What Is Rough Strength Method?

It is the approach to training and nutrition that combines old school wisdom with
modern knowledge. Basically, it teaches you how to make the most out of anything
you have at hand. No matter what your goal is – strength, muscle, fat loss or
mastering some specific skill – Rough Strength Method can give you that.

It shows you what is important. Burning desire to change, hard work, education
and guidance are far more significant than what type of equipment you use. Do you
know what training implement is the most effective? The one you have free and
unlimited access to. Do you know what routine is the best? The one you stick to for
long enough to get results.

Rough Strength Method is the Occam’s razor and the Pareto principle of strength
training. Like my good friend said: “It’s brutally simple. So simple that it forces you
to rethink everything”.

Originally, Rough Strength Method started as a display of what can be done with
equipment you have at hand. With time, it evolved to the self-sufficient approach
to strength training.

Whether to use it or not is completely your decision. Do I think that Rough Strength
Method is the only way? No. However, if what you are doing now does not work, I
invite you to try it.

You can read more on why you should use Rough Strength Method in this article.

The Basics of Rough Strength Method

In this section, we will discuss the basics of the Method. Before we go into details
for certain goals, I would like to write a couple of sentences on the main principle
you need to understand – the principle of progressive resistance (or progressive
overload, any way you slice it). If you remember just one thing from this
compilation article, this should be it.

What is progressive resistance? It is that secret weapon in your arsenal, that ace in
your sleeve, the ultimate thing that turns any ordinary human into extraordinary.
All the cheesy metaphors aside, it is the principle of gradual increase of resistance.
It states that you should do more with time, as well as you should move from the
easiest task to the hardest (not the other way around). The most basic application
of this principle is adding repetitions. If you can do 3 Pull-Ups today, with time you
should perform 10, then 15 etc. However, adding reps is not the only way to
progress. You can add sets, decrease the time between sets, increase the working
weight or move to harder exercises. You should progress. Otherwise, you are
wasting your time.

You can read more about progressive resistance in this article.

Another important principle to understand is relationship between training

volume, intensity and frequency. Your body’s recovery ability is limited. You cannot
have it all. If intensity is high, then frequency and volume will suffer. If you
concentrate on volume, then intensity and frequency should go down. You got the
idea. Ultimately, you should find that “sweet spot” between these three. How
would you know that you found it? You will be getting closer to your goal.

You can read more about volume, intensity and frequency relationship in this
article.

Now let us break down some possible goals you can shoot for:

How to Gain Strength?

If you read even only a couple of Rough Strength articles, you might have noticed
that strength is the name of the game for me. Everybody should seek it relentlessly.
You will be not only stronger, but also healthier, mentally tougher and more
prepared for hard situations in life.

So how should you train for strength? Strength is a skill and you should treat it like
one. The main rule here is “to train as often as possible, while staying as fresh as
possible”. There are many approaches, but common things in pure strength
training are:

 Low amount of repetitions (no more than 5);

 Low-to-moderate amount of sets (3-6, depending on the amount of
repetitions per set);
 Lots of rest between exercises and sets;
 Concentration on big compound exercises.
As you can see, there is nothing extremely hard in this type of training (except the
actual lifting). You just pick couple of exercises you want to improve, perform 3-5
sets of 3-5 reps per session, and do not forget about progressive resistance
principle mentioned above.

There are couple of great techniques for developing strength that I used with
success:

1. “Grease the groove”. You pick the exercise you want to improve, let us say
it would be Handstand Push-Up and you can do six reps in it. Your goal should
be performing 3-rep sets (50% of maximum) throughout the day. In a week,
your maximum in Handstand Push-Up should increase due to neural
adaptation and lots of repetition of the skill.
2. High-Frequency Training. Let us assume that conditions are the same as in
example above (6RM in Handstand Push-Up). You can try performing the
exercise for one set to failure for 6 days a week. This simple approach always
worked for me, but for limited amount of time (2-3 weeks).

Read more in-depth “How to Gain Strength” article here.

How to Build Muscle?

Everybody wants to beef up at some point. If you crave hypertrophy, then you need
to understand a couple of rules:

 Building muscle is not only about training; nutrition plays huge role here. Just
imagine trying so hard to build the body of your dreams, training properly
and heavy, sleeping 8 hours per night, and still getting no results because of
the retarded diet. To gain muscle you need to be in caloric surplus.
 To build muscle you need to do more reps (and sometimes sets). The rules
are the same – progressive resistance principle is still relevant here.
However, oftentimes you should do more volume. “Heavy weight for high
reps” – that is the ultimate prescription for gaining muscle.

Basically, you take pure strength approach, add reps, eat more and you are on the
track to the best muscle gains in your life.

Read more in-depth “How to Build Muscle” article here.

How to Lose Fat?

The most effective thing you can do to lose fat is to get a proper diet. There is no
way around. Let me give you some math to explain my point. Classic prescription
for fat loss is 500-calorie deficit daily. I do not completely agree with this, but let us
use it for math purposes (I will share my insights in the ‘Nutrition’ section). Good
cardio (jump rope, not treadmill) and weight training burn approximately 500
calories per hour. Let us assume that you eat 2500 calories per day. To lose fat you
can either eat 2000 calories, or train hard for at least an hour and eat 2500. “What’s
the problem with the latter?” – you can ask. There is no problem except increased
appetite and impaired recovery. Eating less will be MUCH easier. You cannot train
hard every day. You will burn out fast. In addition, it will be much harder to eat the
same 2500 calories after a hard workout (if you eat 3000 that day, then your session
was a waste of time and energy).

Is training for fat loss useless? Well, it depends on the circumstances. I have several
rules for effective fat loss:

1. Train for strength. This will ensure that you will lose as little muscle as
possible, if any.
2. Limit training volume and frequency. Check ‘How to Gain Strength?’ section
for a sound advice.
3. Get a good diet. This will be discussed in the ‘Nutrition’ section.
4. Focus on protein. I found out that the more protein I eat, the leaner I get.
5. Use intermittent fasting. It is the one of the best tweaks you can do to your
diet if your goal is fat loss.

What about cardio? I like jump rope a lot. But it is not that essential, in my opinion.
If your fat loss stalled, try adding rope for one-two 15-minute sessions per week.
With time, increase to three-four. Another great option would be eccentric-less
training, because it causes less muscle soreness. For example, prowler pushing or
sled pulling. The initial prescription is the same. Finally, option #3 would be sprints.
Initial prescription is the same. You should experiment with different protocols to
find out what is better for you. However, do not get too carried away with cardio.
Strength training is still your bread and butter.

Should you concentrate solely on one goal or you can mix them? The more you
work just on one task, the faster you get the results. No need to complicate things.
Tools

There are three strength-training tools that I prefer the most: bodyweight,
kettlebells and sandbags. They all mix into the perfect training system. How? Every
implement from the Rough Strength Triad has its advantages and flaws (as well as
any other training tool). However, when you use all three of them, strengths of one
cover the weaknesses of the other. Besides, all these implements cost way less than
gym memberships or any fancy machines.

Do I think that other training tools suck? No fucking way. If you have free access to
barbell or dumbbells, then go for it. Why do you waste such a cool opportunity?

Can you limit yourself to one tool? It would not be the wisest decision, in my
opinion. Use at least two of them in your training for awesome overall
development.

Let us talk about the Rough Strength Triad itself:

Calisthenics

Lifting your own bodyweight is probably the oldest form of strength training.
Somewhat forgotten, now it makes a comeback into the mainstream fitness. More
and more people are recruited into the calisthenics army every day. It is not a
surprise for me.

Bodyweight strength training gives you the unique opportunity to train anywhere
anytime with no equipment (except the place to hang from). What is so cool about
it is the fact that this form of training is the most sustainable. Here is a quick
example: imagine that you are training with a barbell. You might have one at your
garage (or apartment, why not?) or at the nearest gym. In case you move
somewhere, you should transport the barbell, sell it, or search for a new gym. With
calisthenics, there are no such difficulties. You can sustain this type of training until
your death. That is what awesome.

Besides, there are not many things in life that are cooler than mastering your
bodyweight. This type of training is hard and fun at the same time. If you choose
this path to strength, I should warn you – it is WAY tougher than the barbell or
dumbbell training. You will understand it when you get to the advanced stages.
Another question that disturbs minds of a huge amount of people is “can you build
muscle with calisthenics?” In short, yes. For longer answer, you should do some
reading here.

Read more about bodyweight strength training in this article.

Kettlebells

Kettlebells are my native tools. Everybody knows about “giryas” here. Ironically,
not many people can tell the difference between a kettlebell and a dumbbell; and
even less people can move heavy kettlebells.

What is so special about these cannonballs with handles? They are fun, effective
for gaining strength, building muscle and losing fat, and, of course, they allow
unique exercises to be performed (I mean Swings, Snatches etc.). The coolest thing
about kettlebells is the off-axis center of mass. That is why they always feel harder
than dumbbells.

I like the fact that you cannot really adjust the weight of the kettlebell. This training
tool never lies. You either can press 32 kg bell overhead, or not. There is something
romantic and magical about it.

In addition, I like the fact that you do not need much space to train with kettlebells
and to store them.

Read more about kettlebell strength training in this article.

Sandbags

While kettlebells can be quite expensive, sandbag strength training is in reach of

anyone. All you need are a bag and sand. It could not get simpler than that. To learn
how to make a sandbag yourself, check out this article.

I like sandbag training for its unpredictability and brutality. Lifting heavy sandbag is
far from easy. If you never tried, it is MUCH tougher than you think. The contents
of the bag are unstable, thus it does not have the classic center of mass – it is always
changing. It seems that the sandbag always wants to escape your hands. That is
what makes this type of training unique.
Sandbag strength training is still highly under-appreciated nowadays despite all the
attempts to popularize it. I think there are two reasons for this:

1. It is not fancy;
2. It is brutally hard.

Any exercise performed with a heavy sandbag is a test of willpower, and it is so

ferocious that it will leave you lying in the puddle of your own sweat. If you still
doubt that sandbag is one of the manliest training tools out there, I challenge you
to try it. You can steal the sand from the nearest sandbox. Take a duffel bag, stuff
it with 50 kg of sand, and try to lift it overhead. Any way you like, just get it done.
Perform five sets of any amount or repetitions. I guarantee you will feel it the next
day. The soreness will be in places you did not even know you have muscles in.

Read more about sandbag strength training in this article.

Nutrition

If you are chasing aesthetic goals, nutrition should be your primary concern. People
struggle with two common problems:

How to Gain Muscle?

If this is your goal, then you should follow some simple rules:

1. Train as I described in “How to Build Muscle?” section earlier. “Heavy

weight for high reps”
2. Be in caloric surplus. To gain muscle you need to eat more. There is no way
around. You should eat 10-20% above maintenance calories. For example, if
your maintenance is 2000 calories, then you should eat 2200-2400 calories
daily. If you get too fat in the process, lower the surplus. If you do not grow,
then increase the surplus.
3. Eat enough protein. I found that 3-4.5 g per 1 kg of bodyweight is a great
number. You should experiment to learn what is best for you though.
4. Do not forget about carbs. Do not limit carbs too much. I found that 3-4 g
per 1 kg on workout days is good for me. I can go lower on rest days because
my metabolism sucks.
How to Get Rid of Fat?

If you want to lose fat, here is another set of rules for you:

1. Train as I described in “How to Lose Fat?” section earlier. Do everything to

maintain your lean body mass.
2. Be in caloric deficit. You should eat less. An important point to understand
here is that you will not lose fat quicker than your body allows it. Eating
nothing will not give you faster results. You should be patient and cut only
10-20% from your maintenance calories. For example, if your maintenance
is 2000 calories, then you should consume 1600-1800 calories daily. This way
your metabolism will not slow down, and you will progress pretty much
steady.
3. Focus on protein. I found out that the more protein I eat, the leaner I am. 2
g per 1 kg of bodyweight should be your bare minimum.
4. Cycle carbs. Despite what others say, I found carb cycling useful in the fat
loss efforts. Go lower on rest days and higher on workout days. In addition,
there is no point in going less than 100 g of carbs per day, but in case you
want to try, you definitely can. Your training sessions would probably suck
though. If it happens, just add some more carbs and cut fats a bit.
5. Try intermittent fasting. Another great thing you can do for fat loss is
intermittent fasting. There are lots of approaches. LeanGains (or 16/8),
Eat.Stop.Eat (24-hour fast) and The Warrior Diet (20/4) are the most
common. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. You need to try
them all for at least 4 weeks to make conclusions.

You can learn how to design your own cheap high-protein diet here.

Additionally, you should never rely solely on nutritional supplements. Some of

them work, but if your diet is poor, then it is a waste of money. Supplements were
created to supplement and enhance your training and diet, not to replace them.

You can read the in-depth article on supplements here.

Mindset

Mind is a powerful thing. Probably more powerful than any of us can imagine.
What works for me like a clock is the understanding that somewhere someone lives
much worse life and makes much more out of it than me. He or she works much
harder and acquires more results than I get. My competitiveness takes charge of
everything, and I start working twice as hard.

Additionally, you should cultivate, as I put it, the warrior attitude to training and
nutrition. You should get independent from all the luxuries and addictions you
have. Read this piece for more information.

Excuses deserve mentioning here also. Stop using them. Right now. There is only
one person responsible for your results or lack of them, and it is you. Lunar phase
has nothing to do with you being fat and weak, as well as no money for
supplements or gym memberships. Lack of action due to making constant excuses
has. Accept this and start improving.

Read more in-depth article on Rough Strength mindset here.

Still in Doubt?

Then I invite you to try The Most Badass Online training. Coaching will instantly
supercharge your training. Besides, it is always great to have a person who will help
you with your quest, with whom you can discuss difficulties, and who will discard
all the ideas destined to fail. As experience shows, you will get to your goal much
faster with a coach than by yourself.

You can learn more about The Most Badass Online Training here.

Closing Thoughts

That is it for now. Thanks for reading.

You can do a great thing and help Rough Strength mission if you share this report
with your friends.

Play rough!

Alex

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