🏋️ Why Your Workouts Should Start With the Hard Stuff

PLUS: Energy Is a Limited Resource—Use It on What Matters

AuthorAuthor

Michael Pender & Ryan Engel
June 17, 2025

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TODAY’S LEVEL UP:

  • Coach’s Corner: Why Your Workouts Should Start With the Hard Stuff

  • Pro Tip: Energy is a limited resource—use it wisely

  • Question from Our Readers: What should I do if I only have 30 minutes to train?

  • Fit Trivia: Which 2000s superhero movie featured a training montage where the hero learns to fight blindfolded using sound and agility?

Why Your Workouts Should Start With the Hard Stuff

Most guys warm up, ease in, and save the hardest stuff for last.

Big mistake.

Here’s why you should tackle your most demanding lifts first:

  • Your nervous system is freshest at the beginning—better performance, better results

  • You reduce the risk of injury when you’re not fatigued

  • You bring focus and intent to the movements that actually build your body

Start your sessions with heavy compounds: squats, presses, deadlifts, pull-ups. Save isolation work for later.

This simple tweak alone can unlock faster strength and muscle gains.

FROM RYAN’S DESK

Comfort whispers, “You’ve done enough.” It’s a trap. Growth lives on the edge of discomfort. Every time you lean into hard things, you sharpen your edge. Get used to doing what others avoid. That’s how men rise.

Pro Tip:

Energy Is a Limited Resource—Use It on What Matters

Training isn't about doing more—it’s about doing the right things while your energy is at its peak.

  • Prioritize your big lifts

  • Skip the “fluff” if time or energy is short

  • End with effort—not fatigue

Train with a purpose. The rest is optional.

Question from Our Readers:

“What should I do if I only have 30 minutes to train?”

– Nate, 49, from Charlotte

Great question—this comes up a lot.

Here’s the go-to strategy:

  1. Pick 3–4 compound movements (push, pull, legs, core)

  2. Keep rest periods short (45–60 sec)

  3. Push intensity, not duration

Example:

  • Dumbbell bench press

  • Goblet squats

  • Bent-over rows

  • Plank or ab wheel

30 minutes is plenty—if you move with focus.

Fit Trivia: Which 2000s superhero movie featured a blindfolded training montage, where the hero honed his skills using sound, reflexes, and raw athleticism?

Answer: Daredevil (2003)! Played by Ben Affleck, Daredevil’s rooftop workouts and blindfolded training scenes became a cult fitness favorite. He didn’t just fight crime—he made calisthenics look cinematic, gritty, and effective.

Ryan Engel, Intl. Fat Loss Coach

Ryan is a leading fitness coach and one of the most known professionals in the space.

He specializes in Body Recomposition and visual body aesthetics and has reached millions worldwide with his powerful messaging. He brings a unique, non-nonsense, yet sophisticated approach to body change.

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Publisher: Ryan Engel

Editor: Michael Pender

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