Make A Routine With A Plan
One thing that has really helped my fitness goals over the last year has been structuring my routines, workouts, exercise selection, rep schemes, weights and cycles of time etc with an overall plan. I suggest you make a routine with a plan to help you too.
One of the biggest mistakes I made over the years was just doing all sorts of random things that didn’t compound to one type of goal. I would come into the gym and do some cardio, couple bench sets, some triceps, rope press downs, some cable flyes and call it a chest day. Random rep and set numbers weights all over the place. Feeling the burn! Too many different training ideas and philosophies, with too many different structures, without a clear direction towards a goal leads you know where. You are working out and training, but without some compounded effort, you may seem like you’re plateauing all the time because you really aren’t sure what you are striving for.
These Frankenstein routines are what stalls progress towards something bigger for yourself. Make sure you aren’t borrowing too much from everywhere. It’s easy to find a blog or routine or advice, and try and implement it into your routine. Before you know it, you are doing strength training, endurance, cardio, running etc. He who chases too many rabbits catches none, as the saying goes. Instead, focus on what you’re trying to accomplish with the time you’re putting in. Make sure all your choices compound to the goal you want.
First – Decide your goal.
What is it you want to achieve in your fitness journey? Weight loss, strength, conditioning, performance etc. Then find the way to design everything you do around that goal. Make sure that your goal is specific though.
Weight loss? Attach a number and time line, for example. Lose 20 pounds by Feb 1. Conditioning? Make sure you have a final bench mark, like running 10k without stopping etc. Strength? Make sure you set some one rep max goals on your key lifts.
Second – Build your workout split around that goal.
Examples, if you are training for weight loss, you probably do not need a body building structured routine, with chest tri, back bi type splits. For weight loss a more compound movement routine with more cardio is what your routine should look like. Choose cross training style workouts.
Third – Structure the type of work you will do to bring you to that goal.
I’ve seen it so many times where someone says they want to be strong, yet they are doing cable flyes instead of actual chest press work, or someone saying they want to be ripped, but don’t actually do cardio because some internet site says you don’t need it etc. Pick the proper movements. Keep it simple.
Pick your rep scheme.
You want to have a 300 pound squat. Excellent! Then you do sets of 15 reps which is not how you build to that. Make sure your reps correspond with what you decided above. Strength is built below 8 reps preferably 3-5 with heavy weight. High rest in between sets.
Time line.
Pick a time line to keep your training cycles fresh and interesting. choose 1-3 month structures to get a good chunk of time in on each thing you decide. After that, switch it up. Even if you are maintaining a strength schedule or weight loss, change your exercise selection, types of movements etc.
Don’t make a Frankenstein routine without a path and a goal. Fitness is fun, but only when you see results, so do as much as you can to speed that process up.
