--- title: 'After 20 Years, I Finally Found MY Best Way to Train' source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=QLCwCtBv4qc' video_id: 'QLCwCtBv4qc' date: 2026-06-30 duration_sec: 342 --- # After 20 Years, I Finally Found MY Best Way to Train > Source: [After 20 Years, I Finally Found MY Best Way to Train](https://youtube.com/watch?v=QLCwCtBv4qc) ## Summary The speaker shares his personal fitness evolution over 20 years, culminating in a balanced routine that prioritizes consistency and enjoyment over perfection. He combines simple compound lifting with a social sport—pickleball—to achieve overall fitness, agility, and social connection. ### Key Points - **20 Years of Experimentation** [00:00] — After two decades of trying many training methods (excess cardio, powerlifting, procrastination), the speaker finally found his personal best way to train. - **Shifting Fitness Priorities** [00:24] — Initially motivated by appearance and insecurity, priorities evolved through phases of running, powerlifting (with injuries), and eventually a balanced, unhurried approach. - **Simple & Efficient Lifting** [01:25] — Focuses almost exclusively on compound lifts (4–5 per 60-minute workout) using a PPL split. Strength work: one top set at 90% 1RM for 1–5 reps; muscle work: 2–4 lighter sets of 8–12 reps, all taken 1–2 reps from failure. - **Consistency via Enjoyment** [02:37] — Doing exercises you enjoy (squats, deadlifts) improves consistency and effort. Compounds keep the 'ego lifting' alive and make gym sessions genuinely fun. - **The Value of a Sport** [03:02] — Adding a team sport fills gaps that lifting alone misses: agility, speed, conditioning, body awareness, and a strong social component. It's a natural cardio alternative. - **Pickleball + Lifting = Perfect Combo** [04:05] — Pickleball is easy to start, not overly taxing, highly social, and fun. The combination with lifting has made the speaker the fittest he's ever been. - **Final Takeaway** [05:02] — Fitness priorities naturally evolve over time. Adjusting training to match current goals and values—without chasing perfection—can lead to greater satisfaction and consistency. ### Conclusion The speaker's optimal fitness formula is a simple compound-lifting routine combined with a social sport (pickleball), proving that enjoyment and adaptability are key to long-term consistency and overall well-being. ## Transcript After 20 years of experimenting with countless training methods, including many periods of excess cardio and excess procrastination, I finally discovered the absolute best way to train, at least for myself. And in just 5 minutes today, I want to share with you guys what took 20 years for me to figure out. And yes, it does involve lifting weights, but also something completely different, something normally done outside of you. If you've been in the fitness world as long as I have, your priorities with fitness probably changed many times. Like most people, I initially got into fitness because I want to look jacked, to mask my insecurities. But then I got really into running, then I got really into not running, then into powerlifting, until I got hurt a bunch of times, and went back to just masking my insecurities. But today, I'm actually pretty happy with my overall fitness, and the desire to perfect every part of my training is kind of gone. That doesn't mean I don't still have goals, I still want to build muscle and strength, but I'm okay with taking my time with it. What I'm trying to say is that priorities can and will change over time, and it's very important that we adjust our training along with it. So this isn't exactly the usual science-y informative video, but just about where I've ultimately settled with my training today after 20 years. And if me sharing this can motivate you to apply a bit of introspection on your own fitness, then that's awesome. So let's get to it. First things first, I don't think I'll stop lifting weights anytime soon. Sure, I'm getting older, but I still want to get stronger, maintain a decent physique, and experience all the other benefits lifting weights has to offer. But again, I don't want to keep spending countless hours at the gym to maximize every single detail anymore. Nowadays, I just want to keep things simple, yet efficient, and that's why my workouts today focuses almost exclusively on just compound lifts. I'll usually do about 4-5 compounds in a quick 60-minute workout using a PPO or push-pull leg split. To work on strength, I do an initial top set of about 90% 1RM for 1-5 reps. For muscle, I build volume with 2-4 additional lighter work sets for about 8-12 reps. All sets are taken to about 1-2 reps from failure to keep effort high. And that's really it. Now to some of you, this might not sound like enough, but again, my priorities have shifted. As long as I'm seeing progression, then I'm more than happy with it. Plus, I can tack on a necessary exercise or two if I really need it. Also, something that's always been a huge priority for me, and really everyone, is just to exercise consistently. And one way to do so is to do things we actually enjoy, which for me are compounds, especially squats and debt lifts, to keep my ego lifting ways alive. And it's no surprise that I tend to give my best effort in things I genuinely enjoy doing. So compounds are all I really need at the gym these days. That said, as fun as lifting can be, it still isn't exactly the most entertaining activity. And I think it'll be nice to do something outside the gym that maybe also involves other people. For me, that's where adding a sport, especially a team sport, makes for a much more complete fitness plan. For a lot of gym rats, this might sound a bit off tangent, and the past gym rat in me would probably agree. But if we really think about it, it actually makes perfect sense. Lifting is great for things like muscle and strength. But for a more complete fitness development, developing things like agility, speed, conditioning, and body awareness, then a sport can fill these gaps. And of course, if we don't want to do boring cardio at the gym, then a sport can be the perfect cardio alternative. But perhaps the most important thing is the social part of it all. Not that there's no social benefits from going to the gym, it's just that it's not as inherently baked in like it is with sports. The social encouragement to the relationships, camaraderie, and so on. It really is second to none. There's also the elements of a Ken doing what you enjoy to improve consistency. With the right sport, you can have so much fun with it that consistency's never really a problem. So for me, the sport that checks all these boxes today is pickleball. Sure, it might be a meme to a lot of you younger generations, but at my advanced age, it's pretty great. It's easy to get into not too taxing unless I want it to be, and all the retired folks I play with are super nice to me when they destroy me on the court. And honestly, I've never burned so many calories so incompetently in my life. And I have an absolute blast doing it. For me, pickleball plus lifting is the perfect combination. Now I know not everyone is going to feel the same way about this, and that's okay. Again, this video isn't about the scientific best way to train. It's just one person's perspective on the evolving nature of ones priorities with fitness. And honestly, I just like sharing with you guys a bit more about myself sometimes. Ultimately, this is where I am with my fitness and I couldn't be happier. And truth be told, in terms of overall fitness right now, I'm basically the fittest I've ever been my whole life. That said, I would love to hear from you guys and how your priorities and training evolve throughout your time in fitness. Or maybe you're still trying to figure things out. Would love to know that as well. Other than that, if you enjoyed this video then please give it any evolving thumbs up and share it with your changed loving friends. Subscribe for more and let me know what you think in the comments. As always, thank you for watching and don't forget to get your protein.