The key to building any training program is first identifying what the main fitness goal is. Is it to lose weight? Build muscle? Or just simply get fitter? Identifying this goal is crucial to getting started.
We can then take it one step further and make the goal a little more specific. Eg. I want to lose 1 stone in 2 months. Or I want to be able to improve my 5k time by 1 minute in the next 2 months. These goals are more specific and also give a time frame in which to try and achieve your goal.
Now that this goal has been identified it is important to look at how you are going to achieve it. In the case of any fitness goal it will be through a structured training plan.
Training splits
Training splits divide your training up into different parts of the body being worked on separate days. I would always recommend a training split as these allow time for your muscles to recover while other muscles are being worked.
Which training split is best for you?
Well this really depends on how many days a week you can train, what your current fitness level is and what your training goal is.
Training split examples.
Upper, Lower Training split - this involves working your upper body muscle groups one day and then lower body the next. On upper day I would generally work chest, back, shoulders and then arms and abs. On lower body day I would focus on compound movements such as squat, deadlift and then add in accessory movements like leg extension, leg curl, step ups etc.
Day 1: Upper body day
Day 2:Lower body day.
Day 3: Rest
Day 4:Upper body day
Day 5:Lower body day
Day 6:Rest
Day 7:Cardio
Push, pull, legs training split - this involves splitting workout days up into 3 categories. Push day involves working chest, shoulders and triceps. Pull day involves working back, biceps and abs. Leg day I would focus on compound movements such as squat, deadlift and then add in accessory movements like leg extension, leg curl, step ups etc.
Day 1: Push
Day 2: Pull
Day 3:Legs
Day 4:Push
Day 5:Pull
Day 6:Legs
Day 7:Cardio/rest
Weight loss training split - This training split is great for helping to lose weight. On a full body day the workout involves strength training. Working chest, back, shoulders, legs and abs. Cardio day involves performing a cardio based exercise at a steady intensity for 20-40 mins. This could be running, rowing, swimming, skipping, cycling or on the cross trainer etc. HIIT day involves performing circuit based high intensity workouts for ~20 minutes generally.
Day 1: Full body
Day 2: Cardio
Day 3:Rest
Day 4:Full body
Day 5:Cardio
Day 6:Rest
Day 7:HIIT
Starting the Program:
Now that you have figured out what training split will work best for you, the next step is to get started. On day one of the program I would always recommend that you take some baseline measurements and/or photos.
For someone looking to lose weight some simple things to do include:
Taking bodyweight
Circumference measurements at arm, belly, hip, thigh and calf.
Photos - front, side on and back.
For someone looking to build muscle or get more toned:
Taking bodyweight
Circumference measurements at arm, belly, hip, thigh and calf.
Photos - front, side on and back.
For someone looking to get stronger:
Taking bodyweight
Circumference measurements at arm, belly, hip, thigh and calf.
Photos - front, side on and back.
Perform some initial strength tests in key areas such as bench press, squat, deadlift etc.
Once these figures have been recorded you can now start your training. Remember that during each session it is best to record how many reps, sets and weight lifted you done for each exercise. This is because you want to try and improve this from session to session so that you progress and reach your goal. A general rule of thumb here is to start on:
session 1: 3x8 reps,
session 2: 3x9 reps
Session 3 3x10 reps
Session 4 3x11 reps
Session 5 3x12 reps
Session 6 3x8 - INCREASE WEIGHT LIFTED AT THIS STAGE AND THEN DROP REPS AND REPEAT PROCESS
After around 8-10 weeks of your training plan you should review your progress by checking on the figures that you recorded on day 1 and see if there have been any improvements. From these new results you can then review/reevaluate your plan and change things if needed.
Summary
A structured training plan is essential if you want to reach your fitness goals. The information above will help you create a plan that works for you. Remember it's all about consistency over time. Small changes from session to session lead to big results over a period of time, so be patient.
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