Mark Lauren provides insights into his training methods and their application for various target groups. The German-American was first a soldier in a US special forces unit and later a sports instructor for elite soldiers. Lauren developed his experiences over the years into a fitness concept.
Many cyclists assume that cycling alone makes them fit. But Mark Lauren, former record holder in military apnoea diving and world champion in Thai boxing, sees things differently.
BIKE: Many cyclists think they are fit because they ride a bike. But is that enough?
MARK LAUREN: No, it's not enough. Because the body adapts to the sports you do - and you don't always want that. It becomes too one-sided. Muscles shorten, postures grind in and so on. In order to stay even and balanced, you have to take countermeasures. I have developed two programmes in my app for these cases. The Prep programme and Bodyweight Training 2.0. These programmes improve your basic athletic skills. This is the ideal balance to the sports you do, whether it's mountain biking, road cycling or swimming, for example.
In your book, you present a 9-minute workout. What can you achieve in such a short time?
You achieve this by finally getting started. (laughs) Because the biggest mistake people make with fitness programmes is doing too much. They go to the gym, train like crazy, go home again and get sore muscles. What's more, the journey to and from the gym takes ages. Conclusion: They do it once, twice, maybe a third time and then they stop because it's too much effort. My strategy is different.
How?
My motto is: start small, but start and keep going. Because if you want to develop a behaviour, it should be as efficient as possible. In concrete terms, this means short, effective workouts: three full-body exercises, one minute each, three rounds - that's nine minutes.
The 9-minute workout: effective & practical
Nine minutes a day, three times a week, seems very short to me, what can that achieve?
It can raise you to an intermediate fitness level. When you do the workouts, you improve your joint functions. You need these functions for everything, it's the shoulder, spine and hip functions. And movement transitions from lying, kneeling and standing. This creates basic athletic skills. The individual exercises can be quite difficult and strenuous. For example: as many repetitions as possible for one minute. Continuity is important. In 9 minutes you can do a tough workout that covers the whole body.
If I do these workouts continuously, will I eventually look like you?
To be honest: probably not. How well you respond to training is also genetically determined. And for me, fitness is also my profession. It's important for my credibility that I'm well-trained. So of course I do a lot more than three 9-minute workouts a week. However, I still maintain that you don't have to do so much, especially at the beginning. The most important thing is to keep at it. Therefore: it's better to do shorter sessions, but consistently. You don't have to train five hours a week to get fit. That's actually counter-productive.
But I'm still interested in what I have to do to look like you?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. There can't be, because everyone has very different prerequisites. You may be a good runner or a good swimmer, but that doesn't mean that bodyweight exercises are easy for you. Because that's something completely different. Age also plays a major role. What is true for a 20-year-old is not true for a 60-year-old. But if you want a simple answer, then: a 9-minute workout on Monday, Wednesday and Friday will give you good results. This is confirmed by thousands of people who train with my app and my programmes.
Small steps, big impact
Lay people are often surprised when professional athletes, such as swimmers or MMA fighters, don't look so muscular, even though - in their opinion - they train constantly.
A swimmer does not need the muscles that a strength athlete trains in the gym. What's more, it would actually be a disadvantage for their activity. This has to do with the fact that the body wants to be efficient. More muscle does not always mean more power. I, on the other hand, train specifically to look good - for marketing reasons. If, on the other hand, I were to train for triathlon again, I would soon look completely different again. The body would get rid of the superfluous muscle packets because: not efficient for the triathlon.
Now the exciting question: What do you do to look good?
I do full-body strength training every four or five days. A lot of mobility training in between. And I have to eat a lot so that the muscles get their volume because I'm naturally a slim, lean type. The calories should come from as much protein and good fat as possible. It's a common mistake that people train a lot but eat too little. Especially when you're older, you need to get enough protein.
Training principles change depending on scientific findings. It used to be said that to build muscle, you should do 8 to 12 repetitions in three sets and choose enough weight so that you can just manage the last two repetitions until the muscle goes slack.
That is far too much. But there is no clear answer to that either. I have also trained the way you describe. Even with just one set to muscle failure. The bodybuilder Mike Mentzer trained according to this so-called "heavy duty" method. This training philosophy is based on the principle of performing shorter but more intensive training sessions. Mentzer advocated performing each exercise until the muscle was completely exhausted in order to maximise growth stimuli. The training was characterised by few sets and repetitions, but with high weight and full intensity. His approach was in contrast to the conventional, volume-oriented training programmes favoured by Arnold Schwarzenegger, which suggested longer and more frequent workouts. My conclusion: with such high-intensity methods to failure, you put too much strain on your joints or get a muscle strain. Which then leads to you having to take a break. I no longer train to failure, especially now that I'm older.
How are you training today?
Let's take handstand push-ups. If I can do 10 repetitions, I only do 5 as an exercise, but I do a lot of sets. That way I never fail and still have a safety buffer. The same applies to strength training with weights. I use less weight than I used to, but I do more sets and get my volume that way. Exercising to muscle failure is mystified among bodybuilders, I know. But look at gymnasts. They rarely train to muscle failure and yet they are muscular and strong.
That's right.
In contrast to training sessions to exhaustion, my credo is to practise the exercises and carry out the movements mindfully. I mix exercises into my everyday life whenever I can. Right now, for example, I'm waiting for my wife here in the hotel room. So I take the opportunity to do exercises again and again.
Our book tip! We have tried out all the exercises in this book and found them to be very good.
Price: around 18 euros. We think it's money well spent, provided you do the exercises and integrate them into your everyday life.
People want simple answers
The subject of breaks. Some swear by short breaks between sets, others say long breaks are important for building muscle. So which is true?
Laughs. Long pauses or short pauses - both work. People always want simple answers, but they often don't exist. But one thing is always true: the body will adapt. So the most important thing is to keep at it. And to keep at it, you should do your exercises, but no more than you have to.
Your tip?
Try it out. See what works well for you, what feels good. And: vary. Challenge your body again and again. Sometimes short breaks, sometimes long breaks. Vary your exercises, break the routine - and keep at it. It's better to do a short workout than no workout at all.
Mark, you're not the youngest either. Do you feel any physical wear and tear?
I damaged my spine pretty badly in the military. A few hundred parachute jumps with combat equipment left their mark. And the enormous loads you had to carry. 30 to 40 kilos put a lot of pressure on my back.
Healthy & agile
What are you doing about it?
I use my training programme. The easier beginner programmes are ideal for increasing flexibility. I also do them between my harder workouts for active recovery. This keeps me healthy and flexible. Strength training is essential, it strengthens you, but it also strains you, making you stiff and immobile. That's why exercises that focus on joint function are important. In short: I do strength training every four to five days and in between I do the bodyweight exercises that I show in my app.
Some of your exercises bring yoga to mind. What do you think of yoga?
My exercise selection also includes yoga exercises. Flexibility is good, but at some point enough is enough. Advanced yoga in particular, with its extreme positions and contortions, is too much of a good thing. You don't need that.
Who is Mark Lauren?
Mark Lauren is a renowned fitness expert and author who is best known for his effective bodyweight training programmes. Here is a profile with the most important facts about him:
- NameMark Lauren
- Profession: Fitness trainer, author
- Known for: Bodyweight training programmes and books
- Early careerMark Lauren began his career as an instructor for special units of the US Air Force. In this role, he developed efficient fitness programmes that focus on bodyweight exercises.
- BooksHe is the author of several bestsellers, including "Fit Without Equipment" (original title: "You Are Your Own Gym"), which presents a variety of exercises without additional equipment.
- Training philosophyMark Lauren favours minimal equipment and maximum efficiency. His approach emphasises the importance of functional fitness that can be done anywhere, anytime, without the need for a gym.
- Further worksIn addition to "Fit without equipment", he has published other training and nutrition books aimed at a wide range of fitness levels.
- InfluenceMark Lauren has inspired and trained millions of people worldwide by helping them achieve their fitness goals through easy to follow but effective training plans.
Mark Lauren's programmes are particularly popular because of their accessibility and the flexibility with which they can be integrated into everyday life.
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Dimitri Lehner
Editor
