Simple and straightforward exercise, Pavel and Hulse style

A couple things I’ve mentioned recently: Pavel’s approach of 3-5 exercises, 3-5 sets, 3-5 reps and Elliot Hulse’s YouTube where he says that you can develop a kick ass body with just four exercises (the front squat, deadlift, chin, and dip).

So that has been my focus. It’s simple. It’s not that difficult. And it’s getting results. Just four exercises two days per week, 3-5 sets and 3-5 reps. Nearly always 5 reps, and I build from 3 sets to 5 sets over the course of weeks.

Here is the sequence I use:

  1. Deadlift
  2. Dip
  3. Squat
  4. Chin

I do it in a circuit. No rest between exercises. Then I rest between circuits, walking around my basement. By the fourth and fifth sets you really start to feel it.

I’ve gained about three pounds doing this over the last three months and feel stronger all over. I really like the dip and chin combination. Man, it’s great. That really makes the upper body feel strong, especially when you add weight.

I used to do this same workout two times a week. Now I’ve been doing this workout and this other one:

  1. Swing
  2. Military Press
  3. Pistol
  4. Pull up

It’s the same movement but different exercises. But this isn’t doing much for my rotational strength. One exercise I have been thinking about a lot is the tbar row (without a tbar, where you just do an Olympic bar and shove it into a corner). I miss that one. Brings back good memories of exercising in my parent’s basement. My gym there was smaller but I had a really cool pull up bar and two heavy bags, 50 and 80 pounds. Good times.

And that would get some rotation in.