“5/20/5” Rep Scheme – 30 Minute Strength Circuit


 

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“5/20/5” Rep Scheme – 30 Minute Strength Circuit
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The “5/20/5” rep scheme is an approach that I‘ve really enjoyed for my quick 30 minute density circuit workouts. I truly believe that you can get very fit in only 30 minutes per day if you really WORK HARD and focus on the BIG ROCKS every workout.
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      🗿Push 
      🗿Pull
      🗿Legs (Hip or Knee Dominant)
      🗿Core

Here are some quick rules of the road to program these density workouts safe and effectively. ✏️📋

1️⃣ Maintain movement quality. It’s OK to work hard but it’s NOT OK to sacrifice form in exchange for work rate.

2️⃣ Stemming off the last point…rest adequately in between sets. Although the goal of a density circuit is to complete as many rounds as possible in the allotted time that does not mean we should completely disregard rest periods. Find a recovery heart rate percentage that allows for a higher work rate than normal but still allows for proper execution and power output. For me personally the number is around 70-75% on these circuits.

3️⃣ Choose the correct exercises for the prescribed reps.
      ↪️ 5 Rep Sets: Use Heavy Grinding Compound Movements (Deadlift, Squat/Split Squat, Pull-Up, Press, Sled)
      ↪️ 20 Rep Sets: Use Smoother Lighter Accessory Exercises (Push-Up, Inverted Row, Rollout, Bodysaw, KB Swing, Bear Crawl)
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I typically do workouts like this twice per week in addition to 1 or 2 longer strength workouts and 1 or 2 aerobic focused workouts. Although these quick workouts began out of convenience due to a busy schedule, the short, hard and efficient efforts have been very beneficial to my overall fitness level and quality of life. Sometimes doing “less” but doing it well can go a lot further than simply doing a lot.