When you were growing up, you heard adults telling stories about how they wished that they were this or that age again, and how great it was back in the day. Well, after being in the fitness coaching business for 7 years now, and having seen and used almost every piece of equipment in environments ranging from my parents shop back on the farm to the most pristine commercial facility, I, too, have had a longing to return back to simpler times.
Those simpler times for me are back in 1992 in a small, non-air-conditioned room on the campus of Dakota Wesleyan University. It was the place where I first cut my teeth learning about strength and conditioning. We were all learning what to do and what not to do, but to be perfectly honest, we did not have a clue. Nonetheless, we got pretty impressive results for a bunch of "know-nothings". Since that time, much has changed; however, even more has stayed the same.
And that is exactly how I came full circle to the development of the Super Six concept. The exercises that I have described over the last six months are absolutely nothing new. They were around well before I wrote about them and they will be around long after I am gone. One thing still rings true, however. Whether you are training in a dingy university weight-room or the most beautiful commercial facility, these six exercises WORK.
Just in case some of you have forgotten what the Super Six are, or if you are a new reader and have never heard me refer to such a thing, the Super Six exercises are six core/foundational exercises that should be implemented in some way, shape, or form into 99.9% of training programs. The Super Six consists of the following exercises:
Deadlift
Squat
Bench press
Pull-ups
Rowing
Over-head press Who Should use the Super Six Exercises?
In a word, EVERYONE. There may be some individuals out there who have severe orthopedic conditions or other medical contraindications that prevent them from performing the movements, but if you are a generally healthy human being, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform these exercises, or at least the progressions for these exercises.
These six exercises have many distinguishing properties; however, the one that stands out above all others is that they actually require learning a skill/technique. This characteristic may not be all that desirable to some in this "quick fix, instant gratification" society, but it is this trait that allows these exercises to stand head and shoulders above all others.
Additionally, all six exercises fall into the category of multi-joint exercises and require high levels of inter/intra-muscular coordination. As a result, the quality of the exercise is dramatically increased which optimizes the opportunity to become stronger, more athletic, or leaner. Basically, these six exercises can be adapted to achieve almost any goal because they produce highly usable strength which can be applied to specific athletic events as well as the activities of daily living.
Copyright (c) 2008 Anderson Training Systems
- Strength
- Fat Loss
- Hypertrophy (muscle gain)
- Athletic Performance
- Stability and Endurance
Another adaptive property of the Super Six is that they can be performed virtually any place, any time, and with any type of or even no equipment. Below is a list of just a few of the training environments in which the Super Six can be used:
- Barbells training
- Dumbbells training
- Stability training
- Bodyweight training
- Cables/Tubing training As you can see from just these few examples, there are a multitude of goals and methods which can utilize the Super Six exercises. So many, in fact, that you should never experience any training boredom.
What is so Super about the Super Six
- Once you have learned the technique for each of the six exercises, you will have established a great foundation with which you can develop and apply any program to meet your specific goals.
- Ask anyone who has been successful at increasing athletic performance, improving overall fitness, or has lost significant amounts of body fat what exercises he/she used and I would bet money that he/she will name at least a couple of the exercises from the Super Six.
- You get the most "bang for your training buck" with Super Six exercises. As a result of being multi-joint movements that require the use of numerous different muscles, they are also very time-efficient exercises. Therefore, if you are in a pinch for time, always perform your Super Six exercise(s)first and then move on to the other movements you have scheduled.
- They apply directly to daily activities. Whether it is carrying boxes of files, lifting carry-on bags into overhead bins, walking your pet, or playing with your children/grandchildren, these six exercises will prepare you for the moment when you need to perform.
A Simple Super Six Plan:
Here's a very simple way to start applying the Super Six exercises immediately. This plan is based on three workouts per week. All you need to do is select and perform one #1 exercise, one #2 exercise, and one #3 exercise.
Give yourself at least a day's rest in between training days. If you are training on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, your program would look like the example below.
Exercise Selection:
1. Deadlift or Squat
2. Bench Press or Overhead Press
3. Rowing or Pull-up
Exercise Program Example:
Monday ' Deadlift
Wednesday- Bench Press
Friday ' Rowing
If this is all that you have time for, that is fine. You will still be able to achieve some pretty amazing results; however, if you want to fill in with some auxiliary exercises that is also fine.
Each cycle of three Super Six exercises should be performed for 3-6 weeks and then you should switch to the other three exercises. As far as sets and reps are concerned, I am going to leave that up to you. However, if you are just learning the movements, I would recommend that you keep the resistance pretty light and the repetitions pretty high to allow yourself some time to learn the technique.
Once you have become proficient with your technique, you can advance accordingly. If you are already more advanced, you may want to play around with some different protocols. It is totally up to you and what your goals may be. The variations are endless. My number one goal for developing the Super Six concept was to have a set of movements that were foundational to many other movements and for those movements to be applicable not only to athletic performance but also to everyday life.
Hopefully, it is now evident that not only can the Super Six exercises be adapted to any goal, training protocol, and training environment, but they can also be incorporated into the busiest lives and produce astonishing results with very little training time.
Troy Anderson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Fitness Program and Marketing. Troy M. Anderson is the owner of Anderson Training Systems, LLC, a fitness coaching business based in Tempe, Arizona. Troy is often referred to as "the MacGyver of coaching" for his unique ability to build effective fitness programs using only the most ba. Troy Anderson's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.