Gym Basics: Planning a Workout

Planning your workout will depend entirely on your goals, and if you haven't established those goals, or really thought about why you want to workout, you should start there. Check out here and here for some tips.

But if you have a goal, here are some tips for putting that goal first and foremost in your workout. For more complete workouts, see this post. It has more detail. This is mostly to demonstrate what your priority should be.

If your goal is to build strength or muscle:

1. After a warmup, start with your biggest strength move. Squats, deadlifts, bench presses, rows, or overhead presses are your best bet, as they recruit large muscle groups. If you're a beginner, try pairing an upper body with a lower body for 3-4 sets. If you are more accustomed to weights and are trying to make progress, stick to one big lift for 4-5 sets. Focus on loading up the weight as much as you can with good form. Heavy is best here.

2. You should be leaving very little in the tank. You do not have to go to complete failure, when you can't even complete another single rep, but you should be getting close to that, especially for that first big move.

3. Work from large muscle group, compound movements down to smaller and smaller muscle groups until you reach small, isolation.

4. If you're a beginner, go for full body workouts to see results more quickly. If you have already been lifting consistently for at least a few months, you can begin to consider a split, such as push-pull-legs, or back/biceps/deadlift, chest/triceps/squats.

Example workout for a beginner: Dynamic warmup. Squat and bench press superset (do a set of squats, a set of bench press, then back to squats until you hit three sets each); deadlift and row, not going quite as hard as you did for squats and bench; bicep curls and calf raises. Stretch.

Example workout for a more experienced lifter: Dynamic warmup. Squat, hard and heavy. Bench press and lunges superset. Arnold press and calf raise superset. Tricep extension and bicycle crunches to finish. Stretch.

If your goal is longevity (being able to stay active as you age)

1. Gaining and maintaining muscle should be a high priority. See above.

2. Focus on functional movement patterns, things you do every day. Squats help you get up and down from chairs and couches, lunges help you with stairs and balance, hip hinges like deadlifts help you pick up your laundry basket without hurting your back.

3. Balance work is important. Balance can be trained and improved, and being more stable on your feet will protect you from injury. You don't need a Bosu ball or fancy equipment, though! Working from the floor is more than enough for 99% of people. Lunges, calf raises, and step ups are plenty, and if you can consistently do those without wobbling or falling, you have done what you needed.

4. Power work is also important. Incorporate them into the end of your warmup. I like ball slams, kettlebell swings, and jumping work. If you can't jump without hurting yourself, start by standing on your tiptoes and slamming down into your heels. This will help you build back up to jumping. Working toward a headstand or handstand can be some fun skill work to support balance.

Example workout: Dynamic warmup. Kettlebell swings for 30-45seconds, three sets. Deadlift, hard and heavy. Superset rows and lunges, then overhead press and calf raises. Short HIIT session for high intensity cardio work, using a cardio machine to sprint for 30 seconds, recover for 90 seconds, and repeat 4-8 times, depending on time and energy. Stretch.

If your goal is fat loss

1. Fat loss happens in the kitchen, but building and maintaining muscle makes maintaining a calorie deficit easier. Cardio can burn some extra calories, and is great for your overall health, but you can't outrun your fork. Use cardio to support your goal, not as punishment or atonement for overeating.

2. You can choose whether you want to try to build muscle while losing fat, or simply maintain the muscle you have. Building will be easier for beginners, harder for anyone who has been working out regularly. It will also make losing fat slower, as you will need to keep your calorie deficit small and protein very high to support muscle growth.

3. Strength work is great, but also put some attention in your daily, non-exercise movement. Are you getting your steps? Are you walking? Are you taking the stairs, parking at the back of the parking lot?

Example workout: Dynamic warmup. Deadlift, hard and heavy. Superset rows and lunges, then overhead press and calf raises. Short HIIT session for high intensity cardio work, using a cardio machine to sprint for 30 seconds, recover for 90 seconds, and repeat 4-8 times, depending on time and energy. Stretch. After your workout, or the next day, take a long walk.

Does this help? Have questions? Reach out to me! I'm always available at pearl.howell.fitness@gmail.com, and I try to reply quickly!