Buzz
For years, my children have been tagging along to my home gym—even before we had a fully-equipped space, they'd snatch up dumbbells or yoga balls I thought were just for me. I was always happy to see their curiosity, but I couldn’t help but wonder: How could I turn this into a lasting habit for them? It took some time, but I believe I’ve finally cracked the code.
I created the workout routine you see here when my kids were between the ages of 6 and 12. My eldest was definitely prepared for a more structured strength training plan: he wanted to build strength for the sports he played and had the discipline to stick with a daily gym visit. The younger ones, however, were just looking for fun, which is great, but they’d often wander into the gym when I was trying to work out and ask me to give them a workout too. So, I was on the lookout for a simple yet enjoyable lifting routine that I could recommend on the fly and keep them entertained without interrupting my own session. Eventually, I discovered a routine that worked wonders for all of them, and it's now my go-to suggestion for anyone wanting to add some strength training to their day.
I jotted this down, or something very similar, on a whiteboard in the gym:
Strength Made Simple
Complete 2 sets of 5 repetitions for goblet squats
Perform 2 sets of 5 repetitions for kettlebell deadlifts
Execute 2 sets of 5 repetitions for bench press
Do 2 sets of 5 repetitions for Kroc rows
Carry any heavy object of your choice for 2 sets
The name and rep scheme come from a book I’ve heard of, though I have yet to read it. I want to emphasize that any alterations I made to the program are purely my own and not endorsed by the authors. I am not familiar with their exact recommendations, but I took their core principles and ran with them.
The basic framework I adapted is as follows:
Each exercise is performed for ten reps, split into two sets of five.
The routine always includes five exercises, covering squat, hinge, push, pull, and carry categories.
This program can be done every day.
Increase the weight once it starts to feel too easy.
It’s been an overwhelming success. The oldest child has slipped from the routine a few times, but he always picks it back up without needing any reminders from me. Occasionally, his younger brother joins in, and together they work through the exercises. Even my youngest is able to complete the five exercises on the list, though she does need a bit of help with some of them.
Here’s why my kids absolutely loved this.
To begin with, they were hooked by the name. For kids who tend to get winded or discouraged quickly in gym class, the idea that exercise can be 'easy' is incredibly attractive and even groundbreaking. As stated in a paper describing the Easy Strength program, the first time you perform an exercise, it should be light enough that it feels like a 5 or 6 on a scale from 1 to 10. To put it another way, you’re doing five reps of each exercise with a weight that you could easily do for 9 or 10 reps if you wished. (If you’re in the mood, you can always add more weight, but the goal is for it to never feel 'hard.')
Next, we selected exercises that they genuinely enjoy. I’d love to see my kids do more pushups, but the older ones prefer bench presses (and they know the proper form, with the safeties in place). They dislike almost all types of squats except for goblet squats, so I’ve accepted it—better to stick with goblets than to skip squats altogether.
Third, and I believe this is crucial, we focused on exercises that demand minimal setup time (or at most, a quick adjustment). We have a variety of kettlebells in small, medium, and large sizes. Depending on the child, they use medium or large kettlebells for deadlifts, and small or medium ones for squats. Initially, I thought they might want to start adding small plates to the kettlebells to increase the weight, but they preferred to keep using the same kettlebell until it felt too easy, then they would switch to the next larger size. And that works just fine.
Why this training program is actually a hidden gem.
At first glance, it might seem almost ridiculous. Just two sets for each exercise? When my eldest first tried it, he was done in under 15 minutes. As he got more familiar with where everything was and how to do the minimal setup, there were days when he finished in under 10 minutes.
But here’s the deal: The sweet spot for building muscle and strength is generally believed to be in the range of 10 to 20 sets per muscle per week, with beginners often able to get by with fewer sets. If you’re doing two sets daily, that’s 14 sets a week. Even if you only train five days a week and take the weekends off, that still gives you 10 sets. And if you’re a kid who drops into the gym a few times a week but forgets about it otherwise, you’re still doing six sets a week—which is much better than doing nothing at all.
Don’t they need rest days? I can already hear you questioning the screen. Not necessarily. Keep in mind that if you’re doing an amount of work your body has adapted to (or if it’s relatively small to start with), you can pretty much do it every day. For example, taking a walk every day is perfectly fine. People working manual labor do it every day.
Alternatively, consider this: no one would bat an eye at a program that had three or four sets of each exercise on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This is essentially the same thing, just spread across more days. It’s still the same total volume of work. (And no, there’s no natural law that forces you to take a day off between strength sessions; rest days are mostly for convenience.)
If you're looking to start this with your kids (or even for yourself), here's a simple guide to get going.
For those wanting to set something up for themselves or their family, here are a few helpful tips to begin the process.
The key is ensuring that everyone, especially the kids (or you), understands how to properly perform the exercises in the program. If a child needs to learn how to squat, deadlift, and perform every other move all at once, it's unlikely they'll make it through without frustration. However, if you've been guiding them through air squats or reminding them to keep their back straight while showing interest in lifting a kettlebell, they're more likely to be prepared for these exercises in their routine. Unsure where to start? Ask them what they've been practicing in gym class. For older kids who can follow a YouTube tutorial, consider trying these:
Goblet squat
Barbell squat
Push-up
Deadlift (using a barbell)
Kettlebell swing
Inverted rows
Once the exercises are learned and can be done safely, let them follow the routine on their own if age-appropriate. This is where the minimal setup rule applies: Make sure they can jump right in without needing assistance or searching for multiple items. Kettlebells and fixed dumbbells (the ones that aren't adjustable) work great for this, but don’t forget that bodyweight exercises often need very little setup.
For instance, you can have the kids start doing pushups with their hands on a bench. As they get stronger, they can progress to doing them on the floor, and eventually, raise the difficulty by placing their feet on the bench. Step-ups are another excellent exercise when air squats become too easy. Inverted rows are also a solid 'pull' exercise, and they can eventually work up to performing pullups if you have a bar available. Check out my list of bodyweight movements for building strength, and choose some exercises that will be perfect for your little ones (or even older kids).
If you're doing this for yourself, consider the version called 'Even Easier Strength,' which is detailed here. This plan allows you to gradually build up to a heavy single every other week and sometimes do sets of 10. While your kids may appreciate the consistency of certain exercises, you can switch things up every two weeks—or whenever the mood strikes. For example, in the squats section, you can alternate between squats, lunges, step-ups, and unweighted single-leg squats to a box (or any other variations that appeal to you).
Is this the ultimate method for building strength and muscle? Well, probably not if you're training for a powerlifting competition. But any workout routine that you’ll actually stick to is far better than doing nothing at all. So, if challenging training plans aren't your thing, make staying healthy easy by creating a routine that's quick enough to fit into your day and enjoyable enough to stick with. After all, why should kids have all the fun?
