Nowadays, there is a massive amount of information available about fitness.

Some of it is good.

But most of it is bullsh*t.

Especially the exercises and workout plans.

There are millions and millions of different exercises available to choose from and also thousands of workout plans to choose from.

After working out for 14 years and experimenting with all kinds of different exercises and different workout plans, I have developed a workout plan which I have stuck with for over 3 years, and I’m still gaining muscle.

The workout plan is called The Fundamentals Workout Plan.

You probably have already guessed it.

This workout plan ONLY consists of the fundamental exercises.

No gimmicky Instagram exercises that will look good on camera.

Before we delve into the workout plan, it is important to know the “Why” behind this workout plan.

Why the fundamentals?

There are quite a few reasons why you should only focus on the fundamentals.

It doesn’t matter if you are just starting out or have been working out for a long time.

Here are the reasons:

1. Professionals are people who have mastered the basics/fundamentals.
2. The Pareto Principle.
3. Easy to fix bad form.

Professionals are people who have mastered the basics/fundamentals.

Professionals in any skill are not the people who have some unique method or have mastered some arbitrary technique.

They are often the people who have mastered the basics or the fundamentals of that particular skill.

In my personal life, I have mastered two skills. These two skills are also the opposite of each other.

I have mastered coding and fitness.

And I can tell you with 100% confidence that the fundamentals of both of these skills are the most important to learn and to master.

Often, the lesser-known or unique techniques are derived from the fundamentals of a skill.

The Pareto Principle

This reason is closely related to the previous reason and that is the Pareto Principle. The Pareto Principle states that 20% of the input or effort produces 80% of the desired outcome.

I can vouch for you that it is probably more than 80% and that the input is less than 20%.

With coding, about 10% of the syntaxes available can produce 90% of the projects you want to build.

With fitness, about 10% of the exercises are responsible for 90% of the physique you want.

The 10% of both of these skills are the fundamentals or the basics of both skills.

Easy to Fix Bad Form

The last, but certainly not the least important reason, is that it is easy to fix your bad form.

With coding, if you are using a programming language that no one uses, the chances of finding a solution for your bug online are pretty slim.

If you are using a more popular programming language, the chances are much higher that you can fix any potential bug you encounter.

In the context of fitness, it is easier to fix your bad form if you are doing a popular exercise, also known as a fundamental exercise.

The reason for this is that there are a lot of videos available for form correction on exercises like the bench press.

Besides online content, the chances that someone else in your gym is doing a basic or fundamental exercise and knows the correct form are much higher.

You could easily ask someone at the gym to assist you in correcting your form when you are doing fundamental exercises.

Fundamentals of working out

Before we dive into the workout plan, here are some fundamentals that are important for every workout.

Form First

If you are not feeling the muscle you intend to train for a particular exercise, the chance is very high that you are performing the exercise incorrectly.

You don’t want to train with bad form. Not only will it be harder to unlearn the habit of bad form, but you will also have a higher chance of injury.

Here are some tips if you think your form is incorrect:

• Grab lighter weights.
• Film yourself and compare footage.
• Ask for assistance.

10 to 20 Sets Per Week

Depending on the time you have available, you should adjust the number of sets you are going to do for a particular muscle group.

Muscle groups include back, chest, shoulders, and legs.

Arms require just a few sets (2-3) because you will indirectly train biceps or triceps when training back or chest.

The workout plan is not set in stone; you could reduce or increase the number of sets.

But if you want greater results, you should obviously do more sets. Don’t overthink it.

At Least 7 Reps Per Set

Don’t do fewer than 7 reps.

Unless your goal is to be a powerlifter, you should not do fewer than 7 reps.

Muscle is built not by the number of reps you do, but by the time your muscle is under tension.

The time under tension for 1 rep is at max 4 seconds.

Train to Near Failure

Don’t count the reps,

Make the reps count.

At least 7 reps, but the 7 reps should be done with adequate effort. So you should grab weights that are challenging for the rep range you are aiming for.

Let’s say you are doing 7 reps. By rep 5 or 6, you should be pushing your hardest to grind out the last rep.

So aim for 1 or 2 reps until failure.

Listen to Your Body

If you feel like the muscle cannot handle any more sets,

Stop the workout.

If you feel like the muscle can handle more sets,

Do more sets.

Fundamental workout plan

Below, you can find a snippet of the free PDF available to subscribers of my newsletter.

This PDF includes three different levels of workouts:

• Beginner
• Intermediate
• Advanced

The exercises remain the same across all levels; however, the advanced level includes more sets to provide a greater challenge.

If you are interested in accessing the full PDF, sign up for my newsletter and get it for free!

Copy-of-Black-and-Green-Workout-Planner

Conclusion

Thank you for taking the time to read through this article. I hope you found the information valuable and that it helps you on your fitness journey. Remember, focusing on the fundamentals can lead to substantial and sustainable progress. If you have any questions or need further guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Stay committed, keep pushing yourself, and until next time, happy training!