Discovering Meditative Strength Training

In this year of training, I've learned quite a few things about myself and what I actually prefer in terms of physical training. As 2025 comes to an end, I wanted to share what I've discovered and how it shaped my approach to exercise programming and philosophy.

A couple months back, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the high bar squat movement due to a little too much of Tom Platz. One particular day I was warming up and getting ready a typical 3 sets of 5 repetitions, which I'd been progressing over the previous weeks. After the first set, my body essentially told me that that weight was off the menu. Listening to my body, I dropped the weight and worked through 10 sets of 5 repetitions with this lower weight, and I felt great. So much so, that I felt the rest of the planned workout was unnecessary.

The following day, my soreness pattern was picture perfect. This drove me to explore it further.

I continued performing this 10x5 structure with other barbell movements to see if I could replicate the same stimulus that I had received from squats, and I was pleasantly surprised to have unlocked quite a few points worth mentioning.

Movement Practice

I had begun dialing in the barbell movements and feeling how it worked with my body. This included bettering my form, bracing ability, and bar path. Repeating the same movement pattern for 10 sets forced me to refine technique and truly feel how the lift interacted with my body. Soon, the movement became an actual practice, not just a lift.

Sub-maximal Effort

By modifying the weight to be within the 65-75% 1RM range, I was able to keep training by maintaining a sustainable intensity through the movement while providing enough of stimulus that would challenge the muscle groups. This allowed for a manageable level of fatigue and resulted in my ability to recover effectively.

Meditative Training

Removing noise from the rest of the routine, I began focusing solely on the barbell and my part in moving it. There was a certain stillness to the routine. One that sharpened my awareness and brought clarity. It led me to understand a form of constructive suffering and the transformative power of it.

The Program

Having found success with my initial practice, I decided to design a program surrounding this philosophy of "Meditative Sub-Maximal Strength Training" that aims to provide a minimalist, yet holistic, approach that results in the development of strength across the entire body.

The program makes use of foundational compound movements performed consistently at a sustainable intensity that allows for deep stimulus of target muscles as well as robust bracing without causing excessive fatigue or overloading the central nervous system.

Week A
Incline Bench
Barbell Row
Barbell Squat

Week B
Overhead Press
Pull-Up
Romanian Deadlift

Accessory - End of Every Session
Zercher Deadlift - 3x5
Zercher Squat - 3x5

Main lifts are for 10 sets at 5 repetitions.
~65-75% 1RM.
Progressing by 2.5lbs or 5lbs only when you've developed full control over the movement across all sets.

That's it. That's the program.
No frills, no fluff. Just honest work.

My Results So Far

Having followed this for a few months so far, I've noticed a sharp increase in confidence in the movements. The extended practice made it possible to identify weak points and reinforce technique. The muscle stimulus has been significant due to the usage of these compound movements with such volume. Combined with proper bracing during the exercises, my core has developed substantially in this short time period.

By removing the noise and focusing my attention on the one movement pattern, I've dialed in my awareness in a way that traditional hypertrophy training didn't reach for me. I'm more connected and present during the lifts and have tuned into how my body responds.

In short: I've been responding very well.

Closing

I've spent years struggling with the noise of common hypertrophy practices and general fitness culture, and have found peace in this simple routine. The deliberate approach has provided clarity that I wasn't able to find previously. As with many things, the exercise space is filled with noise and various rabbit holes that do nothing but distract you from the actual work necessary for you to see growth.

If sharing this helps someone else find that same peace, then this has been a success.

Thank you,
~Michaelion