5-Minute Fitness: Introduction
This is a lifestyle change. There is no such thing as starting too basic.
- Christian Griffith, Founder
Foundations
During the first week, we will lay the groundwork through foundations. In these workouts, we assess our current standing in terms of basic movement standards. We will revisit these movements in 30 and 90 days for testing.
Benchmarks are specific workouts that we will also revisit. Benchmark tests may include multiple movements in a workout, or test a particular weighted skill. (Example: completing 100 reps of a kettlebell snatch in 5:00)
Levels
Level 1: These are people coming straight off the couch and/or who do little to no strength training of any kind. They might be walkers or even runners, but do not add or prioritize strength increases in their daily movement.
Level 2: These are people who are the typical yo-yo gym, fitness program, fad-follower person. No shame in that game; we have all been there. They try something for a while, but it never sticks. This affords them a decent level of knowledge and maybe even movement execution, but they have never stuck with it long enough to see much long-term growth or gain.
Level 3: These are people who might train in a gym, or some other way, but without any real schedule or intention, and most likely when it is convenient for them. They know some or most of the basic compound movements, and maybe have had trainers in the past. The problem is they don’t know what they want, are not sure how to get it, and fitness for them feels more confusing every time they try …or open Instagram :)
If you don’t meet any of these criteria and believe you are significantly better than this type of training, then do level 3 religiously, every day, even perhaps as your warm-up for your longer, more complicated stuff, and consider it more as technique training. For you beasts, this 5-Minute Fitness approach will serve as forced supplemental foundational training to help prevent injury in your other athletic endeavors, as it’s all about making everyday movement better.
Don’t know where you fall in the levels? Start at Level 1. This is a lifestyle change, so there is no such thing as starting too basic.
Time Domains
Time domains refer to the timing of both movement execution and rest. We will participate in mostly EMOMs, but sometimes, AMRAPS. Occasionally, we will test ourselves with benchmark tests to gauge improvement.
EMOM
EMOM stands for "Every Minute On the Minute." In this style of workout, you perform a specific exercise or set of exercises at the beginning of each minute for a set period. Once you complete the prescribed repetitions, you rest for the remainder of that minute. For example, an EMOM workout might require you to perform 10 kettlebell swings at the top of every minute for 10 minutes. If it takes you 20 seconds to complete the swings, you get 40 seconds of rest before the next minute begins. This format is excellent for developing consistent pacing and managing fatigue, as the work-to-rest ratio is built directly into the structure. The goal is to complete the work with good form and then maximize recovery before the next interval starts.
AMRAP
AMRAP is an acronym for "As Many Rounds (or Reps) As Possible." This type of workout challenges you to complete as many repetitions or rounds of a specific circuit of exercises as you can within a predetermined amount of time. For instance, a 15-minute AMRAP might consist of a circuit of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air squats. You would continuously cycle through these exercises, keeping track of the total number of rounds and any additional reps completed before the 15 minutes are up. AMRAP workouts are a great way to build muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness, as they push you to maintain a high level of intensity with minimal rest. The objective is to maximize your work output in the given timeframe.
Equipment
First and foremost, equipment is not mandatory to participate in this program. Just work. Tremendous gains from this program can come without any additional load beyond your bodyweight.
That being said, strength increases can come more quickly with added load when appropriately managed. We are human beings, remember, so checking the ego is mandatory when adding load. If you have a problem managing ego (like me), are male, and/or get injured a lot, be very careful when choosing to add load.
Looking for equipment, but not sure what to get? Ask below in the comments so everyone can benefit from my answer.
How to Warm up
This is easy - we don’t. At least, not for everyday training.
If you want to warm up before benchmark or foundation tests, that’s fine and even makes sense, but for everyday training, you won't need to. If it’s a strength day, we might use the first few minutes to build up to the training weight, but there is no set warm-up.
Why? Two reasons: the first is that in real life, if we need to react, we do not have the luxury of a pre-reaction warm-up. The second reason is that people can get lost in the warm-up, taking too much time, over-doing a stretch, or even injuring themselves because during these warm-ups, people tend to chit-chat or be loosey-goosy with their attention to form.
All that being said, I am not going to die on that hill. If you feel you have to warm up, by all means, but understand you are now probably doing 10-Minute Fitness :)