How To Write Your Workouts

Training Tips

Mar 11

Structuring a workout is the key to seeing progress. Going in the gym without a written plan can often lead to an insufficient workout. Walking around trying to decide what to do next can be frustrating, and disorganized.

You need to ask yourself a few questions before starting:

What am I trying to achieve? Hypertrophy, strength, or focusing on form?
Realistically, how much time will I commit to for a workout?
Am I a beginner, or experienced lifter?

Those answers will help decide on how many sets/reps you should perform. When it comes to how much weight you should be lifting, the answer is ALWAYS as heavy as you can go WITHOUT compromising form. Are you getting 15 reps, only struggling on rep 13?...then go up in weight. Are you getting 6 reps with insane weight, but your form is trash?...drop your ego, then the weight.

With that in mind, let’s try to structure our lift. Where do we start?

1. Pick a muscle group

Figuring out your workout split depends on your goals and how many times you plan on training per week. If you can commit to 4 days/week, your split could look like this:

Monday: Glutes/Hamstrings
Tuesday: Push (Chest/Shoulders/Triceps)
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Quads/Hamstrings
Friday: Pull (Back/Biceps)
Saturday: Active rest- stay moving- get outside!
Sunday: Rest

If you want to commit more days, or want a different split, please feel free to contact me and I would love to help.

2. Always warm up!

Your muscles need to be warm, and active before any kind of workout. This is to prevent injury and help activate the muscle groups you're working in order to achieve full range of motion.

Have you ever tried to squat without warming up? You’ll notice the range of motion is a lot less, and might feel uncomfortable. This is due to tight hip flexors. Without a proper warm up, your lifts won't be as effective and it will be much more challenging to increase strength.

How to warm up: Dynamic warm ups will be the most beneficial (these are stretches while moving). It’s a series of movement drills performed in a progressive, deliberate sequence from low to moderate intensity. Performing movements that mimic your lifts. If you’re planning on squatting, warm up those hips by performing slow and controlled bodyweight squats, lunges (side and forward), side steps, ect.

3. Compound Lifts

Compound lifts such as; barbell back squats, deadlifts, bent over row, bench press, overhead press should always be performed first. These are the 5 main lifts that require the most energy and strength. They focus on multiple muscle groups (two or more). If you train the bigger muscles groups first, you allow yourself to use fresh, unfatigued muscles which results in better performance.

These lifts are where you’ll see yourself getting PR’s (personal records). Warm up reps should be around 20-15, then dropping the reps while increasing weight (10.8.6.4.2).

After performing one of the 5 main lifts, take 2-3 more compound lifts to add in still focusing on heavier weight/lower reps. Other compound lifts include: DB squats, DB bent over row, DB incline press, seated military press.

4. Isolation Lifts

Isolation lifts focus on one joint and one muscle group to the exclusion of others. They are performed after larger muscle groups have been fatigued by compound exercises.

Isolation movements such as curling, extending or raising, are all designed to target a specific muscle. Areas of the body that will be isolated include biceps, triceps, quads, hamstrings, glutes, inner thighs, outer thighs, calves, and abs.

Super-setting is a great way to isolate your muscle groups in a short amount of time. When you superset, you typically pick two exercises and perform them back to back with no rest in between for 1 set.

For example: On a push day, you could super-set DB triceps extensions and DB lateral raises. You typically perform 3-5 sets of 10-15 reps during these exercises.

5. Burn Out

I love adding it to the end of workout programs to really exhaust the muscle. A burnout is usually performed with low weight, and higher than normal reps. It can be done a few ways; hitting an extremely high rep goal or performing for a time.

For Example: You could finish your push day with a burnout of lateral shoulder raises 2x40 reps, or lateral shoulder raises for 2 minutes. Both will experience great fatigue of that muscle and pushes you to dig deep.

Putting it all together, here’s an example of a Push Day workout:

*Warm Up: Walk on treadmill for 5 minutes. Perform arm circles, and banded push work before the lift.

*Strength

Exercise Sets Reps Weight Used

A1) Barbell Bench Press 2 warm up sets 20. 15

5 working sets 10.8.6. 5.5

B1) DB Military Press 4 12.12.10.10

B2) DB Lateral Raise 4 12.12.10.10

C1) Incline DB Chest Press 3 12.10.8

D1) Cable Upright Row 3 15.15.15

D2) Cable Triceps Kickback 3 15.15.15

E1) DB Lateral Raise-Burnout 2 40.40