Less Is More. Here Is Why.

I built my best physique when I stopped trying to do more.

Most people believe that more training will produce better results.

More exercises, more reps, more sets and more hours spent in the gym.

I used to believe this.

My own experience showed me that more volume doesn’t necessarily lead to better results.

I realised that this principle also exists outside of the gym.

The mind must be trained just as much as the body.

A few years ago, I would train 6 days a week and the sessions would last for about 70-90 mins, sometimes longer.

Eventually my progress stalled as I picked up an injury.

This forced me to question my training & lifestyle and whether doing more training meant more results.

That’s when I decided to take a different path.

A strong body is useful both aesthetically and functionally.

For example, my current exercises for my chest are dips and push ups, nothing more than these two movements.

When I’m doing bodyweight or weighted dips, I will complete just 2-4 sets.

By reducing the amount of sets, I am able to put in maximum effort into each one without the build-up of unnecessary fatigue.

If you finish your dips and then go straight into bench press, then cable flies and eventually a machine press, I believe you’re doing more than you need to do. Your chest has already received enough stimulus after the dips and even the bench press. Beyond that point, you’re adding more fatigue rather than a productive session.

If you’re someone who works a physically demanding 9-5, then less is actually more.

You’ve already spent eight hours doing physical work.

The last thing you’ll need is a two-hour gym session putting further stress on your muscles.

The same principles also apply to the mind.

The more we overthink, the less we act.

Endless thinking does not equal progress.

The mind should be trained just like the body.

Focus your attention on what truly matters to you.

Observe yet do not absorb everything.

It reminds me of Fight Club: to finally be free from external substances that own us.

Removing unnecessary distractions brings about more clarity, a clearer and cleaner space to operate from whilst only having the necessities.

Training less.

I trained less and I got better results. 2-3 days a week, sometimes one day (depending on schedule and availability, and work in general). Less volume but a higher and more purpose driven intensity.

More recovery.

I now take much more time to recover between my training days.

Hard training requires proper recovery.

Recovery is just as important as training.

I put a cap on the movements I utilise - Not overcomplicating what I believe I need to train.

The staples for me are as follows; Dips, Pull Ups/Chin Ups, Neck Crunches, Kettlebell Swings, with various calisthenic/bodyweight movements such as Push Ups, Bodyweight Squats, L-Sit, Leg Raises and other movements of this ilk.

3-5 movements. Ideally, this is the maximum. Nothing more than this.

I put maximum intensity into these movements, then I give myself enough time to recover before doing it all again.

Progressive overload. Try and go one better every session, or more if you have the mental fortitude for it.

Whole foods. Ditch the fake plastic foods and ultra-processed garbage immediately. I only consume foods that are nutrient dense, they have minimal ingredients and that they are a natural food source. Seasonal eating as well.

Less garbage, more nutrients.

Think less.

I aim to not overthink especially when it comes to creating false problems that do not exist.

Think more about what truly matters to you. I have found that this reduces my stress and anxiety.

Train the mind to detach from things that we do not need, but to focus on more of what we truly need.

Stop living according to someone else’s opinion. Constantly seeking approval puts a limit on who you can become.

Focus on what you can control - provide for yourself and those closest to you.

Doing less isn’t about doing the minimum.

It’s removing everything that doesn’t matter so you can give yourself to what truly matters.

You want to look better, to think better, to feel better, to be better?

Good, this is what the Iron Temple is designed for.

The Iron Temple exists for people who want to build a body and mind of iron - overcoming your limitations, facing your fears and to leave behind your old identity and start living like the new you.

If this resonated with you, share it with someone else who will benefit from this.

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I’ll see you on the other side.