A Minimalist Exercise Routine That Works

While I don’t consider myself a true minimalist, my pursuit over the years of efficiency with exercise brainsandgainz.com has led me down this minimalist journey as a skeptical but interested participant. Over the years I’ve constructed what I consider to be a minimalist home gym, and have pursued minimalist workouts with a learner’s appetite. So, here’s what I’ve learned about minimalism, especially as it pertains to exercise.

Minimalism with exercise is about reducing excess in your training and maximizing the utility of the essentials. Put another way, it’s about using simple equipment and a simple process to take care of your health. It’s about only using the materials you need, and making energy and programming decisions that maximize your training outcomes.

So, a minimalist exercise routine is a structured, thoughtful, and programmed implementation of efficient exercise strategies with simple equipment.

The Minimalist Exercise Routine That Works

Pavel Tsatsouline is considered to be one of the key influences in bringing kettlebells to the US. And when I started kettlebell training, I read as many of his books as I could.

His book and training program called “Simple and Sinister” is hands down the best minimalist exercise routine I have ever done. I will review his program and approach in this article, but I *strongly encourage you to purchase the book and study his training principles for yourself.

This is an affiliate link, and as an Amazon Associate, I do earn on qualifying purchases. But I cannot recommend this program enough. This $20 spend is a small purchase that will earn you a massive return. It’s a minimalist buy.

The Simple and Sinister Training Program

Pavel’s program uses only 2 exercises, and the workouts are just as simple. Each workout takes about 20-30 minutes. And here’s the program.

Most days during the week complete:

100 Kettlebell Swings
10 Kettlebell Turkish Get-Ups (1 on each side, for a total of 10)

In terms of weekly sessions, it’s recommended to do absolutely no less than two sessions per week, but ideally almost every day (somewhere between four and six). When I did the program, I was following the routine about five to six times a week for about four months.

Depending on your current skill and strength level, you will start with either one 16kg kettlebell or one 24kg kettlebell. If you are new to kettlebell training or have questions on purchasing your first kettlebell, I put together this kettlebell buying guide to help you navigate through some of your initial questions. Kettlebells are a great training tool, but they can add up quickly in cost!

With this program, you will slowly but regularly mix in movements using a kettlebell at a higher weight, until you can achieve the Simple and then the Sinister standards.

The Simple Standard is met when you can use a 32kg kettlebell and complete 100 one-hand kettlebell swings in 5 minutes, take a 1-minute rest, and then complete 10 Kettlebell Turkish get-ups in 10 minutes.

The Sinister Standard is met when you can use a 48kg kettlebell and complete 100 one-hand kettlebell swings in 5 minutes, take a 1-minute rest, and then complete 10 Kettlebell Turkish get-ups in 10 minutes.