In partnership with

Issue #59

1) 5 tips to start training at home safely.
2) Form first, weights later.
3) Did you hit a plateau? Try these first.
4) Exercise of the week: Scapula Pulls on Rings.

Read time: 3.9 minutes

People often say their product or system is the result of their many years of experience to sound different from the crowd.

What’s funny is that I ended up with a special training method by never trying to do things different.

I never wanted to reinvent the wheel. My plan when I switched to bodyweight strength 10 years ago was to learn from powerlifting and gymnastics.
Two of the disciplines that seemed to make the most sense for my goals.

I simply applied what I learnt, and during the first 5 years it slowly evolved into a system that worked best for me. And although I am still learning, it hasn’t really changed since then.

1/3 strength, 3 sets of 5 reps, long rest times (powerlifting).
2/3 strength endurance, 3 sets of 15 reps, medium rest times (gymnastics).
Fewer exercises (powerlifting).
Progress slowly, master each step before leveling up (gymnastics).

There’s a bit more to it, but 90% of my training is as simple as that.

It might not work for everyone, but if you’re past 30 and want to learn how to build tremendous strength and mobility safely, my method might be your best bet.

So let’s begin today’s class!💪

Ask The Coach

If you need help or have a question about your training, please do not hesitate to use this message box.
I will reply personally, and will create more adapted content thanks to you.
The better I understand your challenges, the better this class gets! 🤜🤛

1. 5 tips to start training at home safely.

Training at home is great because no one is watching you…

But no one is watching you! So here’s a list of common mistakes to avoid when working out at home:

1) Make sure you have a mirror and always check your form, it’s one of the most important things to keep in mind, not only for safety but for gains too.

2) Always warm up and cool down. Even if it’s something you usually do in the gym, you’ll find that it’s very tempting to skip those parts when you train at home. There are just too many distractions.

3) Take rest days! Not everyone has this problem but I know many of you have a hard time taking rest and it’s even harder when you just got a home gym and are super excited to use it.

4) Train the whole body and don’t always do the same thing. Don’t get too comfortable, that’s not the point of working out at home, you must train as seriously as in your regular gym.

5) Stay safe by never lifting heavy when you’re alone. That’s a very important rule and it’s the last one on the list because if you only remember one, let it be this one.

✍️ What challenges do you face with your home workouts? Let me know.

2. Form first, weights later.

If you just started training or have been inactive for a long time, don’t add weight too early.

You should first make sure you have perfect form, and do a lot of bodyweight and other functional exercises.

Why? Because if your primary muscles get bigger and stronger but your secondary muscles can’t keep up, you’ll eventually have to go back to beginner exercises if you want to keep progressing.

And believe me, doing basic drills when you can already lift pretty heavy is much more boring, more frustrating, and requires much more patience than taking your time in the first place.

Not to mention skipping the basics is the fastest way to injury.

Being a beginner is great, you learn a lot, it’s interesting, it’s fun.
Embrace it, take your time, and good things will come.

3. Did you hit a plateau? Try these first.

One of the most frustrating parts of a fitness journey is hitting a plateau.

There are few things more demoralizing than working hard and not seeing any progress.

Pushing harder is not the solution.
Plateaus are real and you can’t keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.

What you need is variety, and you may already know this but how do you add variety in your training if you work out at home and have limited equipment?

Here are 3 things you can do to switch up your routine:

1)  Do your reps with a slower tempo.
2)  Increase volume (sets and reps), even if you have to lower the weight a bit.
3)  Try negatives: perform only the eccentric phase of an exercise with a heavier weight than usual.

Now if all of the above fail, consider taking a full rest week.
People are often scared to do this, when it’s exactly what their body needs to restart and progress again.

4. Exercise of the week: Scapula Pulls on Rings.

Protraction and retraction are 2 of the 4 main shoulder movements, which are an essential foundation of bodyweight strength.

Scapula pulls in a horizontal position force you to protract and retract your shoulder blades, while adding your own weight as resistance.

It also requires you to engage your core in order to stay straight, which trains your brain to brace your abs while performing a strength movement.

It may surprise you but doing this exercise on rings is not necessarily a progression.
On the contrary, it is often a better starting point for beginners.

The rings allow you to find the most natural angle for your joints, and start practicing without any discomfort.

A straight bar actually adds a constraint.
Eventually, you’ll need to train on it too because you’ll often have to pull yourself from a bar, or pull an object with fixed handles.
But if you don’t have great shoulder flexibility yet, it should be introduced later.

This variation on rings is an excellent way for you to start developing shoulder strength and mobility as a beginner.

Click this link for the full YouTube video and instructions.

You’re Doing Breakfast Wrong

Discover Huel Black Edition—complete nutrition without compromise.

With 40g of protein and 27 essential vitamins, it’s the perfect meal for your busy life. Whether at home or on the go, fuel up in seconds with a high-protein meal.

Even better? New customers get a bundle of savings to kickstart their Huel journey. Use code BEHUEL15 for 15% off your first order, plus a FREE t-shirt and shaker.

Get 15% Off Now

I hope you found some useful tips and motivation in today's edition.

Please share your feedback and help me improve my content for everyone!

A great way to do this is by sending me a message with a personal question you have about training.

Thanks for reading and see you next week!

- Nico

Share with friends, get prizes!

*Support my sponsors*

Novaxidil Triple Action Hair Regrowth Treatment

Novaxidil is a premium OTC Triple Action hair loss treatment that stimulates hair regrowth, prevents further loss, AND nourishes your scalp with a combination of clinically proven ingredients: 5% Minoxidil, 2% K-Conazole, 1% Nicotinamide, Vitamin K, Biotin, and Collagen Peptides.

Our team of MD/PhD's formulated Novaxidil to maximize results while minimizing side effects. In recent studies, K-Conazole was even shown to have a higher absorption rate AND block DHT more effectively than Finasteride.

Before you give up, and start rocking the "bald look," give Novaxidil a try. We're confident you won't regret it.

Learn More

Are you too young to think about how you’re aging? Probably not.

Starting in our 30s, some key cellular processes begin to slow down, making us feel tired and weak over time. But, a group of scientists spent 15 years developing a way to combat this decline. Meet Mitopure®, by Timeline, a clinically proven way to increase cellular energy, giving our bodies the energy they need to function optimally. The results? Double-digit increases in muscle strength and endurance without any change in exercise.

Try Mitopure today with 30% off with code NEWSLETTER30 for a limited time, while supplies last.