The more systematic, the more beneficial. A systematic approach helps track intermediate results, set deadlines, assess responsibility and effectiveness of all participants in the process. In any endeavor that requires a series of sequential actions for execution, a plan, a system, is needed.
The training process is the most important individual phased plan that will help you achieve desired results. A well-structured system of training and nutrition includes quality workouts that take into account individual characteristics of the body, age, genetic traits, your lifestyle, existing experience, assessment of current physical and psychological state, your abilities, and preferences.
What does a training plan provide?
The systematization of workouts yields results and maximum benefits. Even “maintaining fitness” is a goal and a result.
Setting Goals
First and foremost, you need to formulate the desired outcome. Then identify the main directions to achieve it, such as choosing appropriate types of exercises and functional sectors. Will it be gym workouts, martial arts classes, or swimming in your favorite pool? Maybe yoga suits you? Or perhaps functional training sessions with friends after work? A training plan is needed everywhere.
Types of Goals
The main goals that can serve as the foundation of your system:
- Muscle gain
- Weight loss
- Body shape correction
- Development of physical qualities (coordination, endurance, strength, flexibility, agility)
- Health improvement, rehabilitation
- Acquiring new skills
- Creating muscle definition
- Maintaining current results
After determining the main goal, choose a place where your dream will come true! If you have no prior experience or your experience is limited, confidently choose a fitness club that offers all the necessary services. Variety is not out of the question: depending on your determination, you can add combinations of several types of exercises that complement each other, which will shorten the time to achieve your desired outcome.
WHAT TO DO NEXT?
Next comes a medical examination and fitness testing, where your indications and contraindications, physiological condition, body characteristics, level of fitness, and baseline parameters will be assessed.
So, the foundation is laid, now it’s time to determine how much time you need to allocate for your workouts. The inevitable question arises: are you an amateur or a professional?
TIMING
For beginners, more time is needed for recovery after strength training, and the body should gradually adapt to the unfamiliar routine, for which it will be grateful later. Therefore, beginners start with workouts 2-3 times a week. The number of sessions and their duration can be adjusted in both directions.
Assessing the volume of work done is also important. Typically, novice athletes train for 45-60 minutes, including warm-up and cool-down time. Professional athletes may train daily, but one day a week is always dedicated to rest.
Nutrition and Training Program
Nutrition is as important as the chosen exercises – we have some great articles on this topic, by the way. But there are a few key points to mention. Firstly, protein plays a crucial role as the main building material for muscles. As for carbohydrates, it is important to consider your needs; the main thing is not to completely eliminate them. Carbohydrates provide energy that is expended during workouts. There is an interesting formula called the “five-a-day” rule, which suggests consuming five portions of vegetables and fruits daily, as they are sources of minerals, vitamins, and micronutrients that contribute to gentle recovery of the body. When it comes to beverages, preference is given to water, and alcohol should ideally be excluded from the diet due to its caloric content.
Training Program: Principles of Development
The training program is divided into muscle groups. The training plans may differ for men and women, but the workouts targeting muscle groups are similar.
For beginners, the initial focus is on general exercises to ensure equal stress on each muscle group. These workouts have their peculiarities: they start with working the larger muscle groups and then move on to smaller ones. It looks something like this: leg muscles, back, chest, shoulder girdle, arms, abs. Once the body experiences something new, fully assesses the situation, and provides you with feedback, the plan becomes more detailed. The classification no longer simply distinguishes between large and small muscle groups, but also between pushing and pulling exercises. Pushing exercises target the chest, deltoids, and triceps, while pulling exercises engage the leg muscles, back, and biceps.
Remember that the training program should align with your initial goal, so if you decide to change it, which happens sometimes, the workout plan should be adjusted accordingly.
On training days, it is advisable to focus on one major muscle group, with the option to include a smaller one. However, leg exercises are typically performed without adding exercises for other body parts. For example, an optimal three-day split may look like this:
Day 1 – Chest and shoulder workout
Day 2 – Back and arm workout
Day 3 – Leg workout
To gain muscle mass, it is recommended to perform compound exercises that engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, starting with complex exercises and progressing to simpler, isolation exercises. An isolation exercise is an exercise that targets a specific individual muscle.
It is important to determine the number of sets and repetitions. The classic approach includes 3-4 sets for each exercise.
During strength training, the sequence of exercises should be followed, as it is specific to this type of training. The tempo of strength training should also be specified in your workout program. Start your strength training with compound exercises, in descending order of impact.
Rest between sets plays a significant role in exercise performance and directly affects the quality of execution. Organize rest intervals with equal durations between exercises.
It is also important not to forget about warm-up at the beginning of the workout and cool-down at the end. A proper warm-up helps to warm up the muscles and prepare them for work, reducing the risk of injuries. Joint mobility exercises and 5-10 minutes on a cardio machine are excellent options for warm-up. Stretching can be a suitable option for cool-down.
Repetition Range
The number of repetitions for each exercise in your training cycle depends on the chosen goal. What are the basic guidelines?
It’s quite simple. The optimal range for fat burning is 8-15 repetitions per set. Research has shown that performing repetitions within this range stimulates the efficient production of fat-burning hormones. Although the range may seem broad at first glance, it takes into account the weights you use as resistance and your fitness level. By sticking to this range, you can vary the number of repetitions from one workout to another, for example:
8-10 repetitions per set
10-12 repetitions per set
12-15 repetitions per set
Any variation you prefer will contribute to effective fat burning, so we recommend beginners to start in this order. Approximately every few weeks, you can increase the range, paying attention to your own sensations.
In a training program focused on muscle mass gain, a slightly different principle applies. There is a common belief that muscle mass requires a number of repetitions ranging from 8 to 12 per set, but this is not entirely accurate.
The revolution was initiated by Jan MacQueen, an English bodybuilder and surgeon, who recommended performing a significantly higher number of repetitions. Numerous studies have been conducted analyzing the indicators, revealing that hypertrophy of the muscle core is achieved through progressively increasing workloads. In this case, performing 4-6 repetitions per set is sufficient. That’s right!
Fitness consultants in collaboration with “Men’s Health” have devised the following scheme:
Day 1 – 5 repetitions per set
Day 2 – 15 repetitions per set
Day 3 – 10 repetitions per set
Scientists from Arizona State University have observed a distinct improvement in performance among individuals who varied the number of repetitions per set during a week compared to those who performed the same number of repetitions consistently.
Remember, there are no repetitions that bring no benefit! The quantity of repetitions is deliberately prescribed in the training program. Muscles adapt to the type of load based on the number of repetitions. Keeping this in mind, devise a strategy that best suits your goals. If you decide to change the number of repetitions, you may not see immediate results, but they are guaranteed.
Let’s discuss the number of repetitions:
- Minimal repetitions (1 to 5 reps) are necessary when the trainee needs to lift the maximum amount of weight, maximizing the muscle load. Muscle fibers consist of contractile threads called myofibrils, and maximum load increases the number of myofibrils. Minimal repetitions are excellent for building strength and increasing muscle tissue volume, which also reflects in visual characteristics. This approach works with myofibrillar hypertrophy.
- High repetitions (11 and above) cause muscle fibers to contract for an extended period. What does this offer the athlete? The number of mitochondria in muscle fibers increases. Mitochondria are the energy producers used for fat burning, and the principle of “the more, the better” applies. This enhances a person’s endurance and strengthens the cardiovascular system.
- Standard repetitions (6 to 10 reps) suit those trainees who aim to work with moderate tension in muscle fibers within a limited time frame. One could say this method is a symbiosis of the two previous ones. It’s beneficial because it allows for increasing muscle endurance while also enhancing strength. If you wish to find a balance between these two criteria, work within the range of standard repetitions. However, there are nuances to consider when working with this quantity of repetitions. Consistently and regularly using this method won’t allow you to maximize muscle load and stress them as much as with high repetitions. Our recommendation is to utilize all three ranges.
Conclusion
Your health and body will be grateful if you approach the realization of your dream thoughtfully and systematically. The effectiveness of the training program depends on the level of detail and individual approach invested in its design.
Wishing you fruitful and enjoyable sports activities!
