I used to listen to a lot of BBC Radio 4 back in the day.
One programme I enjoyed in particular before the station became an outlet for successful upper-middle class establishment types to whine about their perceived victimhood was “Desert Island Discs”.
Basically, the guest is asked for the eight records they would want if stranded on a desert island (plus a luxury item and a book).
This concept got me to thinking about the eight “lifts” I would do were I stranded on a desert island, and for some reason these were the only exercises I could perform for the rest of my life.
So behold, my “Desert Island Lifts”:
1. Barbell clean and press
2. Incline bench press
3. Pullovers
4. Barbell Stiff-leg deadlift
5. Barbell back squat
6. Barbell curl
7. Pendlay row
8. Weighted vest walks and runs
Number eight is probably the most important on the list, which is not something I would have said even a year or two ago. This is due to its role in not only keeping my belly at bay but also preventing injury through strengthening my hips, abs, shoulders, knees and lower back in a way you cannot emulate with conventional resistance training.
I’ve known about all of this since forever. But it’s one of those things where head knowledge isn’t necessarily enough to make you do it regularly, because you can only really “get” it as you get older and begin feeling the need to move towards training in a way that emphasises keeping you injury free and healthy.
On a related note, I’ve been a bit lax in promoting October’s issue of The Phil Tyreman Letter, so here are some bullet points about the contents to rectify that.
In October’s issue, you will learn:
* Arguably the safest way to perform bench presses (yes, it will involve you lifting less… but probably not much less… and… you’ll build a tonne of “real world” strength as your numbers rocket back to – and beyond – where they were when you were using inferior form).
* Why using methods designed by and for powerlifters who compete in supportive equipment is a mulched joint waiting to happen (many are unknowingly training in this fashion thanks to the “athletic” training fad pushed by fitness influencers and personal trainers with scant knowledge what these techniques were originally for).
* A teaching of mine that flies in the face of one long-held training dogma that I am convinced is probably 80% of the reason I haven’t suffered a “serious” injury in the gym for over a decade.
* Two things you can do to increase the difficulty of your workouts and spur new progress that are an order of magnitude safer than slapping more weight on the bar (more effective, too – if you are pursuing literally anything other than slapping more weight on the bar).
* One of my long-held training precepts that I recklessly ignored earlier this year, resulting in my first shoulder injury (and if the fact I had hitherto never injured my shoulder was not proof enough of its efficacy, when I re-introduced it, I was almost completely healed in mere weeks).
* What a Checkoslovakian neuroscientist and exercise physiologist has to teach about balanced training (I’ve known about this for a long time, but, honestly, I’ve only really paid attention to it recently as I am starting to feel the ravages of age, but I wish I’d started putting this stuff into action a lot sooner…)
As you can see, the theme of the October 2025 issue is “injury mitigation” (i.e. training in a way that reduces – because it is impossible to wholly eliminate – your risk of hurting yourself and all the trouble stemming from that).
It’s up there with one of the most important issues I have ever written, given it contains a tonne of “must know” info for anyone who is serious about still being able to train (or even get through the day without swallowing a mountain of painkillers!) ten years from now.
You can become a subscriber and get this issue for just £20 per month (or 66p per day, according to my maths). Which is fairly inexpensive in my opinion… and… if you decide you hate it or just change your mind, you’ve a full 30 days from when you subscribe to tell me as such and get a swift, courteous refund.
So, really, you’re not actually risking anything by giving it a shot (unless you don’t trust me to give you your £20 back, but then I doubt you’d still be reading this).
If you want October’s Injury Mitigation issue, deadline’s tomorrow (30th) at 23:59.
Subscription info here:
https://philtyreman.co.uk/information/
Thank you,
Phil Tyreman