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How to Make a Workout Plan

Last Updated: December 5, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by Francisco Gomez and by wikiHow staff writer, Sophia Latorre . Francisco Gomez is the Head Coach at the FIT Potato Gym, a training gym established in 2001 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Francisco is a former competitive runner who helps endurance athletes train for major marathons like the Boston Marathon. Francisco specializes in Injury Rehab, Flexibility, Marathon Training, and Senior Fitness. He has a B.S. in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology & Running. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 406,556 times.

It can be difficult to find time for exercise due to other obligations. Don’t let a busy schedule stop you; exercise can be done in ten minute increments if you can’t set aside larger chunks of time. Once you find the time, you need only decide where and how you will work out. Alternate your routines and be mindful of what you’re eating and drinking as well.

Finding a Time and Place

Step 1 Look at your schedule.

Francisco Gomez

Know what times you have available and commit to those times. Write down the amount of time you have and what days you're planning on exercising. Share your schedule with your friends and family and put the schedule up on your wall. You're more likely to commit when you have accountability.

Step 3 Be realistic.

Learning the Basics

Step 1 Do some push-ups.

  • If you’re comfortable with it, do this exercise while holding a couple of lightweight dumbbells in your hands.
  • You can adjust your hand positioning in order to pull a resistance band and strengthen the same areas of your body. Turn your palms toward you while making fists and raise your arms straight up above your head. [9] X Research source

Choosing a Routine

Step 1 Pick your equipment.

  • Find a trainer to help you get started. Many gyms offer personalized workout routines and a trainer to help keep you on track.

Step 3 Choose the exercises that are right for you.

  • Start with larger movements before moving on to smaller ones.
  • Do isolation movements to strengthen a single body part.

Step 4 Do cardio.

  • Leg exercises include: squats, lunges , wall sits , calf raises , and leg lifts .
  • Arm exercises include: pushups , pullups , and curls .
  • Core exercises include: planks, sit ups , and the superman flex.

Step 7 Mix it up.

Getting Started

Step 1 Start slow.

  • Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps with light weight to start out. This builds muscle memory in the correct movement pattern and strengthens your tendons and ligaments without putting too much strain on them.

Step 4 See what works.

Supplementing Your Workout

Step 1 Drink water.

Is It Better to Work Out in the Morning or the Evening? . By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube.

Sample Workout Plans

how to create a workout plan

Expert Q&A

Monica Morris

  • Talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise regimen to be sure you’re in good health. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

Start Your Own Exercise Regimen and Stick to It

  • ↑ https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/how-to-build-your-own-workout-routine/
  • ↑ https://greatist.com/fitness/how-make-workout-plan-and-stick-it
  • ↑ https://greatist.com/fitness/how-do-perfect-push
  • ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3827/How-perfect-sit-ups.html
  • ↑ https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/why-you-need-squats-in-your-workout-and-how-to-do-them-right/
  • ↑ https://greatist.com/move/workout-plan-how-to-create-your-own-full-body-routine
  • ↑ http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/shoulder-exercises/videos/overhead-dumbbell-press
  • ↑ https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workout-routines
  • ↑ https://www.exercise.com/workout-plans
  • ↑ https://legionathletics.com/how-much-cardio/
  • ↑ http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-tips/4-essential-tips-build-perfect-workout-program
  • ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/

About This Article

Francisco Gomez

To make a workout plan, start by looking at your schedule and finding some free time you can use to exercise. Next, determine what your goals are, such as muscle building or weight loss, and search online for an exercise regimen that fits those goals. In general, aim to do about 2 hours of cardio along with some weight training each week. Also, alternate the types of workouts you do each day to keep your workouts motivating and fun. For example, try a kickboxing class one day and swim laps the next. For tips from our Fitness reviewer on how to build your endurance when you first start working out, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Create Your Own Workout Plan: A Guide for Beginners

  • 22 Comments

how to create a workout plan

Let’s be honest: trainers are expensive. The good ones are worth their weight in gold, creating awesome changes in a short period of time, but a dedicated trainer is still beyond most people’s budget.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get the benefit of an intelligent, well-designed program . In this article, I’m going to teach you how to create your own. You’ll learn to think like a trainer and build an effective workout routine , one that gets you the results you want (without the need to spend thousands of dollars at the gym).

Below, you’ll find the five factors you’ll want to consider in building your plan , along with an example from the running world. Read on, and get some insight into what it takes to build your own program like a pro.

Jump to a section:

How to decide on work days and rest days

How to add active recovery days to your workout plan, how to create workout routines that reduce injury and help you train consistently, how to increase workout intensity over time, how to keep track and chart your progress, factor 1: consistency.

Consistency in training is the number one factor in getting results . You have to train often, and across a long period of time. Therefore, the first thing you need to consider: creating a program that will keep you in the game. The best workout routine in the world is useless if you don’t actually do it. Sidelined, whether for lack of progress, motivation, or a nagging injury, is a surefire way to miss your goals.

The Whole Life Challenge provides the structure to give you the consistency you need to follow through on any exercise plan. With daily accountability to the workouts you want to do, the WLC is just the thing you need to make consistency your middle name

This means we need to build a program that is do-able , with the right mixture of activity and rest.  There is a bit of art to this, but the first step is simple: write a general schedule. What are you going to do each day, Monday through Sunday?

Download the "Beginner's Exercise Plan That Works" E-Book

Get a piece of paper, and write the days of the week along the side , then choose what you’ll do each day: workout or rest. To begin, plan to workout five days per week and rest two days. For most people, this is more than adequate for getting good results. Keep in mind that every workout day will not be a day of intense training or insane mileage: some days will involve hard training, others will involve only recovery or accessory work.  

There are many factors involved in deciding what happens on each day (which we’ll tackle further on in the article), but for now, just decide which days you’ll train and which you’ll rest. I like to do some sort of activity Tuesday through Saturday, leaving Sunday free to spend time with my wife, and Monday free to tackle the work that inevitably piles up on my desk over the previous week.  

Action Step 1 : Regardless of whether you like my schedule or prefer another one, grab your paper and:

  • Pick the five days per week you’ll do some kind of training.
  • Find a time of day that you’ll do that training and put it in your calendar.
  • Make a pledge to yourself to do that training no matter what, knowing that consistency is the most important thing in creating a successful program.

Here’s what my program looks like after introducing Consistency :

Factor 2: Active Recovery

You’ve charted out five days for workouts and two days for rest.  

Next, you’ll want to pick two days for active recovery: one “workout” day and one “rest” day . Active recovery is meant to help you recover from your more intense training.

My favorite active recovery day pursuits:

  • A long walk
  • Yoga (at light intensity)
  • Foam rolling and myofascial release
  • Swimming (casual)

The point of these days is simple :  you want to keep moving, improve your range-of-motion, repair your muscles, and maintain a habit of activity. I’ll let you research each of the recovery activities listed above on your own (or better yet, try them all and see what you like), but here is my basic take:

A long walk burns energy, reduces stress , and gets your muscles and joints warm. It relieves soreness from previous workouts, and if combined with a light stretching, helps maintain your range-of-motion (your ability to move fully around any given joint). Swimming and yoga (of the correct, light intensity) accomplish much the same thing: you’ll improve your body’s dynamic abilities while staying active, and you’ll have fun to boot.

Your exercise requirement in the Whole Life Challenge is what you say it needs to be. You can fulfill your daily exercise commitment with easy movement or a workout at a relaxed pace, if that’s what your body needs. There’s no need to push yourself to the limits every day.

Foam rolling and myofascial release are keystones to recovery , and should sprinkled liberally throughout your program. Using external implements like rollers, lacrosse balls, and massage sticks, you’ll break down accumulated adhesions and scar tissue in your muscles, restoring their natural ability to lengthen and shorten without difficulty.

Myofascial release will help you avoid injury and maintain athletic ability . You can think of it like changing the oil in your car, making sure the tires are properly inflated, keeping the gas tank full: it’s the basic maintenance that keeps things running for a long, long time. While it will get its own day in my sample schedule, note that you should take ten to fifteen minutes before of after every workout to do some myofascial release. If this is your first exposure to the concept, go over to YouTube and search “foam rolling”. You’ll hit a trove of information on the topic.

Action Step 2 : Take your schedule, and choose one of your rest days and one of your five workout days for active recovery. Ideally, place active recovery days throughout the week, breaking up your more intense training days. Then, pick a few of the recovery activities that appeal to you, and pencil them in for the selected active recovery days.

Here’s what my program looks like after introducing Active Recovery:

Now, you’ve got a basic, seven-day schedule, and it’s time to choose activities for your workout days.

how to create a workout plan

Factor 3: Variety

We want to avoid too many workouts that follow the same pattern. Rep schemes, times, miles, loads, and activities need to be altered regularly.  

Doing the same thing every day is an excellent way to induce mental burnout and bodily injury . Going through the same movements over and over, you’ll batter the same muscles, beat the same joints, and eventually you’ll break, the repetitive stress overcoming your ability to recover.

Therefore, we want to choose several different activities across workout days , choosing those that address our athletic deficiencies while building up our strengths.

A classic example of the problem : the unguided, novice distance runner. She starts running with one goal, going further. She does a mile every day for the first week, two miles every day the second week, and so on, repeating for months until joints hurt, range-of-motion is limited, and plantar fasciitis infects every step. She does the same thing at the same intensities, with predictable results: nagging injury.

She would be better off running three days a week, doing intense hill sprints and track work one day and a long, slow five-miler later in the week, and capping it off with a one-mile max effort, each intense running day preceded by an active recovery day or lighter work. She would build in some full-body strength training on her fourth training day to help make sure her muscles become strong enough to support the natural battering of frequent running.

This variety would build her speed (via the track day and the one-mile max effort), her endurance (via the long distance day), and her strength (via the lifting day), while the interspersed recovery days (swimming, yoga, and myofascial release) would keep her injury-free and able to train consistently. By contrast, running long and slow every day would build her endurance only while exposing her to injury.

Action Step 3 : Put sufficient variety in your workout days. Choose what specific activity you’ll do each day, along with the appropriate variation to help you avoid repetitive injury, reinforce your strengths, and build up your deficiencies.  

Here’s what our distance runner’s schedule would look like after introducing Variety :

Factor 4: Challenge

To make consistent progress, your hard workouts need to get harder over time .  This means you have to increase load, speed of completion, volume (or all three) as you make progress, upping the relative intensity of your workouts. If you fail to do this, you’ll inevitably plateau.  

Do not make things harder quickly. Rather, you should build in challenge slowly and gradually, making sure that you’re still recovering adequately from previous workouts. This balance is the number one hurdle to trainers everywhere: introducing challenge fast enough to create change without inducing injury or causing missed training days.  

Typically, you’ll want to train for four to six weeks at any given level of difficulty before trying to layer on more, and you’ll want to listen to your body. If you’re not recovering from your workouts well enough to tackle the next workout with intensity and focus, you’ve likely ramped up challenge too soon.

Adding challenge is an art, and takes a variety of forms. A linear program ramps up challenge in a straight line, and is typically most effective with beginners. A periodized program ramps challenge up in a more up-and-down fashion, building, then backing off, then building again, and is used with more advanced athletes.  

For the sake of example, we’ll use a linear program that ramps on a monthly basis, but realize that this is where you’ll want to do your research and evaluate your progress. Do you need to keep increasing challenge, back off, or spend longer at any given level of challenge?

Action Step 4 : Create a linear program across three months, building challenge in gradually across time.

Here’s what our distance runner’s schedule would look like after introducing Challenge :

As you can see, I added volume to most of the running workouts across time (and load to the weight lifting workout).  

Alternatively, our runner could keep the volume of the workouts the same across months and simply aim to run faster and complete her lifting sessions more quickly after each four-week training cycle, increasing speed of completion.   

Either is an acceptable way to increase challenge . Which you choose is largely a matter of preference for the novice, and need for the advance athlete—to choose a method, simply ask yourself which would better serve to build your athletic deficiencies. If you’re generally slow, you might consider going faster as your principal method of increasing challenge. If you’re already quick, but have a hard time maintaining speed, you’d choose to increase challenge by building volume.

Factor 5: Record Keeping

To program intelligently, you need to keep records. Your records should be both objective (recording times, loads, mileage, etc.) and subjective (recording how your body feels, mental state, recovery level).

Having these records at hand will allow you to see what’s working and what’s not, giving you clues as to how to alter the program for the next cycle. For instance, let’s take the program above.  

Imagine that runner’s log shows that during Month 1, her mile time got faster each week, as did her 200m splits.  During Month 2, her mile times slowed during week 6, as did her 200m splits:

What happened? It’s likely that we increased challenge too quickly, layering on too much volume too quickly. Remember, at the beginning of month 2, we added two extra 200m sprints, an additional mile to the long run, and a second medium-distance time trial.  She handled it okay during week 5, but then we saw decreased performance.  

We’ll want to make an alteration . We could revert to the Month 1 programming and see if we resume the streak of personal bests.  Alternatively, we could back off a portion of the Month 2 volume, going back to the Month 1 five-mile distance runs and three 200m sprints, but keeping the additional 1-mile time trial. We could even add in an additional rest day for a few weeks.

How would we know which course to take? Herein lies the art of training. We’d rely on experience and our subjective records for each day to pick the most likely solution, running a one-person experiment.  

We’d begin by examining our recorded thoughts and feelings for clues. For instance, if our runner reports feeling sluggish all week during Week 6, she may be suffering from accumulated fatigue, and she may decide to rest two or three days and then resume the Month 2 program.  If the poor performance continues, she would choose to decrease the volume back to Month 1 levels. If she sets new personal bests, she would carry on with the Month 2 program.

This is the benefit of record keeping. It gives us clues. Should we keep going with the program or back off? Are we getting continued progress, or have we stalled out?  

Action Step 5: Record your results and check them against your goal(s). Are you getting the result you want from your program? If not, what is the likely culprit, and how will you alter the program going forward?

Making It Happen

Designing your own program is within your capacity. Keep in mind that if you’ve never done it before, you’ll make some errors along the way, but know that this happens to even the most experienced coaches.  

Don’t let your lack of experience stop you from trying . The only way to get better at programming is to give it a shot.  

To help you avoid common mistakes, use these guidelines :

  • Create consistency by keeping a regular weekly training schedule
  • Include one full rest day and two active recovery days in your program each week.
  • Use variety in your workouts to build multiple physical qualities, helping you avoid injury, reinforce strengths, and build weaknesses.
  • Add challenge over time, adding volume, load, or speed gradually and sensibly to drive continued progress.
  • Keep a record of your training, including objective and subjective measures, to better inform your future programming decisions.

When you begin programming, be cautious. The curse of the novice is to try for too much gain too quickly, training too often, layering on too much challenge, forgetting prudence in favor of excitement.  

To prevent a quick and painful end to your programming career, remember : you have your whole life to train, and the most important thing you can do on any given day is preserve your ability to train tomorrow. If you keep this mindset, you’ll inevitably make progress.

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Fitness program: 5 steps to get started

Are you thinking about starting a fitness program? Good for you! You're only five steps away from a healthier lifestyle.

Starting a fitness program may be one of the best things you can do for your health. Physical activity can lower the risk of long-lasting disease and improve balance and coordination. It can help with weight loss, sleep and self-esteem. And you can start a fitness program in only five steps.

1. Measure your fitness level

You probably have some idea of how fit you are. But find out for sure. Learn about your fitness level and write down your scores before you start your program. Use the scores as benchmarks against which to measure your progress.

To measure your aerobic and muscular fitness, flexibility, and body composition, write down:

  • Your pulse rate before and right after walking 1 mile (1.6 kilometers).
  • How long it takes to walk 1 mile, or how long it takes to run 1.5 miles (2.41 kilometers).
  • How many standard or modified pushups you can do at a time.
  • How well you move through the full range of motion in your hips, knees, ankles, shoulders and elbows.
  • Your waist circumference, just above the hipbones at about the level of the bellybutton.
  • Your body mass index (BMI).

2. Design your fitness program

It's easy to say that you'll exercise every day. But you'll need a plan. As you design your fitness program, keep these points in mind:

  • Think about your fitness goals. Are you starting a fitness program to help lose weight? Or do you have another reason, such as training for a marathon? Having clear goals can help you measure your progress and stay motivated.

Make a balanced routine. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week. Or get at least 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week. You also can get an equal combination of moderate and vigorous activity. Aim to exercise most days of the week.

For even more health benefits, get 300 minutes a week or more of moderate aerobic activity. Exercising this much may help with weight loss or keeping off lost weight.

Do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. One set of each exercise is enough for health and fitness benefits. Use a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.

  • Start slow and go forward slowly. If you're new to exercise, start carefully. Slowly build up to a moderate or vigorous intensity level. Aim to increase your activity level by no more than 10% a week. If you have an injury or a medical condition, talk to your health care professional or fitness professional. Together you can design a fitness program that slowly and steadily improves your range of motion, strength and endurance.
  • Build activity into your daily routine. Finding time to exercise can be a challenge. To make it easier, schedule time to exercise as you would any other appointment. Plan to watch your favorite show while walking on the treadmill. Read while riding a stationary bike. Or take a break to go on a walk at work.
  • Plan to include different activities. Doing different activities, called cross-training, can keep you from getting bored with your exercise routine. Cross-training using low-impact forms of activity also lowers your chances of injuring or overusing one specific muscle or joint. Low-impact activities can include biking or water exercise. Each time you work out, choose activities that focus on different parts of the body. You might walk or swim one day and do strength training the next day.
  • Try high-intensity interval training. In high-intensity interval training, you mix short bursts (10 to 30 seconds) of high-intensity activity with recovery periods of low-intensity activity.
  • Allow time for recovery. Many people start fitness programs with a lot of energy. But they work out too long or too hard. And they give up when muscles and joints become sore or injured. Plan time between sessions for your body to rest and recover.
  • Put it on paper. A written plan may help you stay on track.

3. Gather your equipment

You'll probably start with athletic shoes. Be sure to pick shoes made for the activity you have in mind. For example, running shoes weigh less than cross-training shoes, which offer more support.

If you're planning to buy exercise equipment, choose something that's practical, fun and easy to use. You may want to try out some types of equipment at a gym or fitness center before buying your own equipment.

Try using fitness apps for smart devices or other activity tracking devices. You can use them to track the distance you walk, track calories you burn or check your heart rate.

4. Get started

Now you're ready for action. As you begin your fitness program, keep these tips in mind:

Start slowly and build up gradually. Give yourself plenty of time to warm up and cool down with easy walking or gentle stretching. Then speed up to a pace you can keep doing for 5 to 10 minutes without getting overly tired.

As your energy improves, slowly add to the amount of time you exercise. Work your way up to 30 to 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week.

  • Break things up. You don't have to do all your exercise at one time. Weave activity into your day. You still get aerobic benefits from shorter sessions done a few times a day. Plus shorter sessions may fit into your schedule better than a single 30-minute session. Any activity is better than no activity.
  • Be creative. Maybe you walk, bicycle and row. But don't stop there. Take a weekend hike with your family or spend an evening ballroom dancing. Find activities you enjoy and add them to your fitness routine.
  • Listen to your body. If you feel pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or nausea, take a break. You may be pushing yourself too hard.
  • Be flexible. If you're not feeling good, it's OK to take a day or two off.

5. Check your progress

Assess your fitness six weeks after you start your program. Then do it again every few months. How are you doing? You may need to add more exercise time. Or you may find that you're exercising about the right amount to meet your fitness goals.

If you lose motivation, set new goals or try a new activity. Exercise with a friend or take a class at a fitness center.

Starting an exercise program is an important decision. But it doesn't have to be an overwhelming one. By planning carefully and pacing yourself, you can begin a healthy habit that lasts a lifetime.

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  • Getting started — Tips for long-term exercise success. American Heart Association. https:// www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/getting-active/getting-started---tips-for-long-term-exercise-success. Accessed April 27, 2023.
  • Tips for starting physical activity. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/tips-get-active/tips-starting-physical-activity. Accessed April 27, 2023.
  • How older adults can get started with exercise. National Institute on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/how-older-adults-can-get-started-exercise. Accessed April 27, 2023.
  • Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2nd ed. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition. Accessed April 27, 2023.
  • AskMayoExpert. Physical activity (adult). Mayo Clinic; 2022.
  • Riebe D, et al., eds. ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Wolters Kluwer Health Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2018.
  • Feito Y, et al., eds. ACSM's Fitness Assessment Manual. 6th ed. Kindle edition. Wolters Kluwer; 2021.
  • Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. July 11, 2023.

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How To Build a Workout Plan (That’s Effective): The Ultimate Guide

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As a gym owner I meet dozens of people who don’t have hours of spare time to train, but they still want a great workout.

Requests for fast workouts became so frequent that I put a board up in the gym where I program a workout. I call it the ‘Daily Dose’. It’s a workout that ticks a bunch of fitness boxes in around 45 minutes.

In this ultimate guide to fast, effective workouts I’m going to share with you the basis I use for writing the Daily Dose at MyGym. 

I’ve never shared this with anyone before, so you’re a lucky bunch!

Putting the workout on paper – how to get it right

How to pair exercises to maximize gains and minimize time, know when to stop, wear a heart rate monitor to check the intensity, understand that less is more, pick your exercises to enhance mobility, varied programming works for a variety of people…, what to expect from this ultimate guide to build a workout plan.

In this one article I’m going to break down the thought process behind how I build a workout plan. I’m going to guide you through…

  • Understanding the important elements of the workout – keeping the useful stuff in, and what you can get away with removing
  • How to approach multiple goals within a single session
  • Incorporating a functional warm up into a fast-paced session, without wasting time
  • Manipulating loads, sets, reps and exercises to get a cardio benefit
  • Training your abs without dozens of weird movements designed to ‘target’ certain areas
  • How to include stretching and range of movement improvements in weight training
  • Show you real examples of how the Daily Dose looks at MyGym

By the end of this guide on how to build a workout plan, you’ll be thinking like a professional personal trainer. 

You’ll be approaching your workout programming differently and understanding how to build workouts without the fluff.

Chapter 1: Tick all the boxes

Chapter 2: Effective exercises

Chapter 3: Warming up

Chapter 4: Cardio conundrum

Chapter 5: Abs

Chapter 6: Range of movement

Chapter 7: Case studies

How to Build a ‘Ticks all boxes’ Workout Plan that takes less than 45 minutes

Because short workouts don’t have to lead to short on results.

I’ll let you into a secret. As a gym owner and personal trainer, a lot of what I see people doing in the gym is wasted effort or could be improved. 

Think about it…

All of that time spent on your phone between sets… time wasted. 

Those multiple isolation exercises… often time wasted. 

Generic cardio or conditioning work… time wasted.

I bet just by removing wasted time between sets you could reduce most workout lengths by 20%.

Personal trainers and strength coaches live and die by their results, so there’s no room for fluff in their programming. Unless an exercise can be justified, it has to go.

That’s why personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach programming looks so vastly different to exercise class workouts for example.

We exist to get results, not to entertain. 

In this first part I’ll run you through the top line thinking that helps you to build a workout plan…

How to identify the workout goals

In this case we’re building a ticks all boxes workout. One that will help you to build strength, burn a lot of calories, improve your cardio fitness, add muscle to your frame and improve your flexibility. 

That means we have to use multiple tools combined in order to build a workout that will achieve those goals within a short period of time. 

Once you have identified your goals, whatever they may be, start to think about how the workout should look…

Remember the limitations you have in place – that could be time, space, equipment etc, and work around them.

You can design the best session in the world on paper, but if you don’t have the time, the space, the equipment or the ability to execute it properly, it’s time and effort wasted.

How to figure out the workout structure

For a workout to offer multiple benefits in a short period of time we need to figure out what is important…

  • A warm up can’t be an indulgence, so we have to design one that contributes as exercise – it can’t be a long, slow, dragged-out series of exercises and movements
  • We can’t build muscle and strength without a resistance training element, so that has to be the central element of the workout.
  • To maximize calorie burn and maintain a high heart rate for cardio improvements, we have to minimize rest periods and increase general muscle use
  • To improve range of movement and flexibility when lifting, we need to adapt exercises to allow for greater ranges and improved technique
  • The whole workout is time-pressured, so we have to structure the exercises to allow minimal disruption between movements

This is the thinking for a general fitness workout. You’d need to adapt it for other types, so a cardio workout plan would look different depending on the outcomes you’re after. The same with a pure strength workout.

Remember that these types of workout are for general fitness. They’re not specialist programming with a very narrow set of outcome measures.

It’s important to always refer back to your desired workout outcomes. Keep them front and center of your thinking when designing the workout structure. It’ll help you stop getting distracted and tweaking your workout plans. 

When this happens, you end up with a long workout that doesn’t hit all of the goals well.

Once you have considered the goals, the limitations and the structure, it’s time to get the workout down on paper. 

My suggestion is you start with your primary limit. In the case of a 45 minute workout, it’s time – I’ve got to make the workout fit in that window. Respecting these is key to building a workout plan…

  • The warm up will be a maximum of 5 minutes and has to contribute as exercise – it serves a purpose beyond merely warming up the body.
  • Rest is a factor – it’s ‘dead time’ in a workout, so we want to ensure there’s just enough. No more. If we rest too long, we eat into the available training time.
  • We need to make sure the whole body is trained, so we’re sticking only to compound exercises and considered supersets.
  • There’s no time to stretch, so we have to make sure a full range of movement is part of the workout.

When you think about the variables and the potential problems you might come up against, it helps you to get the workout structure right from the start.

I’ll go into more detail as to how we fit these things in the workout later. 

How to Select the Most Effective Exercises for the Workout

Not all exercises are created the same. 

So how do you go about picking the best ones to build a workout plan that’s fast-paced and has multiple outcomes?

Compound or Isolation exercises?

You can categorize exercises a whole bunch of different ways… cardio or resistance, dumbbell or barbell, bodyweight or resistance band etc, but in this case we’re looking at a distinct two groups…

Compound: An exercise that uses multiple muscles and involves movement at several joints. Examples being squats, deadlifts, presses, olympic lifts etc.

Isolation: An exercise that tries to isolate a single muscle and requires major movement at only one joint. Examples being calf raises, bicep curls, lat raises etc.

Compound movements are more efficient – they train more muscle in a single exercise. They raise the heart rate more, so they burn more calories. They also elicit a greater growth hormone response.

There is also some good research ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ) that suggests a trained lifter gets more gains by lifting shy of failure. Compound lifts are much harder to train one muscle to complete failure due to using more muscle groups. 

And once you’ve been working out for a few months, you’re effectively a trained lifter!

We’re exclusively using compound exercises in Daily Dose workouts. We’re training for efficiency, and the most efficient way of weight training uses compound exercises. When you build a workout plan, keep this in mind.

However, isolation lifts do have their place. Especially, for beginners as there is research that shows training to failure helps produce more muscle growth ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 )…

Think in terms of movements, not muscles

There are 7 human movements. 

That’s all. 

If you perform all 7 of the human movements, you’ll train every single muscle in the body. So, rather than think of muscles to train, think of movements to perform.

Here are the 7 human movements, with a couple of examples of each…

  • Push (bench press, shoulder press)
  • Pull (pull ups, rows)
  • Squat (front squat, back squat)
  • Hinge (deadlifts, kettlebell swings)
  • Lunge (lunges, split squats)
  • Rotation (Russian twists, woodchoppers)
  • Gait (running, farmers carry)

If your workout incorporates all of these movements, ideally from compound exercises, you’ve trained all of the body. That way you don’t need an exhaustive list of exercises, you just need a handful of very effective ones!

One of the most powerful and effective training tools we have available to us is supersetting – pairing two exercises back to back, without a rest period.

You can perform a superset with the same body part (push ups into bench press for example), but I prefer a different approach.

I like to pair two exercises using different body parts. I do this for two reasons…

  • It’s a great way of maintaining a high heart rate throughout
  • You improve workout quality – one body part rests whilst another one works

There’s no ‘rules’ around how you pair the exercises, but what I try to stick to are pairings that don’t interfere with each other too much. 

Take push ups and shoulder presses as a pairing for example – although they target different body parts, they use similar muscles. This means the residual fatigue from the first exercise will impair the performance of the second.

Instead, aim to pair opposites… kettlebell swings with push ups, or squats with pull ups type of thing. This means you maintain intensity, but you allow body parts to stay fresh etc. 

A simple way to think of this is use two different body movements i.e. push with a pull.

This high intensity approach reduces training time significantly, whilst maintaining a very high level of workout intensity throughout the training session.

Putting together a no-nonsense, effective warm up

How to prepare your body properly for exercise, without eating into too much of your training time

Pick your cardio wisely

When possible, I like a warm up to include a gentle cardio element to it. In this case though, we need the cardio to be something that trains the whole body in one go, because we’re putting together a whole body workout.

An exercise bike is lower-body only, so that’s out. A ski erg is upper body only, so that too would be out. 

That means we have to stick to machines or methods that train the whole body – good examples include a rowing machine, cross trainer, jump rope, shadow boxing and running. 

A medium pace for 2-3 minutes will be a sufficiently good start to the warm up.

Making the warm up functional

One way to make a warm up more than just a prep phase for the body is to include exercises that have real fitness benefits. This is crucial to build an effective workout plan. 

What I mean here is don’t just perform mobility exercises, but instead use easier versions of traditional exercises. One way I like to do this for my personal training clients is to use a 3-2-1 bodyweight exercise protocol.

Here’s how it works…

  • 3 Bodyweight squats
  • 1 Jumping pull up

I have them repeat this for 5-10 rounds, depending on what we’re doing and how long we’ve got. 

It is progressive (starts easy, but each round becomes progressively tougher), safe (injury risk with body weight exercises in such low numbers is basically zero), and it trains the whole body, so it’s a great way to progress the warm up beyond the cardio element at the start.

The warm up is just that – a warm up. You have to know when to progress onto the tougher work when your time is limited. Once you’re warm, anything extra is just an indulgence.

The way to tell if you’re ready to train is once you feel yourself moving freely without any issue, your heart rate is up and you’ve got a gentle sweat on. That’s when it’s time to crack on with the rest of the work.

The cardio conundrum…

How to generate a cardiovascular fitness benefit from a weight training workout

Maximize heart rate by minimizing rest periods

If you think you need to pound the treadmill in order to get a great cardio workout in, you’re wrong. High intensity weight training is a great cardio workout , as proven time and again by research. 

This is easy to understand when you think about what cardio really is – it’s maintaining an elevated heart rate for a given period of time through exercise.

There are no rules about what that exercise needs to be, so you can get a cardio workout through running, swimming, skipping, boxing, kettlebells etc.

The vehicle to raise your heart rate isn’t important… What’s important is that your heart rate is raised. 

By lifting weights with short (or no) rest periods between sets, you raise your heart rate and keep it up there throughout the session. It’s why we are using supersets, so we can ensure at least one part of the body is always working throughout the session.

A study from 2015 explores the different rates of calorie burn and cardiovascular output during a variety of different resistance training approaches.

The conclusions are clear – adjusting weight training protocols to include high intensity training significantly increases energy burn and the cardiovascular response . 

Adding a workout finisher to a session

One of my favorite additions to a workout is the inclusion of a high intensity workout finisher. It’s a time or rep target, performed at a much higher than normal intensity.

The benefit of the finisher is it’s a great way to increase the calorie burn in a short period of time. Set aside time for a finisher, and put together either a circuit, a superset or a single whole body exercise for a time or rep target. 

A simple but effective example of a finisher would be to perform the max number of burpees you can in 5 minutes. It requires no equipment, it’s one exercise and you just repeat it until you hit the time limit. 

I like to wear a heart rate monitor in my training because I think it keeps you honest. There’s no hiding place from the data when you’re training with a heart rate monitor on. If you set a heart rate target, you’ll know if you drop below it during a session.

Some heart rate monitors will alert you if your heart rate drops below a certain level. This is a great way to ensure you are working hard enough.

It also means you maintain the high calorie burn, maximize the cardiovascular output and enjoy a better, more effective workout.

Using these types of tools will help to keep you working hard. Even if it’s a small difference per workout, these differences add up. This compound effect will be dramatic over the course of a few months or years. 

How to train your abs quickly but effectively

Learn the exercises to select so you can train your core without taking up too much time

Getting the static exercises in

I wrote an abs program for the site a while back, and in it I explained the need for static and dynamic abs exercises.

In 99% of exercise programs, there are plenty of dynamic exercises that will train the abs (squats, deadlifts, overhead presses all train the abdominals). It means we don’t need to factor these in – the workouts are already taking care of most abdominal training requirements. 

When you come to build a workout plan, add a couple of static ab exercises into your workouts (static means the back stays stiff, whereas in dynamic exercise the back can flex and extend), you will make sure the abdominals are trained thoroughly without having to add in half a dozen different exercises.

Making sure the ab exercises include ‘anti’ movements

The core is partly responsible for protecting the back, and one of the ways it does that is by resisting movements. Two of the best examples of resisting movement are anti extension and anti rotation.

Think of an ab roll out – the abs allow the body to extend, but only to a point. The anti-extension element kicks in and the abdominals act to prevent further extension. The same happens with rotation. With a Pallof press, the core engages to prevent rotation.

These are both excellent abdominal exercises and tick movement boxes for us. This kind of combination will see the abdominals sufficiently trained. 

The human body works as a single unit – it’s very difficult (actually, it’s near impossible) to isolate body parts. Think of a squat – it’s a ‘leg’ exercise, but it engages the core and back as well, so it’s not only a leg exercise.

With this in mind, remember that you can and will be training abs with other exercises, so you don’t need to focus too much of your time and attention on the abdominals – use other exercises to help out too.

How to improve range of movement with resistance training

Manipulating exercise equipment and positionings to improve joint range of movement

Dumbbells are your flexibility friend

There is strong evidence that strength training through a greater range of movement helps with muscle flexibility and joint mobility. One of the best ways to do this is with dumbbells .

They don’t suffer the same movement restriction as a barbell , allowing the range of movement on an exercise to increase.

Think of a bench press – the barbell version is limited when the bar reaches the chest. Dumbbells don’t reach the chest – they can pass on beyond the torso, increasing the functional range of movement.

Increasing range of movement with additional supports

Weightlifting shoes are designed with a wedge to help with squatting stability and improved torso positioning. You can replicate some of these benefits with the creative addition of fractional weight plates or a squat wedge.

Placing fractional plates (the smallest plates – usually 1-5lbs) under your heels as you squat allows you to increase the depth of the movement you’re capable of. This helps to stretch the quads as you squat.

Performing split squats with the rear foot elevated helps to stretch the hip flexors. Performing stiff legged deadlifts whilst standing on a weight plate will help to increase range of movement and hamstring stretch.

Use these tactics to benefit your flexibility, as well as the other aspects of your fitness.

If you have to squeeze out as many benefits as possible from the workout, make exercise selections that allow for that. Instead of opting for machine based exercises, stick with the free weight versions that you can manipulate to your advantage. 

These small adjustments may seem minor, but they add up to enable a lot of additional workout benefits.

How it looks in practice to build a workout plan

Examples of short duration, high return workout programs

The Daily Dose workout at MyGym is updated every day. They won’t always follow every single rule I’ve added in this article, but they’ll hit the majority of them. 

The pictures below will give you a good idea of how I build a workout plan that is designed to train the whole body, with multiple benefits in 45 minutes or less. These are real-life examples of the kind of programming I do every day.

The programming to suit most people, most of the time…

The Daily Dose is the go-to programming at MyGym – it’s followed by scores of members every day. As a generalist program, written for people who need to complete a whole workout in 45 minutes or less, it works fantastically well. 

It’s generalist – you’re not going to add 100LBS to your squat in 12 weeks using it, but if you want to improve your general fitness it fits the bill perfectly. It’s short, it’s intense and you’ll benefit all aspects of your fitness in 45 minutes…

OK, so they’re fast workouts, but do they work?

I get it – in a world where we’re told it’s all about hard work, time, dedication etc, if I come here telling you that you can achieve great results in 45 minute workouts, it sounds too good to be true.

The short answer is yes, they do work. Really, really well.

The longer answer is don’t confuse a short workout with an easy workout. These are TOUGH when they’re done properly. If you want great results in a short period of time, you’ve got to be willing to work so much harder per minute than you do in a ‘normal’ workout.

Take a look at these pictures for evidence – this is my heart rate data after, pictured next to the workout…

The point is, don’t confuse short workouts with easy workouts. If you want these excellent results, you’ll have to work for them. Nothing in life comes easy.

We’ve got so many success stories from Daily Dose programming, so I’ll share just a few of them. They’re all impressive in their own right, and not just because of the physique changes.

In some cases it has re-educated people about exercise, giving them the inspiration to train. One woman, Kath (swinging the kettlebell) had always avoided exercise because she thought she didn’t have the time for it. Now she trains multiple times per week.

The others (Lewis and Lizzie) show what can be achieved in 45 minute sessions, performed at high intensity.

These are real people, performing real workouts and achieving real results. Like I said, this isn’t specialist programming, it’s generalist. It’s designed to help people improve all aspects of their fitness, and it works really well. 

How to Build a Fast, Effective Workout Plan: The bottom line

In this article I’ve explained to you how to program workouts that won’t take long to complete, but they’ll be very effective at helping you to improve your general level of fitness.

This kind of article gives you an insight into how I go about workout design. It’s not merely a list of exercises thrown together – a good workout considers purpose, challenge, variety, safety, functionality, and effectiveness.

Have a go at putting together a few of your own workouts given the tips in here.  If you’re struggling, go take a look at the many workout programs on the Strong Home Gym website.

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What type of exercise should you do?

Aerobic exercise (cardio), strength training, balance exercises, flexibility exercises, how to build an exercise plan.

No single type of exercise can help you reach your fitness goals or keep you motivated. But this guide to getting started can help you develop a balanced exercise plan that works for you.

how to create a workout plan

Adapted with permission from  Starting to Exercise , a special health report published by Harvard Health Publishing.

There is no single type of exercise that can take care of all your needs. In fact, to get the most benefits from your routine, you want a mix of activities during the course of a week. Otherwise, it's like a diet consisting only of fruit—healthful as far as it goes, but lacking a lot of the nutrients you'll find in other foods, such as fish, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.

Developing a balanced exercise plan

So what does a balanced exercise plan consist of? The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services urge all adults to include the following types of exercise in their weekly routines:

  • 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week (for example, 30 minutes on each of five days) or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity (or an equiva- lent mix of the two).
  • two or more strength training sessions per week, with at least 48 hours in between to allow muscles to recover.
  • balance exercises for older adults at risk for falls.

If this all sounds overwhelming, remember that workouts can be broken up into smaller segments. For example, three 10-minute walks can get you to your daily goal of 30 minutes of aerobic exercise.

Each workout should also include a simple warm-up at the beginning and a cool-down at the end. The warm-up should consist of gentle exercise, such as marching in place, to loosen up your muscles and get more oxygen-rich blood flowing to them. To cool down, slow your activity and the intensity for five to 10 minutes, then finish off with stretches to help prevent stiffness.

Read on to learn more about each component of a balanced exercise program in greater depth and suggest a mix of activities and exercises to get you going.

Often called cardio or endurance activities, aerobic activities are great for burning calories and paring down unwanted fat. They consist of activities that make the heart and lungs work harder: think of walking, biking, running, and swimming, for example.

Aerobic exercise temporarily boosts your heart rate and breathing, allowing more oxygen to reach your muscles and tuning up cardiovascular endurance. These are the activities that are associated with lower risk for many diseases and longer life span.

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How much should you do?

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend accumulating a weekly total of at least two- and-a-half hours of moderate aerobic activity, or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity. (Note: If you prefer a mix, 10 minutes of vigorous activity equals roughly 20 minutes of moderate activity.) Raising your weekly goal to five hours of moderate activity, or two-and-a-half hours of vigorous activity, nets additional health benefits, especially weight loss. Each session should last at least 10 minutes.

Get started

Walking is usually safe for people of any age or level of fitness and can easily be adjusted to a comfortable speed. It doesn't jar joints or raise your heart rate to dangerous levels. For a greater challenge, you can add time, distance, or hills to improve endurance or use resistance bands to tone while you walk.

Follow these tips to get the best workout from your walks:

Find a safe place to walk. Quiet streets with side- walks, park trails, athletic tracks at local schools, or shopping malls are often good choices.

Buy a good pair of shoes. Look for supportive but flexible soles that cushion your feet. Comfort is the key when buying shoes for walking. Shop at the end of the day when your feet are at their largest size. Choose shoes with “breathable” uppers, such as nylon mesh.

Dress for comfort and safety. Wear lighter clothes than you'd need if standing still. Dress in layers so you can peel off garments if you get hot. Light-colored clothes and a reflective vest help drivers notice you.

Do a five-minute warm-up and cool-down. Start off at a slower pace for your warm-up. At the end of your walk, slow down to cool down (even if you're not sweaty).

Practice good technique:

  • Walk at a brisk, steady pace. Slow down if you're too breathless to carry on a conversation.
  • Stand tall.
  • Hold your head up so your chin is level and look 10 to 20 feet in front of you.
  • Lift your chest.
  • Keep your shoulders down.
  • Point your toes straight ahead.
  • Let your arms swing loosely at your sides. If you want to boost your speed, bend your elbows at 90-degree angles and swing your hands from waist to chest height.
  • Land on your heel, then roll forward onto the ball of your foot, pushing off from your toes.
  • Take comfortable strides. To go faster, take quicker steps instead of longer ones.

Strength or resistance training, which typically employs equipment such as weight machines, free weights, or resistance bands or tubing, protects against bone loss and builds muscle. It also improves your body's ratio of lean muscle mass to fat. It, too, deserves an important place in your exercise routine.

Technically, strength or resistance training takes place any time your muscles face a stronger-than-usual counterforce, such as pushing against a wall or lifting a dumbbell. Using progressively heavier weights or increasing resistance makes muscles stronger. Aside from toning you, strength training provides the functional strength you need to do everyday activities— lifting groceries, climbing stairs, rising from a chair, rushing for the bus—with ease.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend strengthening exercises for all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms) two or more times a week, with at least 48 hours between sessions. One set per session is effective, though two or three sets may be better, according to some research. Repeat each exercise eight to 12 times (reps). Your body needs at least 48 hours for recovery and repair between strength training sessions in order to build more muscle and get stronger.

These tips for safe strength training will help you get the most from your workouts:

Focus on form, not weight. Align your body correctly and move smoothly through each exercise. Poor form can prompt injuries. Many experts suggest starting with no weight, or very light weight, when learning a strength training routine. Concentrate on slow, smooth lifts and equally controlled descents while isolating a muscle group. You isolate muscles by holding your body in a specific position while consciously contracting and releasing the targeted muscles.

Tempo, tempo. Tempo helps you stay in control rather than undercut strength gains through momentum. For example, count to four while lifting a dumbbell, hold for two, then count to four while lowering it to the starting position.

Breathe. Blood pressure increases during a work- out, but it rises even more if you hold your breath while performing strength exercises. To avoid steep increases, exhale as you lift, push, or pull; inhale as you release. To make sure that you're not holding your breath, count your tempo aloud. You can't hold your breath when you're talking.

Keep challenging muscles. The right weight differs depending on the exercise. Choose a weight that tires the targeted muscle or muscles by the last two repetitions (reps) while still allowing you to maintain good form. If you can't do the minimum number of reps, choose a lighter weight. When it feels too easy, as if you could continue doing reps, challenge your muscles again by adding weight (roughly 1 to 2 pounds for arms, 2 to 5 pounds for legs) or using a stronger resistance band. Alternately, you can add another set of reps to your workout (up to three sets), or work out additional days per week. If you add weight, remember that you should be able to do the minimum number of reps with good form, and the targeted muscles should feel tired by the last two reps.

Give muscles time off

Strenuous exercise like strength training causes tiny tears in muscle tissue. These tears are good, not bad: muscles grow stronger as the tears knit up. Always allow at least 48 hours between sessions for muscles to recover. So, if you do a strenuous full-body strength workout on Monday, wait until at least Wednesday to repeat it. It is fine to do aerobic exercise on the days between your strength training. If you're doing a partial-body strength session, however, you might do upper-body exercises on Monday, lower-body exercises on Tuesday, upper-body exercises on Wednesday, lower-body exercises on Thursday, etc., and also do aerobic exercise on as many days as possible.

Our sense of balance typically worsens as we age. It can be further compromised by medical conditions like neuropathy (a complication of diabetes or certain chemotherapy drugs) that can cause tingling, pain, and numbness in the feet; side effects from other medications; uncorrected vision problems; or a lack of flexibility. Poor balance often leads to falls, which can cause head injuries and temporarily or permanently disabling injuries to the bones and nervous system. Hip fractures, particularly, can lead to serious health complications and can impair independence.

Older adults at risk for falls can benefit from a combination of walking, strength training, and balance exercises. Balance-enhancing activities include tai chi, yoga, and Pilates. Strength training exercises that work core muscles in your abdomen and back also help with balance. As you work towards improving your balance, using a medical alert system may help ease your concerns about falling.

For older adults at risk for falls, the guidelines recommend 30 minutes of balance training and muscle strengthening exercises three times a week, plus at least 30 minutes of walking activities twice or more weekly.

Flexibility exercises like stretching and yoga gently reverse the shortening and tightening of muscles that typically occur with disuse and age. Shorter, stiffer muscle fibers may make you vulnerable to injuries and contribute to back pain and balance problems.

Frequently performing exercises that isolate and stretch elastic fibers surrounding muscles and tendons helps counteract this. A well-stretched muscle more easily achieves its full range of motion. This improves athletic performance—imagine an easier, less restricted golf swing or tennis serve—and functional abilities, such as reaching, bending, or stooping during daily tasks. Stretching can also be a great way to get you moving in the morning or a way to relax after a long day. Activities such as yoga combine stretching and relaxation and also improve balance, a wonderful combination.

However, note that experts no longer recommend stretching before exercise. Prolonged stretching impedes the maximum contractile force of muscles. For example, stretching prior to jumping decreases jump height. Instead, experts now recommend starting off your exercise with a warm-up, such as an easy walk or a sport-specific routine such as serving some tennis balls and practicing ground strokes before a match. This increases the movement of blood and oxygen to the muscles. Then, when muscles are warm and pliable—for example, after five to 10 minutes of exercise—you can stretch. Or, even better, do your flexibility exercises as your post-workout cool-down.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans present no specific recommendations for making flexibility exercises part of your routine. However, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that older adults do flexibility exercises on the same days as aerobic or strength activities, or at least twice a week.

When starting a stretching routine, follow these tips for safety:

  • Check with your doctor. If you have joint disease or arthritis, or if you've had a joint replacement, check with your doctor before starting stretching exercises.
  • Warm up first. Warm muscles are more flexible. Warm up for five to 10 minutes first, or save stretching for your cool-down routine after exercising.
  • Stretch all muscle groups. Just as with strength training, stretching should include all muscle groups.
  • No bouncing. Never bounce as you stretch. This triggers a contracting reflex that actually tightens the muscle you're trying to loosen.
  • Feel mild tension only. Extend your muscle to the point where you feel mild tension and hold that position. You should never feel pain.
  • Breathe. Breathe easily through your nose while stretching.
  • Hold and repeat. The best results come from holding a stretch for 10 to 30 seconds and repeating each stretch two to six times for a total of one minute.

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What a Complete Workout Schedule Looks Like

how to create a workout plan

Verywell / Photo Illustration by Michela Buttignol / Getty Images

Types of Exercise You Need

Where to start, beginner workout schedule, intermediate workout schedule, advanced workout schedule, frequently asked questions.

Knowing where to start is a challenge if you're a new exerciser or trying to get back into exercise. The best workout schedule for you will depend on various factors like your age, fitness level, goals, and any physical restrictions you may have.

Having a properly planned workout schedule will provide structure to your workouts and ensure you incorporate strategies that help you see the results you want. Workout plans also help you know exactly what to do so you aren't left guessing.

Depending on your goals, a workout schedule will likely include resistance training , cardiovascular exercise, active rest, and flexibility or mobility work. Some of these workouts can be combined or done on separate days. Active rest is essential on the days you are not completing more intense training.

Whether your goal is to lose weight, improve your health, get in better shape, or all of the above, there are three main components to a good exercise program:

  • Cardio exercise : Cardio can be any activity that gets your heart rate up, from walking or jogging to cycling or taking a fitness class . Regardless of the exercise, it is always smart to warm up with 5 to 10 minutes of light cardio.
  • Weight training : You don't have to lift heavy weights or even spend a lot of time on weight training at first, but you do need to lift. Your muscles will get stronger, helping with daily functioning, and more muscle mass will boost your metabolism.
  • Flexibility training :   You also need to have the flexibility to go through a full range of motion for each exercise you do. Stretching increases your flexibility and helps your body recover after exercise. While some people like to set aside a day to focus on flexibility, you don't need a separate workout for this—stretching should be included in every workout.

Some people prefer to set a schedule with days devoted to just cardio or strength training. However, these exercises can be done on the same day or even combined with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) so long as you are physically fit enough and leave time for recovery.

Set a weekly schedule in advance to ensure you get the right amount of each of these types of exercise throughout the week.

No one workout program is going to fit everyone, but it may help to see a sample workout schedule that includes all the workouts you need, whether you're a beginning exerciser or more advanced or experienced.

These sample workouts give you a place to start, but they're only suggestions. First, determine your fitness level  so you know whether to use beginner, intermediate or advanced schedules.

If you're new to exercise, remember these basics and give yourself time to get used to regular workouts.

  • Ease into exercise . Start with a simple cardio program and a full-body strength training routine. If that's too much, start with strength training and let that be enough. Most strength training workouts will also increase your heart rate, working your cardiovascular system.
  • Be sure to rest and recover . You may need extra recovery days to allow your body to rest and heal. It's normal to be sore when you try new activities, but if you can't move the next day, that means you overdid it and may need to back off your next workout.
  • Make it work for you . A typical beginner program will include two to three days of cardio and two days of strength training. You can also combine these workouts if you do not have five days to devote to exercise.
  • Learn how to monitor your intensity .   Most beginners will start working out at a moderate intensity. That means you're at about a Level 5 on the perceived exertion scale . Or you can use the talk test : If you can carry on a somewhat breathy conversation while you're working out, that's usually a moderate intensity. 

Sample Weekly Workout Plan

This sample program is appropriate for someone just getting started with—or getting back to—exercise. Remember that it is just a suggestion and you may find that different workouts work better for you (for example, swimming instead of cycling).

Remember to start every workout with 5 to 10 minutes of light cardio and stretching, and to cool down with flexibility exercises.

Aim to include multiple planes of motion in your workout. Add lateral moves by doing side lunges or shuffles in your warm-up, for example, and incorporate rotation by throwing cross-body punches while walking.

If you've been exercising for at least three months consistently, you typically fall into this category. If your goal is to lose weight, you want to work your way up to 20 to 60 minutes of cardio about five or more times a week.

  • This is a great time to try interval training once or twice a week, which will give you more bang for your workout buck.
  • Don't skimp on strength training . It builds muscle and boosts metabolism. Your strength training schedule will depend on what type of workouts you're doing (e.g., total-body training or a split routine ). And, when possible, be sure to use a mirror to check and adjust your form.
  • You can do cardio and weight training on the same day . It is best to do the workout that best matches your goals first. If your goal is to improve muscular strength or size, perform your strength training routine first. If your goal is to work on cardiovascular health, do cardio first. If you will be doing an intense or demanding weight training session, always perform it first so reduce the risks of injury from fatigue leading to form mistakes.

The following schedule includes a split routine for your upper and lower body, allowing you to focus more attention on each muscle group.

It is not necessary to do split routines, and other types of weight lifting routines may be better for you, such as full-body , body part splits , push-pull-leg workouts , and more.

Weekly Split Workout Plan

If you've been exercising regularly for several months and do a variety of activities, you fall into this category. To continue making progress and beat plateaus, you'll need to add intensity and variety.

  • Mix up your workouts to keep things interesting . As an advanced exerciser, you have lots of options for scheduling your workouts. If you want to focus on strength and muscle, you can split your strength routine even further, doing push exercises one day and pull exercises the next.
  • You can also make your cardio more intense . You can do this by incorporating high-intensity interval training, high-intensity circuit training , or other advanced techniques to burn calories and build endurance. 
  • Rest and recovery are critical . The real focus should be on allowing your body to rest between high-intensity workouts. Too much intensity can cause injury , overtraining , and burnout .

A Word From Verywell

These are just examples and won't fit every exerciser. The most important thing to keep in mind is to start where you are, not where you want to be. It often takes weeks, even months, of experimenting with different types of exercise and schedules to find something that fits your goals, schedule, and fitness level.

Keep in mind that you don't have to follow the same schedule every week. In fact, most people have to change each week depending on how they are feeling or what's going on in their lives. The best thing you can do for yourself is to stay flexible and remember there's no perfect workout program for everyone.

How many days per week you work out is a personal choice, but it is wise to get in some activity every day. Strength training should be performed two to three days per week. You can also perform cardio on those days or alternate days. Active recovery work such as walking, swimming, cycling, etc., can be performed every day.

There is no optimal way to split your workout. You can perform full-body routines, or split them between upper and lower body. There are other types of splits such as push-pull-legs or specific small body part splits as well. Choose what works best for you and your schedule. Monitor your progress and change your routine if you aren't seeing results.

You do not have to work out particular body parts each day, but it is wise to work each muscle group at least two times per week. This could mean full body workouts two days per week, or upper and lower body splits four days per week, for instance.

Aristizabal J, Freidenreich D, Volk B. et al .   Effect of resistance training on resting metabolic rate and its estimation by a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry metabolic map .  Eur J Clin Nutr. 2015;69:831–836. doi:10.1038/ejcn.2014.216

American Council on Exercise. Top 10 benefits of stretching .

McGrath C. Myths and misconceptions: Muscle soreness . American Council on Exercise.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How much physical activity do adults need? .

American Council on Exercise. Cardio or weights first: Cardio before vs. after weight lifting .

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical activity for a healthy weight .

By Paige Waehner, CPT Paige Waehner is a certified personal trainer, author of the "Guide to Become a Personal Trainer," and co-author of "The Buzz on Exercise & Fitness."

How to Create a Workout Plan That Works for You

Here's how to create a workout plan tailored to you that’s also well-rounded and helps you achieve your health and wellness goals.

How to Create a Custom Workout Plan

There are countless forms of exercise, from walking at a steady pace to high-intensity interval training for cardiorespiratory fitness, and from full-body circuit training to split routines that have you focus on specific muscle groups during each strength-training workout. Plus there are workouts to enhance balance, coordination, agility, speed and a long list of other fitness skills.

how to create a workout plan

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So, how can you create a workout plan tailored to you that’s also well-rounded and helps you achieve your health and wellness goals?

Steps to Tailor a Workout for You

1. figure out what you enjoy.

No amount of research into the effectiveness of a particular type of exercise matters if you don’t enjoy the workouts, as that is a key factor in determining exercise adherence over the long haul.

As the saying goes, the best workout for you is the one you’ll do on a regular basis. Also, try to get out of the mindset that a workout must take place at the gym to “count.” After all, 300 calories burned on the dancefloor, in the garden or on a hiking trail count just as much as 300 calories burned in a group fitness class.

2. Establish goals

Knowing why you want to exercise can inform the types of workouts you will perform. And, make your goals SMART : That is, specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound.

For example, saying “I want to lose weight” isn’t nearly as helpful as “I will attend a cycling class two days a week, lift weights two days a week and hike once each weekend in an effort to lose 20 pounds before my vacation six months from now.” This type of goal setting focuses on the process as much as the outcomes you’re pursuing.

3. Think about all elements of fitness

Make sure you create a well-rounded routine that addresses all elements of fitness: cardio, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and mobility . You may love lifting weights, but if that’s all you do, you’ll be neglecting key aspects of your health and fitness.

Also, be sure to build in some recovery time . The body needs rest, so be strategic when scheduling your workouts to ensure you have time to recover between the same types of workouts.

4. Take an honest look at your daily and weekly schedules

It can be very easy to be overly optimistic when you’re excited to get started with a new workout plan. “I’ll go to the gym every day after work!” is a lot easier said than done. Figure out where exercise can be integrated into your current routines. For example, a 30-minute walk on your lunch break is a great way to exercise without having to significantly disrupt your schedule or set aside time to exercise during your before- or after-work hours.

Also, think about when you like exercising and what makes sense for your daily schedule. Then add your workouts to your schedule as you would any other important appointment. You’ll sometimes have to modify your schedule to accommodate a workout (e.g., a class at the gym), but the more frequently you can fit workouts within your existing schedule, the easier it will be to complete those periods of exercise.

It’s important to also note that exercise doesn’t have to last a certain amount of time to yield benefits. Three 10-minute walks during your workday are just as effective as one 30-minute walk.

5. Set yourself up for success

Consider the following tips to optimize your chances of success:

  • Start slowly and progress as appropriate. You may think you need to “flip a switch” and do everything correctly from day one, but a slow and steady approach that allows room to learn and adapt your program is much more likely to lead to sustained success. Also, starting too quickly can lead to injury.
  • Be kind to yourself. Everyone misses workouts and eats unhealthy food on occasion. Expecting perfection will only set you up for failure. Focus on steady progress not perfection.
  • Mix it up . Variety prevents boredom. Also, trying new forms of physical activity, both inside and outside the gym, is a great way to discover things you enjoy.
  • Find a workout partner . Having a friend, family member, or coworker join you is the perfect way to create accountability and add fun to your routine. Knowing someone is expecting you to walk with them may just be the motivation you need to head outside on your lunch break.
  • Track your efforts . Keeping a workout log or using an app to record your workouts allows you to see progress that you might otherwise overlook.
  • Don’t forget about nutrition . You can’t out-exercise an unhealthy diet, so being mindful that what you eat is vital to reaching your health and wellness goals.
  • Celebrate your success. Every mile hiked, class completed, set performed or pound lost is a reason to celebrate. It can be very easy to fall into the trap of beating yourself up when you miss a workout; instead, celebrate your small successes every step of the way. Seeing progress will enhance your motivation to keep going .

Identify Your “Why” to Optimize Motivation

When it comes to establishing a workout plan, it’s all about personalizing your fitness routine . One element of that process that is often overlooked is aligning your workouts with your values. If you want to lose weight or get in better shape, think about why you have set those goals for yourself and then dig a little deeper.

Perhaps your desire to lose weight is really about pain reduction when you take part in leisure-time activities. Or, maybe it’s more about wanting to keep up with your grandchildren. Those deeper values – the “why” behind your goals – could provide much-needed motivation as you pursue a healthier, more active lifestyle.

Strategies for Gaining Muscle

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Here's What a Perfectly Balanced Weekly Workout Schedule Looks Like

Follow this expert-backed gym regimen to give your results a major boost.

With benefits such as better quality sleep , a boost in brainpower , and increased levels of happiness , it's no wonder why exercise is such an important part of your daily routine. The fact that you're getting up and out is a win in itself, but science and experts agree: There are loads of benefits to diversifying your workout plan, including avoiding injury.

"Variety is the spice of fitness," says Adam Rosante , celebrity strength and nutrition coach. "One of the surest ways to hit a plateau is to do the same workout over and over."

While it's not for everyone, you can work out every single day if you want to forgo a rest day — as long as you do so smartly. This means caring for your body as you go and not overdoing it. "You can do cardio or strength training seven days a week if you want to," says Dennis Cardone , D.O., chief of primary care sports medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center . "Especially if you're not doing max lifts and opting for smaller sets of 10-or-so reps." (And be sure you're hitting that foam roller after each workout.)

So how do you structure your weekly workout plan to reduce injury and optimize results? After all, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) recommendation is pretty broad: 150 minutes of moderate activity every week (examples include a brisk walk or a bike ride at a casual pace, per the national public health agency) and two days of muscle-strengthening.

Look no further than this perfectly balanced weekly workout schedule courtesy of Rosante. "Give it a whirl, and you can get stronger while improving your overall conditioning and boosting your energy," he says.

Monday: Upper-body strength training (45 to 60 minutes)

It's no secret that strength training is a critical part of any weekly workout schedule. Sure, dumbbells and barbells may look overwhelming at times, but strength training can help build lean muscle, increase bone strength, and prevent injury. Try this upper-body dumbbell workout or incorporate HIIT into your upper body training with this at-home bodyweight workout . When it comes to following an A+ weekly workout plan, remember to change up your strength routine every three to four weeks to keep seeing results, suggests Holly Rilinger , an AAFA-certified personal trainer and founder of LIFTED. (Check out this four-week weight training plan.)

Tuesday: Lower-body strength training (30 to 60 minutes)

When it comes to lifting, the general rule of thumb is to allow 48 hours of recovery time between working the same muscle group, according to the Hospital for Special Surgery . (When you train, you develop microscopic tears in the muscles that produce inflammation, and your body needs this in-between time to repair the tears.) That said, focus on lower-body strength on "day two" of your weekly workout plan to give upper body muscles a rest.

Wednesday: Yoga or a low-impact activity such as barre, light cycling, or swimming (30 to 60 minutes)

While spacing out your weekly workout plan, avoid doing the "same activity on successive days," says Dr. Cardone. "So, if you have a high-impact day, follow that up with a low-impact day." A low-impact workout will ensure you give your muscles time to recover before you hit the heavy weights again.

Thursday: HIIT (20 minutes)

Not only do these fast-paced workouts take less time than others, but they can also provide the same health benefits as endurance activities, according to a 2013 study published in the Journal of Physiology . There's even evidence that those who pick up HIIT-style workouts are more likely to stick to their routine (including a weekly gym workout plan!) because of the variety of movements.

"HIIT could take dozens of forms, but a good start would be to pick something you like, like running, cycling, rowing, or dancing," says Rosante. "Then, do it for intervals of time. Short bursts of full effort work coupled with lower-intensity work of the same move."

Friday: Total-body strength training (30 to 60 minutes)

End your workweek with total-body strength training. "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," says Rosante. He encourages a primary focus on heavier compound lifts (which work tons of muscle groups), such as the deadlift, hip thrust, squat, bench press, and weighted rowing movements — plus, anti-movement exercises for your core. "Think: plank and plank variations as well as exercises like the Paloff press," he says.

Saturday: Steady-state cardio (running or cycling for as long as feels comfortable for you)

HIIT workouts tend to get all of the attention these days for their many benefits , but steady-state cardio is still important for your health. In fact, a 2017 study found that running just two hours a week can significantly extend your lifespan, providing some pretty convincing evidence that running deserves a place in your weekly workout schedule. Ditto for biking —a 2017 study conducted by researchers at the University of Glasgow and published in the British Medical Journal suggested biking can help you live longer while reducing your risk of cancer and heart disease by nearly half. (FYI, cyclists involved in the study clocked an average of 30 miles per week.)

Sunday: Rest

Sunday is your much-needed rest day, so don't forget to use it to foam roll and stretch. "Think of fitness as a lifelong experience," says Rilinger. "When you're younger, you feel invincible and ignore the warning signs. Giving your body the time it needs to recover means you can stay in the game longer."

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What is the best weekly workout plan to see results?

Exercising five days a week with a mix of cardio and strength training is a good rule of thumb.

Welcome to Start TODAY. Sign up for our  Start TODAY newsletter  to receive daily inspiration sent to your inbox — and  join us on Instagram !

It seems like every day there's another viral fitness trend claiming to transform your health. With so many different workouts to choose from, it can be hard to figure out what the best plan of attack is when creating a fitness routine.

What's the best workout schedule? What types of exercise should you include in your routine and how often you should be doing them?

Before we get into the details of creating an effective weekly workout plan, it's important to know that any exercise is better than nothing! I never want people to feel discouraged to even start because they feel like they can’t commit to a certain number of days per week or a certain length workout each day. Even a 10-minute walk around the block has positive benefits for your health — so do what you can, when you can! 

For those people with a general goal of improving their health and fitness, incorporating different types of exercise on a consistent basis, and reaching a moderate-intensity during those workouts, will provide the best results. Being regularly active boasts a wide variety of health benefits that include managing weight , reducing the risk of disease, strengthening bones, improving brain health , and improving a person’s ability to perform daily activities.

As a personal trainer, many of my clients enlist me to create the best workout schedule for their lifestyle and their goals. While this is customized to each person, there are a few basic guidelines that I follow.

How often should I exercise?

To improve overall health and fitness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends exercising 4-5 days a week for at least 30 minutes a day, though some exercise is better than none.

Everyone's workout schedule will look sightly different based on fitness goals, gym accessibility and the kind of exercise they enjoy. But this is the workout schedule I generally recommend to improve overall health and fitness. I recommend that my clients exercise five days a week, dividing the workouts as follows:

  •  3x/week: Full-body strength training
  • 2x/week: Cardio
  • Pilates core work on strength-training days and yoga and/or stretching on cardio days

How much cardio per week?

The amount of cardio you should be doing weekly depends on your specific goals. If your goal is to lose weight, doing at least two days of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or another aerobic activity (like spinning , swimming or fast walking ) is what I recommend for my weight-loss clients.

Most lower-intensity cardio sessions will only increase calorie burn during the activity itself. More vigorous activities increase calorie burn not only during the workout, but afterward when at rest (this is referred to as the “after-burn effect”). This means that not only are you burning calories during the workout, but for hours after your workout session.

How much strength training per week?

I recommend that my clients strength train three days a week. Following this schedule you can expect to build muscle and lose weight if that's your goal. Not only does research show that strength training helps reduce overall body mass and fat, but research also shows it can improve your body image. Many of my clients report feeling stronger and more confident after a single strength-training session because they find a sense of accomplishment in strengthening their bodies. Other clients have found that after adding in strength training, their bodies begin to release weight and they finally see the number on the scale start to go down.

A sample weekly workout plan

This weekly workout plan gives you an idea of what a week of well-balanced workouts may look like, including strength training, cardio, yoga and rest days.

I usually recommend adding Pilates core work to strength-training days and yoga and/or stretching to the cardio days.

However, if you are crunched for time, you can do cardio and strength training on the same day. Just keep in mind that it’s best to not do the same strength-training workout two days in a row because the muscles need time to rest and repair. You can do cardio, core work and stretching every day!

  • Monday: Strength training (full body) with Pilates abs and yoga stretching
  • Tuesday: Cardio HIIT Session (20-30 minutes) or long walk/swim
  • Wednesday: Strength training (full body) and Pilates abs and yoga stretching
  • Thursday: Rest day
  • Friday: Strength training (full body) and Pilates abs and yoga stretching
  • Saturday: Cardio HIIT session (20-30 minutes) or long walk/swim
  • Sunday: Rest day

how to create a workout plan

Stephanie Mansour is a contributing health and fitness writer for TODAY. She is a certified personal trainer, yoga and Pilates instructor and  weight-loss coach  for women. She hosts “Step It Up with Steph” on PBS. Join her complimentary health and weight-loss  challenge and follow her for daily inspiration on  Instagram and in her  new app .

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The Ultimate Guide to Building Your Own Bodybuilding Workout Plan

Making physique progress in the gym takes a skillful approach to program design..

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  • Bodybuilding Programming
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From cannonball delts to cut abs , an impressive physique is the proverbial pie in the sky for every gym rat who hits the iron to look good. However, knowing where you want to go is much easier than figuring out how to get there.

If you’ve ever opened a muscle magazine to find a workout routine that leaves you scratching your head, or tried to copy the pre-show program of your favorite competitive bodybuilder, you probably know what it’s like to be frustrated by twists and turns that might only be clear to tenured physique athletes.

how to create a workout plan

Below, we lay out the facts for you so you can create and implement a workout plan that puts you on the path to the physique you’ve always wanted. 

Bodybuilding Programming Explained

While you don’t personally need to have a physique or bikini show marked on your calendar, learning how physique pros structure their approach to muscle development is critical if you’re interested in building your own training program. You don’t need to have earned your pro card to forge yourself a pro-quality physique. 

Bodybuilders tend to sort their training year into two distinct categories. The off-season, commonly considered a “bulking” phase, where athletes try to pack on as much new lean tissue as possible, and prep cycles, where they “cut” down to remove excess body fat .

Each phase has notably different approaches to nutrition, as well as some significant alterations to training. Recreational lifters with physique-related goals often follow a similar cadence. 

If you’re an Arnold aspirant, growing your chest — and the rest of your physique — takes precedence in the off-season. Bodybuilders trying to put on size will typically increase their training volumes, stack up more plates for higher intensities, and implement special techniques such as supersets, cluster sets, or tempo training to force adaptations and spur new growth. This is all facilitated by an increase in caloric intake . 

To uncover their newfound gains and show off months of hard work and heaping portions, bodybuilders enter their show prep with the goal of reducing calories to lose fat while adjusting training so they hold onto the muscle they’ve built . In the gym, this means reducing overall volume, keeping intensity reasonably high, and usually tacking on some extra cardio .

[Related: How Actor Ethan Suplee Dieted Like a Bodybuilder to Get Abs ]

How to Train for Bodybuilding

Developing the right training approach for bodybuilding actually has a lot in common with the necessary evil of strict calorie control . Once you identify your goal — either to cut down, bulk up, or even maintain — it’s all about working through a hierarchy of needs and checking the boxes that make up a smart training plan . 

Choose a Workout Split

Bodybuilders have a wide array of exercise options and variations to draw from. While this may seem daunting, it’s actually a benefit — a variety of training styles means you can select the workout philosophy that suits you personally, barring a little trial-and-error.

Upper-Lower training involves grouping your workouts according to which half of the body you’re working on a given day. Performing all of your upper body training in one session is convenient, straightforward, and simple, and the same goes for the legs. This style of training integrates well with certain intensity techniques such as supersets , but can also be pretty grueling, as there are typically a high number of compound exercises .

Bodypart splits have you divide your weekly training over several days, coupling synergistic muscle groups together and isolating contrasting ones from each other. Think pairing up your chest and shoulder training on one day, while leaving biceps and triceps work for the day after. Bodypart splits are great for giving ample attention to the muscles that need it (especially for veteran gymgoers), but are often full of isolation work and can take a long time to complete.

Push/Pull splits follow the same idea as bodypart splits, but pair up muscles in accordance with their mechanical function. A “push” day may involve chest and shoulder pressing, or maybe even some quad work. While your “pull” sessions would involve most of your posterior chain . Push/pull training is popular among those who believe in powerbuilding , as the routines typically involve many compound exercises with heavier weights and fewer reps. These routines help facilitate strength development alongside gains in lean body mass . 

Choose Your Exercises

One aspect of bodybuilding training that sets it apart from its strength-centric cousins is the flexibility in exercise selection. Powerlifters , Olympic lifters , and strongmen focus on training movements — physique athletes train muscles . 

how to create a workout plan

This means that the tools used to target the biceps, back, glutes , etc. are highly individualized. To get the most out of your training, you need to experiment with different exercises and find ones that “click” for your body. 

Below, you’ll find a buffet of options organized by major muscle group. There are many more applicable and interesting exercises out there, but these should give you something of a jumping-off point when it comes to designing your hypertrophy program.

Chest Exercises for Bodybuilding

  • Dumbbell Bench Press
  • Barbell Bench Press
  • Incline/ Decline Bench Press
  • Cable /Machine Flye
  • Weighted/Machine Dip

Back Exercises for Bodybuilding

  • Dumbbell/Barbell Row
  • Cable/Machine Row
  • Cable/Machine Pulldown
  • Dumbbell Pullover
  • Barbell/Cable Shrug
  • Barbell/Cable High Pull
  • Cable Straight-Arm Pulldown
  • Back Extension/ Good Morning

Shoulder Exercises for Bodybuilding

  • Barbell/Dumbbell Strict Press
  • Dumbbell Arnold Press
  • Dumbbell/Cable Front Raise
  • Dumbbell/Cable Lateral Raise  
  • Dumbbell Hex Press
  • Dumbbell/Cable Rear Flye
  • Cable Face Pull

Leg Exercises for Bodybuilding

  • Barbell Back Squat
  • Barbell Front Squat
  • Hack Squat 
  • Romanian Deadlift
  • Bulgarian Split Squat
  • Machine Leg Extension/Leg Curl
  • Barbell/Machine Calf Raise 
  • Nordic Curl  
  • Cyclist Squat

Arm Exercises for Bodybuilding

  • Barbell/Dumbbell Curl
  • Preacher Curl
  • Hammer Curl
  • Skull Crusher
  • Cable Pressdown
  • Cable Kickback
  • Bodyweight or Weighted Dip  
  • Plate Pinch

Ab Exercises for Bodybuilding

  • Cable/Weighted Crunch
  • Hanging Leg Raise
  • Jackknife 
  • Ab Wheel Rollout
  • Weighted Plank
  • Dumbbell Side Bend 
  • Decline Sit-Up

Choose Sets and Reps

Training volume is one of the main drivers of progress in the gym when it comes to putting on size. Although more isn’t always more, research backs the conclusion that increasing volume over time is a key element of hypertrophy adaptations. ( 1 )

As such, hitting the right dosage of sets and reps is paramount for progress. Generally, a moderate number of sets (two to four) coupled with moderately challenging rep schemes (eight to 12, occasionally more) can produce significant hypertrophy gains as long as you’re working hard. ( 2 ) 

Manage Rest Times

How long you should rest between sets varies tremendously based on your preferred style of training. Powerlifters pushing maximum intensities will sometimes take many minutes between sets, while endurance athletes limit rest as much as possible to improve work capacity . When training for physique development, bodybuilders tend to ride in the middle.

Since tissue fatigue is the ultimate goal, resting too long (more than a minute or two) can be counterproductive. However, intentionally cutting rest times and stressing your body too hard doesn’t mean you’re making more gains — in fact, forcing yourself to train to failure because you didn’t break long enough likely won’t help you add more muscle overall. ( 3 )

The best practice for rest times in bodybuilding is generally to break for anywhere between 45 seconds to two minutes between sets, with heavier compound movements requiring more recovery time than isolation work. Be mindful of your own readiness, though — if you feel good to go before your alarm goes off, don’t wait around for no reason. 

Manage Frequency

Once you’ve picked out your favorite toys, it can be tempting to jump the gun and log too many hours in the gym performing your favorite curl or crunch . Training frequency is a hotly debated topic in bodybuilding circles, with authoritative voices on both ends of the spectrum.

However, modern literature seems to indicate that a frequency of two to three sessions per week, per muscle (or muscle group), is clearly optimal for strength gains. ( 4 ) The science is more contentious when it comes to hypertrophy, but most citations back the idea that two sessions per week can produce comparable hypertrophy to one or three workouts, provided volume is equated. ( 5 )

how to create a workout plan

The essence of this evidence is more straightforward than it sounds — as long as you’re training with enough volume, how you divide that volume up on a weekly basis isn’t going to make or break your gains . Most athletes would probably have more success getting their weekly leg training in over two separate days instead of one monstrous workout. 

Sample Bodybuilding Programs

It’s easy to get caught up in the details of training science and become intimidated by the jargon. While paralysis by analysis is definitely a real thing, rest assured that the practical takeaways when it comes to training for size are fairly straightforward. To help light your way, let’s look at two example bodybuilding-oriented programs — one based around Bodypart splits and one designed as an Upper/Lower routine . 

Bear in mind that these routines are samples . As long as you adhere to the broad principles of program design for hypertrophy, there’s flexibility in exercise selection, order, specific rep targets, and other variables. Training for gains should be fresh and fun, not restrictive and tedious. 

Sample Bodypart Split for Bodybuilding

This program aims to hit most major muscle groups twice per week with the intent of stimulating growth and adding inches to your arms , legs, and torso, while keeping your waist trim. Since exercise selection is so preferential, feel free to change or remove some of the offerings presented.

Note: The notation is listed as (sets) x (reps). 

Day 1: Chest & Triceps 

  • Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 x 8
  • Dumbbell Incline Bench Press: 3 x 8
  • Weighted Decline Push-Up: 2 x 12-15
  • Skull Crusher: 2 x 8
  • Cable Triceps Kickback: 2 x 10-12 

Day 2: Legs, Shoulders, & Abs

  • Barbell Front Squat: 3 x 6
  • Romanian Deadlift: 3 x 8 
  • Bulgarian Split Squat: 2 x 10
  • Machine Leg Extension superset with Leg Curl: 2 x 12-15 (each)
  • Dumbbell Arnold Press: 3 x 6-8
  • Cable Lateral Raise: 3 x 10-12
  • Face Pull: 2 x 12-15
  • Weighted Plank: 3 x 30 seconds
  • Dumbbell Side Bend: 2 x 8 – 12

Day 3: Back & Biceps 

  • Barbell Row: 4 x 8
  • Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown: 3 x 8
  • Dumbbell Pullover: 2 x 12-15
  • Chin-Up: 2 x 12-15
  • Hammer Curl: 3 x 6-8
  • Incline Dumbbell Curl: 2 x 8-10

Day 4: Chest, Legs, & Abs

  • Barbell Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 x 6-8
  • Weighted Dip: 2 x 10-12
  • Dumbbell Flye: 2 x 12-15
  • Hack Squat: 3 x 6
  • Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift: 3 x 10
  • Back Extension: 2 x 12-15
  • Machine Leg Extension: 2 x 12-15
  • Machine Calf Raise: 2 x 12-15
  • Hanging Leg Raise: 3 x 10

Day 5: Back & Arms

  • Dumbbell Row: 4 x 8
  • Barbell High Pull: 4 x 8-10
  • Straight-Arm Pulldown: 2 x 12-15
  • Preacher Curl: 3 x 8
  • Cable Pressdown: 3 x 8
  • Cable Overhead Extension: 2 x 10-12

This routine targets most of the body over the course of five days, ranging from moderate to high volume. Beginners should adjust total sets performed as needed to avoid overtraining or remove some exercises altogether. 

Sample Upper/Lower Split for Bodybuilding

In contrast to the classically high volumes of bodypart splits, Upper/Lower routines lean into high-intensity techniques and an abundance of compound movements to induce comparable muscle fatigue while also being decent at developing strength on their own. 

Day 1: Upper

  • Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 x 6
  • Barbell Overhead Press: 2 x 8
  • Dumbbell Arnold Press: 2 x 10-12
  • Cable Pressdown: 2 x 8 + double-drop set finisher
  • Close-Grip Cable Pulldown: 4 x 6-8
  • Wide-Grip Barbell Shrug: 3 x 8-10
  • Reverse Curl: 2 x 8 + double-drop set finisher

Day 2: Lower

  • Barbell Back Squat: 3 x 5
  • Hack Squat: 3 x 8 
  • Snatch-Grip Deadlift: 3 x 10
  • Good Morning: 3 x 10
  • Cyclist Squat superset with Nordic Curl: two sets of each to failure
  • Barbell Calf Raise: 3 x 12-15

Day 3: Upper

  • Dumbbell Row: 3 x 6
  • Landmine Row: 3 x 8-10
  • Wide-Grip Pull-Up: two sets to failure
  • Dumbbell Rear Flye: 2 x 15-20
  • Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3 x 6-8
  • Weighted Dip: 3 x 8
  • Cable Flye: 3 x 12 + double-drop set finisher

Day 4: Lower

  • Barbell Front Squat: 3 x 5
  • Bulgarian Split Squat: 3 x 8
  • Romanian Deadlift: 2 x 10
  • Hip Thrust: 2 x 10
  • Machine Leg Curl superset with Machine Leg Extension: 3 x 12-15
  • Machine Calf Raise: 3 x 12 + double-drop set finisher

Day 5 (Optional): Arms, Shoulders, Abs

  • Dumbbell Curl superset with Dumbbell Overhead Extension: 3 x 8
  • Dumbbell Hammer Curl superset with Cambered Bar Skullcrusher: 3 x 10-12
  • Face Pull superset Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 x 12-15
  • Ab Wheel Rollout: 3 x 6
  • Decline Sit-Up: 2 x 10-12
  • Side Plank: two sets to failure

One of the main drawbacks of compound-heavy training is a lack of specialized attention to the smaller muscles of the arms and shoulders — this can be accounted for by including a fifth day that focuses on punishing your biceps, triceps, delts, and abs to ensure your physique is growing proportionally. 

Strength Training for Bodybuilders

Pursuing mountainous bicep peaks doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have to train hard and heavy. In fact, overly heavy lifting may be to the detriment of your physique development. While getting “strong” isn’t a strict prerequisite for developing impressive muscularity, strength and size are close cousins .

You need only look at some of the major players in the strength sports to realize how much overlap there is. Athletes like Lu Xiaojun , Yuri Belkin , and Magnus Ver Magnusson all boast world-class results in their respective sports while also maintaining impressive physiques.

how to create a workout plan

[Related: Watch Bodybuilder Chris Bumstead Smoke a 675-Pound Deadlift Triple ]

While strength gains shouldn’t be your primary focus, adding poundage to your potential can help you with your hypertrophy goals. A weak, undertrained posterior chain could affect your technique — and thus results — in an exercise like the front squat, which is a fantastic all-around quad builder . If you have little to no elbow extension strength , you may not be able to get the most juice out of your dumbbell or barbell presses on chest day.

Powerlifters don’t neglect their pump work — bodybuilders shouldn’t turn a blind eye to their strength potential . Incorporating some heavier sets can benefit both your performance in the gym and overall physique development. 

How to Train On a Cut

If you’re passionate about showing off every striation you’ve carved into your muscles during the off-season, shedding excess body fat is a main priority. While maintaining muscle is much easier than growing it, doing so during a strict caloric deficit requires some tactful modulations to your training plan. ( 6 )

Keep Intensity High

A restriction of caloric intake doesn’t necessitate an immediate or significant drop in training intensity. Many athletes make the error of assuming that because they aren’t eating as much, they shouldn’t load up the bar during their workouts.

The reality is that higher intensity resistance training is actually better at preserving muscle mass during long periods of nutritional restriction. ( 7 ) Caloric inhibition doesn’t interfere with your ability to perform as much as it does your ability to recover — aiming to maintain (or even increase) your strength levels during a diet can help you hold onto the gains you’ve made .

Try to maintain your strength in the six to 12 rep range for as long as possible while dieting to help preserve muscle mass. 

Adjust Volume as Needed 

While you may be able to keep your personal bests for the majority of your diet phase, diligent attention to the amount of work you’re performing in the gym is required to successfully navigate a cut.

A reduction in nutrient intake will primarily affect your ability to perform the same volume of work you may have grown accustomed to during the off-season. As such, if you begin to notice drops in strength , more aches and pains , or dampened motivation , cutting down on your sets, reps, or exercises performed should be a priority.

As you progress through your diet phase, periodically reduce training volume on an as-needed basis. 

Add Some Cardio 

Any seasoned physique competitor will probably tell you that endless hours on the elliptical is a frightful, but necessary, part of prepping for a show. While not a physiological mandate, including some cardiovascular exercise as a part of your training plan during a diet can help you lean out a little faster, even if you don’t have stage aspirations. ( 8 )

how to create a workout plan

Dosage is particularly relevant when it comes to implementing cardio during a cutting phase, however. While your caloric deficit should primarily come from — obviously — restricting calories, increased activity through bouts of low-intensity cardio (think treadmill walking , a stationary bike , or swimming ) can be useful. 

Implement a few weekly sessions of low-intensity cardio if you feel your rate of fat loss slowing or stalling as a means of kicking up caloric expenditure . 

Tying It All Together

Achieving the look of your dreams is equal parts dietary diligence and training tenacity . Abs aren’t made in the kitchen, they’re revealed there. A bodybuilder’s regimen is akin to a painter’s paintbrush — without it, there’s no art. 

The landscape of a good bodybuilding routine requires various elements in the proper proportion and orientation. Train hard in the right rep ranges. Select exercises that work well for your body specifically. Rest long enough to recover, but not too much longer than that. 

An impressive physique takes chiseled arms, stacked legs, and a broad back . The training plan to get you there, much like the physique you’re trying to create, can be a lot more than the sum of its parts. 

1. Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2017). Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of sports sciences , 35 (11), 1073–1082.  2. Carroll, K. M., Bazyler, C. D., Bernards, J. R., Taber, C. B., Stuart, C. A., DeWeese, B. H., Sato, K., & Stone, M. H. (2019). Skeletal Muscle Fiber Adaptations Following Resistance Training Using Repetition Maximums or Relative Intensity. Sports (Basel, Switzerland) , 7 (7), 169.  3. Martorelli, S., Cadore, E. L., Izquierdo, M., Celes, R., Martorelli, A., Cleto, V. A., Alvarenga, J. G., & Bottaro, M. (2017). Strength Training with Repetitions to Failure does not Provide Additional Strength and Muscle Hypertrophy Gains in Young Women. European journal of translational myology , 27 (2), 6339.  4. Ochi E., Maruo M., Tsuchiya Y., Ishii N., Miura K., Sasaki K. (2018) Higher Training Frequency is Important for Gaining Muscular Strength Under Volume-Matched Training. Frontiers in Physiology . 5. Kessinger, T. K., Melton, B., Miyashita, T., & Ryan, G. (2020). The Effectiveness of Frequency-Based Resistance Training Protocols on Muscular Performance and Hypertrophy in Trained Males: A Critically Appraised Topic, Journal of Sport Rehabilitation , 29 (7), 1024-1031. 6. Psilander, N., Eftestøl, E., Cumming, K. T., Juvkam, I., Ekblom, M. M., Sunding, K., Wernbom, M., Holmberg, H. C., Ekblom, B., Bruusgaard, J. C., Raastad, T., & Gundersen, K. (2019). Effects of training, detraining, and retraining on strength, hypertrophy, and myonuclear number in human skeletal muscle. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) , 126 (6), 1636–1645.  7. Hector, A. J., McGlory, C., Damas, F., Mazara, N., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2018). Pronounced energy restriction with elevated protein intake results in no change in proteolysis and reductions in skeletal muscle protein synthesis that are mitigated by resistance exercise. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology , 32 (1), 265–275.  8. Helms, E. R., Fitschen, P. J., Aragon, A. A., Cronin, J., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2015). Recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: resistance and cardiovascular training. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness , 55 (3), 164–178.

Featured Image: shevtsovy / Shutterstock 

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About Jake Dickson, NASM-CPT, USAW-L2

Jake is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a B.S. in Exercise Science. He began his career as a weightlifting coach before transitioning into sports media to pursue his interest in journalism.

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BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

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How to Make a Workout Plan from Scratch (LiveStrong)

Posted: Jan 17, 2023 in In the News

This article originally appeared in LiveStrong on January 17, 2023.

How to Make a Workout Plan from Scratch

By Caroline Juster

Any goal requires a road map — and any fitness goal requires a training program. A good workout plan contains all the right elements to you set you up for success. Creating your own workout program from scratch can feel overwhelming, so we've broken it down into easy-to-follow steps.

The art and science of writing exercise programs is called program design. It's one of the most important skills coaches and trainers must master, because programs provide blueprints for helping clients and athletes get to where they want to go.

There are many factors that go into writing a great program, and getting good at it takes practice. I've been training clients in person and online for nine years, and I continue to refine my program design systems all the time.

Below are eight steps you can use to create fun and effective 4-to-6-week workout programs for yourself. I provide insight and advice from two certified personal trainers, as well as insight from my own program design system.

This process might take you up to an hour the first time you try it, but in time you will become so efficient that you can write a program in 15 minutes or less.

1. Get Clear On Your Goals

You need to identify your main training goal before you start writing your program. Different goals require you to manipulate different variables at the gym, and it's important to know what those are so you can direct your efforts in the right direction. Nobody wants to put in months of hard work only to find out they didn't end up where they wanted to go.

Leann Hatler, CPT , suggests taking a personal inventory before you set out to write a training program for yourself.

"Consider what you are looking to achieve, what your timeline is to get there, what skills you already have to move toward your goal as well as what you need to do differently to make progress possible," she says. All of this information can help you make better programming decisions.

We'll cover writing workout plans for these four common training goals:

  • Get stronger
  • Build muscle
  • Improve your endurance
  • Lose body fat

Some of these goals play well together. Others compete with each other, making it difficult to see big progress toward both during the same training program. (It's absolutely possible to get stronger and build muscle at the same time, but it's tough to both build serious strength ‌ and ‌ serious endurance concurrently.)

Don't stress if you want to improve multiple aspects of your fitness. There's an important training concept called periodization that says you can organize your training in such a way that you develop multiple physical qualities over the course of a year. This means that so long as you train consistently, you can ultimately achieve many different goals.

Start by picking one main training goal to target for a 3-to-4-month training block. Other qualities will be maintained while you focus on your main goal. You'll use multiple 4-to-6-week training programs that build upon each other over the course of a single block of training. Once you complete this block, you can choose a different goal for the next 3 to 4 months.

2. Determine Training Frequency and Split

Training frequency refers to how often you train each week. It's important to determine training frequency early in the program design process because it helps you organize your workouts. How often you train depends on how much free time you can devote to the gym as well as your prior training experience.

Decide how many workouts you're going to do each week and what you'll be targeting in each workout. Keep in mind that you will repeat each workout four to six times as you work through this training phase.

Why four to six times? This seems to be the sweet spot for most trainees to reap the full benefits of a workout program. "If you change things up too often, you won't get better or stronger, but if you stick to the same things the same way for too long you are no longer stressing the system as much and won't create further adaptation," says  Wesley Showalter, CSCS .

Beginners need to lift weights  twice per week at a bare minimum in order to see progress. More experienced trainees can maintain their results with just two lifting workouts, but three or more workouts may be necessary if they are actively trying to get stronger or build muscle.

Some intermediate and advanced trainees can lift weights as often as five to six times per week, so long as they are managing other life stressors and  prioritizing recovery  outside the gym. If you train with a high frequency, it's best not to train large muscle groups such as your legs, back and chest on consecutive days.

But more training is not necessarily better. You can't force progress in the gym, and trying to expedite your results can leave you feeling burnt out and frustrated.

"Be realistic with how often you are going to train," Showalter says. "I often see people who try to do too much too fast in the gym all the time. They beat themselves up for not hitting expectations, then quit." It's much better to set the bar a little bit lower and consistently hit all your planned workouts than to set the bar too high and constantly fall short.

Once you've decided how many days you want to lift weights each week, it's time to pick a training split. Training splits dictate which movements and/or muscles you plan to train during each individual workout.

Here are a few possible training splits you could select depending on how many days per week you plan to train.

3. Pick Your Set and Rep Ranges

Picking sets and reps is the most important step in designing a training program. That's because sets and reps dictate your volume and intensity, which are the two variables that ultimately have the most impact on your results at the gym.

Volume refers to the total amount of work you're performing. You need more volume if you want to  build muscle  or improve your endurance. Intensity refers to how heavy you are training. You need more intensity if you want to get stronger.

Volume and intensity are inversely related. This means that when you are training with more volume (ie. more sets and reps), you won't be able to use as much load and vice versa. It's important to keep this in mind when selecting sets and reps so you design a program that is in line with your goals.

Aim to perform at least 10 sets per muscle or movement pattern (eg. squat, hip hinge, upper body push, upper body pull) each week. Keep in mind that this will be divided up across multiple workouts and there will be some muscle overlap with different exercises.

Keep in mind that this will be divided up across multiple workouts and there will be some muscle overlap with different exercises.

For example, you don't need to do 10 sets of tricep isolation exercises if you also did several sets of bench press or overhead press. Depending on how many days you train per week, you will likely do 3 to 5 sets per exercise per workout.

Building serious strength requires you to lift heavy loads, so you'll need to do sets with fewer reps. "Keep the reps low (1 to 6) and the intensity (weight/load) high with long rest periods between heavy sets when training for strength," Showalter says.

Most of your strength training should occur in the 3 to 6 rep range. Every once in a while you can perform heavy sets of 1 or 2 reps, but don't do this every single week as it can be hard on your body.

Building muscle is different than building strength. You don't need to go quite as heavy so you can perform sets in a variety of rep ranges and still see results. Many coaches suggest performing primarily sets in the 6 to 12 rep range for hypertrophy. Just know that you can actually perform sets with many different rep ranges and still build muscle so long as you perform at least 10 sets per muscle group each week.

If your goal is to  improve muscular endurance , you need to perform some longer sets. Showalter suggests performing lots of sets in the 12 to 15 rep range. Stick with 2 to 4 sets per exercise when you're using high reps.

Occasionally, you can push yourself with sets as high as 25 to 30 continuous reps. I don't recommend going any higher because the loads you'll need to use will be too light to elicit changes in your body.

4. Make an Equipment Inventory

Before you insert specific exercises into your program, you need to know what tools you're working with. Access to equipment will vary widely depending on if you're training at home, at a big box commercial gym or at a small boutique gym with unconventional equipment.

Showalter suggests making a list of what equipment you have access to and where it's located. He also recommends making a note of the busiest times at your gym. Most gyms tend to be more crowded before and after work, and you may have more competition for different pieces of equipment during those times. If you're forced to train at busy times, you'll need to know what alternatives you can use when necessary.

Folks who train at home have less competition for equipment but might be limited in other ways. For example, you won't be able to go as heavy if you don't have a lot of weights at home. You'll need to drive intensity in other ways, such as doing harder exercises or changing your lifting tempo. Wherever you're training, it's important to get to know your equipment and how to use it effectively.

5. Select Exercises

Once you've decided on a goal, picked a training split, established your sets and reps and made an inventory of your equipment, it's finally time to plug in exercises. Many people make the mistake of starting here when creating programs, but it's much more efficient to get the other variables squared away first.

Picking exercises can be daunting, as there are seemingly endless options and many criteria to consider. Try not to get overwhelmed, and take solace in the fact that this isn't actually the most important part of the program design process. You can see results using many different exercises so long as you use the right amount of load and volume.

There are six important criteria you can use to help you select exercises.

  • Train all the major movement patterns each week.
  • Prioritize compound exercises over isolation exercises.
  • Pick exercises that feel good on your joints and allow you to use a full range of motion.
  • Pick exercises that match your skill levels.
  • Pick exercises that align with your goals.
  • Don't put too many exercises in one workout.

How to Choose Exercises

6. Address Any Mobility Challenges

Many people come to the weight room with aches and pains. While you don't need to let minor issues get in the way of exercise, it is important to make sure you're setting yourself up to move well both in and out of the gym.

" Mobility training  is like flossing — people don't enjoy it, but you need to stay on top of it to reap the benefits," Showalter says.

Regularly performing  dynamic stretches  and drills can improve your mobility and connection with your body. "Adding in mobility to your warm-up as well as after sets of your exercises as active recovery is a great way to be efficient with your training," Showalter says. He suggests picking drills that target stiff or problematic areas; some common offenders include the shoulders, thoracic spine and hips.

You can sprinkle these exercises throughout your workouts to save time and make sure you don't skip them altogether. For example, if you are performing a superset of squats and chin-ups, you could add a third exercise to work on your hip or  shoulder mobility .

7. Consider Cardio

Writing  cardio or conditioning programs  can be even more complex than writing strength-training programs, and is beyond the scope of this article. The goods news is that most people who just want to look and feel better don't need the same level of conditioning technicality as a professional athlete preparing for a race, game or fight.

Here are a few simple ways to build cardio into your workout program:

  • ‌ Add additional cardio days. ‌ You can perform a cardio workout on a day when you're not lifting weights if you have extra time for the gym.
  • ‌ Replace one or two lifting days with cardio days. ‌ If you are training three days or more, you could replace lifting days with cardio days. Make sure you're still lifting at least twice per week.
  • ‌ Add high-intensity conditioning to the end of a lifting workout. ‌ Finishers are short bursts of intense cardio that you perform at the end of a workout. This is a great strategy to maintain or build your cardio fitness without adding tons of extra training time.
  • ‌ Perform more cardio outside the gym. ‌ Look for ways to make your daily life more active or take up active hobbies. Could you walk, ruck or bike your commute instead of driving or taking the train? Can you play pickup sports with your friends or join a martial arts class? There are nearly endless possible opportunities to get moving.

8. Build In Progression Over 4 to 6 Weeks

The principle of  progressive overload  states that you need to take on greater challenges over time if you want to continue seeing progress at the gym.

A big reason why using a structured program is so much more effective than doing random workouts is that it gives you a framework from which to progress. You don't want to change your entire training program each week, but you do want to manipulate certain variables to increase the difficulty and push yourself.

"Over the course of the training phase you could do things such as lower the reps and increase the weight or vice versa, aim to shorten rest periods or aim to get more reps on an exercise with the same weight," Showlater says. "Stick with the same exercise but aim to add more stress on the system by doing it slightly faster, heavier, with more rep or with less rest."

Here is a list of possible ways to progress:

  • Add more weight
  • Add more reps
  • Perform more sets
  • Take less rest between sets
  • Improve your form
  • Perform an exercise more explosively
  • Improve your mind-muscle connection (most relevant for hypertrophy)

If you're training with minimal equipment or limited weights, you may need to get a little more creative. Here are some options that might work if you've exhausted the list above:

  • Slow an exercise down
  • Add pauses to an exercise
  • Perform 1.5 reps (Two examples: A 1.5 rep squat requires you to squat all the way down, stand up halfway, squat all the way down again before standing up all the way. A 1.5 rep seated row requires you to pull your elbows all the way back to your sides, extend your arms forward halfway, pull all the way back again before extending your arms fully.)
  • Progress to a more challenging variation of the exercise

Regardless of how you choose to progress, it's a good idea to track what you're doing from week to week. Track your exercises, sets, reps, weight and any other relevant data electronically or using pen and paper. You'll need this information when it's time to write your next training program and it keeps you motivated to work hard from week to week.

Need More Info on Where to Start?

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Once you've completed four to six weeks of training, it's time to write your next program. Look over your recent training data. Assess what went well and what was challenging. Consider whether you can still maintain the same training frequency over the next four to six weeks. Then, use the same process outlined in this article to create your next program. Soon, you'll have workout planning down to an art.

  • Perform more cardio outside the gym. ‌ Look for ways to make your daily life more active or take up active hobbies. Could you walk, ruck or bike your commute instead of driving or taking the train? Can you play pickup sports with your friends or join a martial arts class? There are nearly endless possible opportunities to get moving.

Read the full article here .

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7 ways to make your gym workout as effective as possible

How not to scupper all that effort in the gym: vary your routine, use the right fuel and don’t write off quick workouts.

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You have stuck to your new year’s resolution to commit to the gym, but the bad news is there’s more to working out than simply putting in the hours at the barbell. What you do once you’re there matters — as well as how many reps you perform and whether you’ve fuelled yourself properly before you start. If you get the balance wrong, you could hit a “plateau” and stop making any progress; overdo it, and you risk injuries and illness.

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