I've been searching for a new lifting routine lately. Mostly, this is just for some variety but I'd like to increase my daily energy levels as well. I think it's natural to seek novelty in an activity like weight lifting. Certainly, the fitness magazines cater to this desire by serving up new routines and new content each month.
I am trying to come up with something original, or at least semi-original. Here are a few ideas that I am trying to combine in some way:
1) I am amazed at the high daily activity level of my toddler. I notice that any type of "weight lifting" performed is blended in with all other activity. Any lifting is brief and immediately transitions to other play.
2) Chris had a good find the other month with MovNat. It illustrates another way to focus on natural movements.
3) I continue to regard gym machines with skepticism. I feel that many machines exist only because they are profitable, not because they are very beneficial. Is any machine as effective as the deadlift? Not in my opinion.
4) When you look at people who are aging well, many natural bodybuilders fit the bill. For example, here's a video of a 71-year old natural bodybuilder. From what I can tell, many of these older bodybuilders tend to work out pretty frequently.
If you put all this together, you end up with a program that has a high level of activity, with lifting movements interspersed as almost a part of daily life. At this point, I feel reluctant to go the gym because I am trying to integrate lifting into my daily routine and not separate it out as a special activity. For example, last night I grabbed a barbell plate out of the garage and just "played" with it in the living room. A couple of days ago, I spontaneously went to the garage during the afternoon and did some deadlifts.
This is the direction I am trying to head right now. We'll see how it goes!
