Vix Satis
Minimal, Powerful Strength for Staying Ahead in the Game of Life.
In Latin, “vix satis” translates to “only just enough,” or “scarcely enough,” combining vix (hardly, barely) and satis (enough, sufficient) to convey a sense of barely meeting a requirement or standard.
With a busy life, but sometimes daring challenges, here is a program to keep you strong, mobile and not take a massive chunk of time. It’s not that training takes a back seat, but it needs to be penciled in. It’s like anything else. Brushing your teeth, paying the bills, setting the alarm,… it has to be a habit and a sleek one, devoid of fluff and stripped of the unessential. The biggest BANG per buck. It must fill your needs but not come up short. That’s why it’s Vix Satis. “Only Just Enough.”
Exercise selection is based on a real man’s life. Either married or single with a full time job, hobbies and social life. Not some guy sleeping on Mom’s couch, living on whey protein, Red Bull and chicken breasts while he argues with guys on Reddit.
We all know the categories. Push, Pull, Squat, Hinge. Let’s not argue about rotation with magic wands or doing a Chubby Checker impression with rubber bands. Muscle density, strength and resistance to injury is built through basics, not Instagram influencers doing the tango.
There will be two strength workouts. Brief, brutal and basic. I’ll list a few exercises in each category. This helps to fit preferences, limb length, injuries and available equipment.
Squatting. You can do a Back Squat, Goblet Squat, Sandbag Squat, Zercher Squat or Front Squat. Instead of the usual 5 reps, we will bump it up to 8–10 reps. A slight slide toward hypertrophy and a reduction of load which assumes you have a busy schedule and perhaps irregular sleep.
Deadlifting. Robert Oberst, a noted strongman said on Joe Rogan’s show that the deadlift is not worth the risk unless you have to do it in competition. I agree, based on training for a one rep max. We can modify things with Romanian Deadlifts, Trap Bar Deadlifts, Sumo’s and even Zercher’s done for higher reps. You are focusing on strengthening and increasing the size of the posterior chain and not going balls to the wall for singles. Keeping the weight lower and reps higher provides a safer training experience. Stick to the same 8–10 reps.
Dips. Parallel Bar Dips have been called the Cadillac of Upper Body Exercises. I’m recommending more volume for Dips and the Chin Ups to follow. Use the repetition formula from the Fighter’s Pull Up Program. It works for dips too. That program has more frequency, but it will work well under this methodology.
Chin Ups. Yes, you didn’t misread that. I’m recommending Chin Ups with the Palm supinated. This puts you in a stronger position for the weakest link, which is the biceps. As stated above, use the repetition formula from the Fighter’s Pull Up Program.
The Workout-
Workout A- Squat, after your personal style warm up will be 3 sets of 8 reps. Safety should always be part of this. Push yourself close to failure, but by all means, be able to re rack the weight. Squatting to a box is a good method for outcome and safety. Rest several minutes between sets. We are building strength, not doing a Booty Boxing class.
Workout A- Chin Up. Do the reps. Not fast and use a full range of motion. Do not mimic celebrity politicians, “as seen on TV” when you do them. If you can’t do ONE repetition, purchase a “band assist” tool that allows you do step onto a resistance band to lighten the load. Another strategy is to lose the fat apron around your waist. That will help your heart too.
Workout A- Kettlebell Snatch. This is very simple. They will be performed every minute on the minute. Do five snatches with your left arm. Rest for the remainder of the minute. Then do five with the right arm. Repeat. Slowly add either more snatches per minute, or longer duration. Start with 6 minutes and the sky’s the limit. Usually 10 to 20 minutes.
Workout B- Deadlift. Choose the style of lift that most closely fits your body and attributes. If you are not a powerlifter, the style and repetition protocol should prevent injury, not cause it. 3 sets of 8 reps is fine. This repetition range allows for stimulation without annihilation. Grip should not be an issue, but straps are a tool if it is. Use a double overhand grip please.
Workout B- Dips. Use the same protocol as the Chin Ups. If shoulder injuries from Bench Pressing, (what else?) hampers dips, use some sort of dumbbell supine press. Incline, Decline or Floor. If you lack the equipment, do push ups, eventually with a weight vest. The repetition protocol is from The Fighter’s Pull Up Program.
Workout B- Kettlebell Clean and Reverse Lunge. This is a compound motion, done every minute on the minute. Clean the ‘bell to rack and step back to a reverse lunge with the same side leg. Rest for the remainder of the minute. Then repeat with the other side. This can be continued for 10 to 20 minutes, but start with 6. You want to develop skill.
Adding aerobics will round this out. Unless you are a seasoned runner, I’d highly suggest lower risk methods such as rowing or biking. All of the cardiovascular benefits and less risk. Two sessions of 20 or more minutes are good. Here is a little trick. Warm up with a skip rope. One minute on, one minute off. This installs a power type movement as a warm up. As we age, the ability to explode diminishes more quickly than muscular size or strength. This little dose can certainly help.
Setting up your week goes like this-
Monday, Workout A
Tuesday, 20 Minutes of Aerobics.
Wednesday, Off.
Thursday, Workout B
Friday, 20 Minutes of Aerobics.
Saturday. Sportive. Ruck, Racquetball, Tennis, etc. A “stop-start” activity to add to the weekly total.
Sunday, Off.
In addition some simple rules-
7–8 Hours of Sleep
7000 or more steps per day.
A balanced, lower calorie diet of a wide variety of foods. Focus less on fads and internet memes and more on ample lean protein, fresh vegetables & fruits, whole grains and fats from marine sources and monounsaturates.
Weigh yourself every Monday and measure your waist. Write it down. If these numbers are going up, then you are eating too much. It’s not a mistake. You are eating too much.
If you have questions or need guidance, I offer one hour fitness consultations and 3 & 6 month Online Coaching Programs. I am currently looking for 5 men who are over 40 and want to return to their youthful fitness levels. If this sounds like you, contact me at Physicalstrategies@Gmail.com
Tom Furman has been involved in martial arts and conditioning since 1972. With an early background in wrestling and a student of the methods of the York Barbell Club, Tom immediately separated fact from fiction growing up outside Pittsburgh. Eleven members of his family were combat veterans, the most famous one being “Uncle Charlie” (Charles Bronson) His down to earth training methods are derived from his decades long practice of martial arts and his study of exercise science. The application of force, improvement of movement and durability rank high on his list of priorities when training. He gives credit to hundreds of hours of seminars, training sessions, and ‘backyard’ workouts, including training time with many martial arts legends. He also credits his incredibly gifted training partners who came from varied backgrounds such as Exercise Physiologists, Airborne Rangers, Bounty Hunters, Boxing Trainers and Coast Guard Rescue Divers. Tom spent thirty years in the entertainment business and is currently a Fitness Consultant and Writer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His ebooks are available here.
Strong framework here. The emphasis on 8-10 rep ranges for squats and deads instead of grinding singles makes sense for longevity, especially with the irregular sleep factor built in. I trained with someone who followed a similar protocol and the injury rate dropped significantly compared to when they were chasing PRs every week. The EMOM structrure for kettlebell work is clever for maintaining power output whithout fading toward the end.