Without a plan, anything that you do can go haywire and has a good chance of failing. And having a plan is critical when it comes to workouts, because you are already investing so much time, money and effort. Today let’s understand why and how exactly you should be planning your workouts.
If you do not have a plan, how will you know what to do? And anything done randomly can also have random consequences. It’s best that you do not take this chance with your body.
When you have a plan, you - -
• Set your goals clearly and chart a path for achieving them
• Take time out to understand your body thoroughly
• Track your progress easily and level up accordingly
• Have the right set of variety workouts (cardio, strengthening, conditioning, flexibility stretches, etc.)
• Make sure you work out on all the muscle groups
• Understand and pair the right muscles
• Have clear rest and recovery period between two workouts on the same muscle
• Avoid muscle injury
• Give importance to the areas that need the most attention
• Are mentally prepared and can plan your day’s activities accordingly
• Eat the right food in the right quantity
Step 1 in planning a workout is to understand your body well. And the best way to do it is to consult your doctor. This way, you will know your cardiovascular health, problem areas, your excess fat deposit, areas of concern and any other physical tension in your body that you need to take care of. (e.g., neck pain, weak back, knee injury). This will help you know the areas to work on and the areas/workouts to avoid.
Step 2 is to plan your whole week’s workout by breaking down the target areas. It can be done in two ways –
• Complete gym workout
• Variety Functional Workout
You may choose either one basis your convenience and availability -
1. Complete Gym Workout
Pick 2 From The Following
• Chest
• Back
• Shoulders
• Legs
• Biceps
• Triceps
Recommended Combinations –
• Back & Biceps
• Chest, Shoulders & Triceps
• Legs
Day 1: (Monday) of weight training ___ and ___.
Day 2: (Wednesday) of weight training ___ and ___.
Day 3: (Friday) of weight training ___ and ___.
Your three-day weight training routine maybe - Monday, Wednesday, Friday or maybe Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Whichever suits you best.
The key is to give yourself a day in between weight training sessions so that you may include a cardiovascular session on your non-weight training days. Include at least 1-2 days off each week for rest and recovery purposes.
• For each weight training day, pick 2-3 exercises for each muscle and do a total of 3 sets (12-15 repetitions). You may increase the weight as per your strength.
2. Variety Functional Workout
Day 1: Upper Body Strength Training (45-60 mins): You can either lift weights or hop in for some functional training. The idea is to help build lean muscle, increase bone strength, and prevent injury.
Day 2: Lower Body Strength Training (30-60 mins): The same rules apply for lower body as well. Either functional training or weightlifting can help you achieve your goal.
Day 3: Yoga or a low-impact activity like barre, light cycling, or swimming (30 to 60 minutes): A low-impact workout will ensure you give your muscles time to recover before you hit the heavy weights again, but can still be a great way to burn major calories.
Day 4: HIIT (20 minutes): The fast paced variety of movements keeps the workouts interesting.
Day 5: Total-body strength training (30 to 60 minutes): When it comes to strength training, you should aim to hit all of your major muscle groups like your quads, glutes, hamstrings, chest and upper back, plus core. Keep your primary focus on heavier compound lifts like the deadlift, hip thrust, squat, bench press and weighted rowing movements (plus anti-movement exercises for your core).
Day 6: Steady-state cardio (running or cycling for as long as feels comfortable for you): Cardio is extremely good for your heart health and boosts up the overall stamina and metabolism.
Day 7: Rest and Recover: And while you do so, don’t forget to stretch plenty and use a foam roller to open up the tensed muscles.
With these two plans clearly laid out, I hope you will be able to make your own workout plan easily. Remember why you started and stay focused. With your determination and a plan, your goals will be achieved easily. If you have any doubts regarding the planning, drop a comment below and let’s chart it out together.