The Only 4 Exercises You Need

K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple Stupid.

– U.S. Navy/Marine Corps

If you’re confused about which exercises to include in your routine, you’re over-thinking it.

Keep training simple (not easy), especially if you’re pressed for time or your workout locations are not optimal.

Do these four exercises:

Run: Not everyone likes this one, but there’s no way around it; running is top dog when seeking stellar fitness. If you can’t run, walk, but make it a workout. Sorry, but a leisurely stroll is not fitness (though it is quite fun!). During Winter, I try to do 3-miles, three times a week.

Pushups: The best strength exercise you can do! Pushups are a full body strengthener; they hit your arms, shoulders, back, and core. You can knock them out inclined, straight-armed, wide-arm, etc. – so many variations. But do them correctly; none of that ass-in-the-air or humping-the-ground shit. There’s a million videos on YouTube showing how to do them. I’ll post a tutorial video on my channel (Not As I Did) soon as well. Start where you are and work your way up to 50 a day!

Situps: Situps are a solid core exercise and they are still used by the U.S. Military. Situps are simple, effective, and just like pushups, all you need is the ground on which to do them. Do 50 a day!

Pullups: A lot of people dislike pullups and for good reason – it’s a hard exercise! Pullups are an effective exercise to build power and upper-body strength, and they build grip strength, which is super-important. Not everyone can do a pullup. If you can’t, find a gym that has the counter-balance pullup machine; it’ll help. Some of you may be too fat, in which case, you’ve got work to do. Biggest thing about pullups – you need something to pull yourself up on, like a pullup bar, or a tree branch, so plan accordingly. I try to knock out between 75 - 100 pullups a week.

That’s it, folks. You don’t need anything elaborate or fancy, just a road or treadmill, a floor, and a tree branch/pullup bar. Trust me, if you execute these correctly, you’ll get shredded. Get ahold of me if you need help.

Your effort, your choice, your life!

David Odle is a trainer, fitness enthusiast, and author. He spent seven years in the military, primarily in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is a Spartan Race competitor, an avid fitness fan, and a 5k enthusiast. David's mission is to help people transform into better versions of themselves by tapping into their dormant capability. If you’d like to reach out to David, you can find him at www.davidodle.com.