Today I’m going to share with you a complete, practical, easy-to-follow full body workout that anyone can use to increase their athleticism and muscle mass from home.
It’s called “Home-Made Hero Protocol.”
I called it that because it sounds like a secret file that Nick Fury would keep as a way to build new superheroes with minimal investment. Which is kind of what we’re doing.
This program requires only basic equipment and minimal technique. It’s a simplified version of what I do and what you’ll find in my programs – but it’s also more than enough for a lot of people, especially those starting out or those who just want to see what my style of training is all about.
Aaaaand here it is!
I’m doing this for a few reasons. One is that people have been asking for it. Another is just to demonstrate how some of my ideas work: combining different training styles into a single workout (kettlebells, calisthenics, and bodybuilding with dumbbells); using a combination of higher and lower rep ranges, eschewing perfect optimisation for “good enough,” listening for the stimulus and not overthinking it. Fitting your training in throughout the day.
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It’s also a response to the criticism that a lot of my videos aren’t immediately actionable. That’s by design, actually: I don’t find prescribing particular exercises that interesting as I much prefer the philosophy of training and exploring new ideas. I also believe in “teaching a man to fish” as it were – seeing as we all have different goals and strengths and weaknesses.
I’m a writer, first and foremost. But I take the point: some people just want something that can follow right away. And for all those reasons, that’s what I’m doing today.
Finally, I wanted to make something free because I know not everyone can afford to buy a program. And I’m kind of sick of how greedy a lot of companies and services seem to be right now – the “enshitification” of the internet. I’m sick of being charged more for less. It’s depressing seeing companies and creators treating their customers with content. So, I wanted to be different. This is just a little gift from me to you.
I don’t consider this to be a complete solution. I would personally want to see some rotation added to this program and some movement in the frontal plane. There’s no mobility work, here. And a full program would include alternative exercises and progressions. We could certainly add some isolated ab work or tricep work. I do a lot of stuff on top of this like hand balancing, shadow boxing, a bunch of movements in those aforementioned planes, harder variations, etc.
With all that said: I know that not everybody cares about that stuff. And it can come later – perfect should not become the enemy of good enough. And this program is absolutely sufficient for most people to build muscle, improve their movement, and build athleticism. To increase endurance and to increase energy.
There’s no isolated ab work or tricep work but that’s by design – these will get hit by the other exercises in the routine. Same for rear delts which get worked by the rows. Again, you can choose to add more in – I do. But if we’re looking for the essentials, this will more than suffice.
Will you build a body like mine by following this? Honestly? Not for a very long time. Remember: I’ve been training since I was 13. And there are genetic differences to take into account. But it can absolutely get you there eventually. This is very similar to how I started and it’s still VERY similar to the core of what I do now. Only the efficiency, rep ranges, and accessory stuff has changed (and I made some detours along the way).
This is a full-body workout designed to be performed three to four times a week. BUT if you find you run out of time during a workout, there’s no reason not to take one of those exercises and perform them in isolation, later on.
That’s the goal, at least. Complete beginners might only do this twice a week and should listen to their bodies as they build up capacity. Don’t train a muscle if it’s still sore.
You’re going to take each of these exercises close to failure. It doesn’t need to be total mechanical failure – just the point where you feel a strong stimulus and performing more reps becomes difficult. Do this and progressive overload will occur naturally – don’t fret if your numbers change, even subtle changes in your angle or tempo can mean you reach the same stimulus faster or slower on different days.
Rest for one minute between each set.
The Workout
Do your warm-up if you want to. I’ll leave that to you to figure out or you can check my other videos.
2 x Dumbbell Overhead Press
The first exercise is going to be the dumbbell overhead press with two dumbbells. Most people have some dumbbells around and dumbbell presses are easier and comfier than kettlebell presses. This is to be performed in a standard tempo with a smooth cadence. The weight doesn’t hugely matter – if you can manage eight reps, that’s enough to get a good stimulus. If you can manage 25, that’s cool too.
2 x Lateral Raises
Now, the next exercise is entirely optional: dumbbell lateral raises. This isn’t for building strength or athleticism really but if you want those wider shoulders and capped delts (and I know a lot of people do) there’s really no reason not to throw these in because they’re just so cheap and easy from a recovery and effort perspective but also from an effectiveness perspective. I’m using my wife’s 5kg dumbbells. I have literally no idea how many reps I do – something like 30. But I make sure to pause and squeeze at the apex to get the feeling.
Apparently, spamming lateral raises is a trend right now? I didn’t know that – but I can get behind it!
2 x Dips
Now onto pecs with dips. This is my bread and butter: the super high rep, super fast cadence stuff. The aim is to keep the pressure on the pecs and to feel that pump build up until you need to stop. I also like to feel a very light stretch at the bottom of the movement in the pecs and then “bounce” from there. This builds explosiveness and I feel it also encourages hypertrophy. As you guys know, I also like using high rep push ups this way so that’s an option. This is the first point at which you’re going to be getting some endurance benefits from one of the movements. I do 35 reps at the moment but if you just do 10 that’s fine, too. It’s all about the feels. If you don’t have dip bars you can use two chairs or the kitchen counter tops in the corner of the kitchen.
2 x Row Progressions (Assisted Front Lever Rows)
Now rows. I do like high rep rows performed with a rapid cadence but that’s not actually what I’m recommending here. Instead, we’re doing very slow, grinding row progressions more like a supported front lever row. Feet up on a chair or sofa, lightly supporting your lower body. Try and keep horizontal. Pull your sternum or navel up to the bar and be sure to slowly retract your shoulders as you go. I was going to include something more accessible here but the truth is that this is what has recently given my back a LOT more fullness and thickness so I wanted to share it. Of course, you can build up to this with easier variations (use your legs more or less, put legs on the floor, it’s pretty easy to adjust). But whatever you do: I recommend focussing more on strength and technique for this particular movement.
2 x Goblet Curls
Goblet curls! My absolute favourite bicep exercise precisely because they lend themselves so well to the rapid cadence and high rep range I love. I use a mostly concentric emphasis and almost bounce the weight back up. These build big biceps but the recovery cost is SO minimal that you can practically do them daily. I do 30 reps. If you don’t have a kettlebell, I recommend using hammer curls, instead.
2 x Bulgarian Split Squats
Now we’re moving on to legs and we’re starting with heavy-ish Bulgarian split squats. These are great because they serve double duty as a kind of squat AND a kind of lunge. They also build single leg stability while allowing you to challenge the squat position without needing TOO much external weight. I’m performing these with two 20kg kettlebells. The shorter rep range is actually good for my dodgy back and the handles are nice to hold – but of course you can use dumbbells, a heavy rucksack, or hold a single weight infront of you.
2 x Hindu Squats
Hindu Squats are bodyweight squats performed on the toes. This strengthens the knees and targets the quads and while it might look “too easy” you’ll find you get a huge pump in the quads after just 20 or so reps. Build up to doing 100 and beyond. It’s not junk reps: it’s building massive strength endurance, balance, stiffness, and elasticity that will make you simply faster, more explosive, and more athletic all around.
2 x Calf Raises
Calf raises are next and optional for those that want slightly bigger and stronger calves (no duh). Again, this is just so easy to do wherever you are that you may as well. You can do these elevated for a better ROM and stretch but to be honest, pumping out rapid one-legged raises on the ground is sufficient. I do two sets of 50-100 depending on how it goes on the day.
2 x Kettlebell Swings
Next kettlebell swings. These are going to be our cardio finishers and really elevated the heart rate, while also providing us with a much-needed hip hinge and something for glutes, lower back, and hamstrings. Make sure you’re squeezing the glutes and they should feel hard as rocks by the time you’re done. We’re moving even further along the strength-endurance spectrum for this one and you should be looking at doing 50-100 swings per set. OR you can do 2 x 1 minutes… 2 minutes… up to you, really!
Again: two sets of everything. One minute rests. 3-4 times a week as soon as you’re able. Do this and eat enough protein (but not a crazy amount) while keeping calories at maintenance or slightly below… and you’ll start to build a jacked and athletic physique. You can adjust from there, as you go.
Closing Thoughts
As you can see then, this program is pretty basic. You’re not progressively overloading, you’re not lifting max weights… but that simplicity is its strength, not its weakness.
Honestly you’re just training in a way that mirrors most athletic activities. You’re moving fast and explosively against resistance for a significant time. You’re hunting that stimulus. My reps vary from workout to workout on the dips, the calf raises, the lateral raises but this has in no way stopped me from growing and improving because I’m always taking it to the point of feeling that sensation.
Is this the optimal way to maximise strength or hypertrophy gains? No! But honestly that’s so irrelevant for 99.99% of people. Unless you’re already near maxed out, unless you want to specialise to the point of competition… don’t overcomplicate it. Most people don’t need to worry about growing 18″ arms. Worry about getting 15″ arms first and for the vast majority of people that is MORE than big enough. Especially once you lean down and get those veins. And strength endurance is more important for wrestling and climbing anyway.
Same for lifting huge numbers in the deadlift or the bench press. Those are awesome accomplishments but they’re hobbies. They’re not relevant for most people who just want to feel, look, and move better. The big lifts are cool and all but they’re time consuming, exhausting, and their compound nature means you won’t grow from them for a while until you have your technique down (even then you can deadlift tons and still be pretty scrawny). You never need to lift 200kg off the floor or press 150kg while lying flat on your back.
None of this is to say those exercise are bad, they’re not. But the idea that you have to use them is simply incorrect unless you’re specialising at a very high level. That’s not relevant for the casual person who just wants to move well and look good and it’s also not relevant for those that want to move and perform at the highest level across as many domains as possible.
I think that it’s the mistaken belief that you have to train like a bodybuilder or powerlifter that makes fitness too time and energy consuming for a lot of people. So, try this and I think you might be surprised at the results.
Don’t overthink it. Do something you can stick at that will give you significant targeted stimulus in the areas that matter.
And guess what? You’ll probably look more jacked and run faster and jump higher than those guys overly focussed on “optimising” for muscle growth.
