankles. Then deep squat work, camel pulse, shinbox, cossacks, pancake, scorpion and whatever else feels tight.
A few things I've learned:
- Spend time in a deep squat every day. Start with short 30–60 second chunks and build up. It should never hurt. Elevate your heels or hold onto something if you need to.
- Ankles first. If you don't have ankle range, you don't have a squat.
- Hang from a bar. A few minutes a day, spread out however you like. A 60-second two-arm hang is a great goal.
The four lifting days
I rotate heavy and light days and alternate upper and lower. On heavy days I use more weight and fewer reps (mostly 6–12). On light days I focus on control, range of motion and athletic stuff. Every workout finishes with core.
Heavy Up (Monday)
- Side Raise
- Press
- Incline Row
- Cable work
- Machine Bench
- Pull-ups
- Bodyweight Rows
- Curls
- Core: Serratus Knee Raise, Decline Leg Raise
Pull-ups are one of my favorite exercises, period. If I could only keep a few lifts, they'd make the cut.
Light Low (Tuesday)
- Cossack Squat
- ATG Split Squat
- Step Downs
- Nordic Ham Curls
- Tib Raise
- Walking Lunge
- Hip Circuit
- Core: Side Plank Raise, Russian Twists
This is my knee-bulletproofing day. I build tib raises up toward 20 reps and keep Nordics controlled, using assistance when I need it.
Light Up (Wednesday)
- Renegade Row
- Dynamic Hang
- Handstand
- Divebombers
- Back Extension
- External Rotate
- Trap-3
- Powell Raise
- Core: Landmine, Ab Coaster
This is my shoulder-health and calisthenics day. Lots of hanging, handstand practice and small rotator cuff work. It keeps my shoulders happy for BJJ that night.
Heavy Low (Thursday)
- Pit Shark Squat or Zercher Squat (pick one)
- Glute Bridge
- Deadlift
- Inner Thigh
- Outer Thigh
- Single-Leg Deadlift
- Core: Hollow Body Leg Raise with Ball, Ab Roller
Squats and deadlifts are the foundation of real-world strength. I keep a couple of reps in the tank on Thursdays so my legs are still fresh for BJJ that night.
Friday: Bodyweight or Other
Friday is flexible. I pick one of these, or I sleep in.
Bodyweight (jump day)
- Box Jumps
- Tuck Jumps
- Gorilla Hops
- Squat Walks
- Skaters
- Horse Stance Hold
- Whale Tails
- Handstand Hold
- Tae Kwon Do Kicks
- Leg Raises
- Window Wipers
This is where my calves get their work: explosive jumps and hops instead of calf raises. I keep the jumps crisp and stop before they get sloppy. The horse stance comes from martial arts and builds iron legs. Try to work up to longer and longer holds.
Other
- Overhead Squat
- Rope Hang/Pull
- Ring Dips
- Ring Row
- Dynamic Pigeon
- Slant J-Curl
- High Pull
- Clean Press
- Heel Taps
- TRX Knees to Chest
Rope work is huge for grip.
Evenings: BJJ and cardio
Jiu jitsu is Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. The other evenings are cardio. I pick from this menu:
- Treadmill Farmer Carry (my grip and carry work lives here)
- Sled
- Sprints
- Medium Run (30–60 min)
- Long Run (60–120 min)
- Percy Stairs
- Swim
- Heavy Bag
- Capitol Hill
- 4x4 Sprints
- 7-Minute Mile
- Burpee Broad Jump
How I balance it:
- Build a base. Most of my cardio is at a conversational pace, where I could talk in short sentences.
- One hard interval session a week. 4x4 is my favorite: 4 minutes hard, 3 minutes easy, 4 rounds.
- Sprint with intention. A few quality sprints with plenty of rest beats a bunch of sloppy ones.
- Keep it fun. I love mixing it up: running outside, swimming, boxing, basketball, rock climbing, tennis, racquetball. Outdoors whenever I can.
Recovery
- Sleep is the best recovery tool there is.
- Sauna, 20 minutes after my morning workout.
- Cold plunge. I love the cold for building WILL POWER. I'll keep it at least 6 hours after lifting so it doesn't blunt my gains. Cold in the morning before lifting, on rest days, or after BJJ. Two to three minutes is plenty.
- Percussion massager, mobility and short naps (15 minutes max).
How I progress without tracking
I don't log my lifts. Instead:
- When a set feels easy (more than 3 reps left in the tank), I add a rep or a little weight next time.
- When the last rep is a grind, I went too hard.
Calisthenics goals
Bodyweight training builds great functional muscle. These are the skills I'm chasing: muscle-ups, L-sit hangs, dips, handstands and pistol squats.
Throwback: the 300 Workout
This one is a great test when I want to suffer:
- 25 Pull-Ups (legit pull-ups, no kipping)
- 50 Deadlifts (135 lbs)
- 50 Push-Ups
- 50 Box Jumps (24" box)
- 50 Floor Wipers (135 lbs)
- 50 Single-Arm Clean & Press (35 lbs), 50 each arm!
- 25 Pull-Ups
My PR is 26:12. I don't do it often anymore since I care more about quality reps now, but it's a fun benchmark.
Trust the process
Simple, not easy. Show up and train smart. Results are inevitable if you stay committed. Consistency trumps everything.