Strength / Weight Training

I would be happy with 0/1/2/3. The 0 would prob be the hardest for my lack of mobility.

That's a fair target alright - although looking back at my ohp numbers i've done a few reps at 62kg before, from memory that involved a fair push with the legs to get it moving though, so not sure that counts. Bench and squat should be achievable, but I haven't trained deadlifts for a couple of years & best I had then was ~140kg, still - food for thought!

Nice work on the dl / squats - that's impressive!

Can you share specifics on what is working for KOTG for you please?

I follow a lot of his stuff but find it pretty vast and bewildering on what to focus on! Currently doing ATG Split squat and reverse treadmill regularly and tib bar and nordics sporadically but struggling to focus on it and have only seen marginal improvements.

Main things I do are step downs, have been steadily increasing height on these, and I do them as part of my warmup for all squatting, push pressing, or deadlift sessions. I also got a slant board to do VMO squats. Also tib raise/calf raise supersets. Though not from KOTG specifically I also do my leg extensions more focussed on the vastus medialis now with my legs very close together and toes pointed inwards a bit. Alongside all of these any squatting movement I do I focus a lot more on controlling the eccentric portion.

Alongside these when I started I was stretching my quads every day, and foam rolling them when I could stand the pain. Now that pain has subsided mostly I stretch more infrequently, maybe 3 nights a week, but I stretch and foam roll my legs (focussing on quads) before squat and deadlift sessions.

For the first 2 months of knee rehab I only trained upper body with all my lower body work being focussed on rehab as well, which helped a lot.

I am really astounded by the improvement. Just walking down the stairs made me wince with pain and I was almost constantly on painkillers and now my knees are a bit creaky but mostly fine.

60+ kg press is amazing tbh!

And thanks. Need to get my presses up there now too...

I actually do need to start pressing again - delts have been a bit twingey when I'm benching - even with lighter weights, weird

Thanks, very helpful! Step downs seems like a good idea that I hadn't picked up but see there was a KOTG video on it recently. I'm similar, getting down the stairs in the morning is a painful experience in one knee, really need to find the focus to strengthen it!

I'm a hard gainer when it comes to strength/muscle building. No point being a gym rat hour after hour. I can vouch for a minimalist workout 2/3 sets per body part with the last set taken to failure. It works and over the past 2 months
there has been some difference. Pendulum squats are a bastard though!

More minimalist workouts can elicit good gains especially for beginners, but over time workouts that are less minimalist are likely to elicit more adaptation.

For a lot of hard gainers the issue is less the work in the gym and more consuming enough of the right food.

Hopefully this is the right place to ask! Any tips for a decent daily full body workout plan that I can knock out in about 15 minutes each morning in my tiny spare bedroom with minimal/ no equipment? I've got 2 x 8kg dumbbells at the moment and that's it. I'm pretty much a complete beginner but would like to get a bit stronger, in particular working on my core strength. Burning a few calories would be ideal as well. Easy to follow YouTube videos or something would be perfect.

Bang on! A minimalist workout is appropriate for me as a 65 year old.
It's really not worth killing yourself in order to build muscle over 50 years old. I enjoy training simply because I can get into the gym and out within 45 to 50 minutes. I work hard, I don't feel knackered afterwards and can manage a couple of bike rides in the week. Much winning.

You will struggle to do a genuine full body workout with no equipment as it can be quite hard to hit your back muscles without something to pull off of (or some weights). Is a doorway pull up bar with some rings/a TRX an option for you?

I would also potentially suggest if you only have 15 minutes you may be better off doing a "split" than you will be doing full body every session, as you'll struggle to hit all body parts well enough for adaptation in that 15 mins.

As for an actual recommendation, try the minimalist routine from the bodyweight fitness subreddit https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/minroutine/ but even in there you have rows, which will need some kind of equipment.

On a stretching/mobility note I started doing Limber 11 the other week every morning - only takes 10-15 minutes and if anything just a nice mental thing to do

rows, which will need some kind of equipment.

At a pinch, you can use a table.

Yeah, good point! I don't necessarily mean that every day is a full body workout but am looking for a routine that will cover a bit of everything over a few days. I don't think pull ups will work at my place, it's incredibly poorly built and I don't want to rip a door frame out of the wall.

I'll check that link out, thanks. I'm not opposed to investing in some equipment but don't have a lot of room to move around or store anything bulky

Lunges, split squats, goblet squats, planks with rows are going to be friends

You could use a power band for rows, it won’t be quite the same but seems to fit within scope

For body weight exercises, Mark Lauren is worth a look. I have one of his books but I think he may have an app now.

The TRX straps and their clones usually have a door anchor so you can close the door on it to use as an anchor point.

Some freestanding dip bars may be useful if you don’t think you can support a pull up bar on the door frame. Useful for dips, knee raises and rows.

This type of door pull-up bar has been pretty good for me across lots of different door frames.

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You can usually find some of this equipment in a park - I’d also be tempted to have a look at that. A pull up bar and parallel bar are great for strength work.

Speaking of which I’m now up for 4 x sets of 6 pull ups with + 10kg

Speaking of which I’m now up for 4 x sets of 6 pull ups with + 10kg

Oof

I've been doing this several times a week for most of the year.. I think someone on here recommended it.
3 sets of..

20 squats
10 press ups
10 lunges
20 rows (I do those pushups off the couch which use your triceps)
1 min plank
30 star jumps

I do some random light weights and the Myrtle routine for running most days during the week as well. I hate strength training but this seems to have stuck.
Forgot.. go to yoga once a week

Good pull strength!

My holiday temp setup:

I’ve been doing
3 x 10 L sit ring/handle pullups
3 x 10 slow ring dips
3 x 8 leg raises to bar
5 x 20 increased range pushups (on push up bars, with some variety, close grip, wide grip, pike)

Giving my legs a break as I’ve started running regularly and my legs feel battered.

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What isolation exercises are you doing on the seesaw?

Depends on how high the 4 year old wants to go.
Both the kids prefer the rings and pulley handles to the swings, so they're swinging on it more than I am.