At some point, if you’re really looking to see results in the gym, you’re going to have to come up with some sort of a plan. Sure, you might know a lot about the ins and outs of a workout. However, are you aware of how all these variable interact in the grand scheme of things? Today, we’ll cover the basics of weight training program design. By the end of this article, you’ll know how to put all your knowledge together and customise an effective gym workout plan. I’ll help you choose which rep, set and resistance options will work best for you. Additionally, I’ll help you navigate through all the seemingly contradictory information you’ve no doubt come across before.<\/p>\n
Oh, and if you don’t know what a rep or set it, don’t worry. I’ll cover the basics of these terms too. That way, you can be sure you’re making the most of your time spent in the gym.<\/p>\n
If you want your gym program to be truly successful, you have to start with some information about your goals and current training level. The basic steps for customising your own workout plan are:<\/p>\n
In other words, what is your overall goal? What is it you’re looking to achieve by training and working out? Once you know that, you’re better equipped to create design your own effective weight training program.<\/p>\n
For example, some common goals you might consider are:<\/p>\n
READ ALSO: How to Set a Goal for New Year, New You<\/a><\/p>\n No matter which weight training method you use, they all fit into the Resistance Training Specificity Chart<\/em> in some way. You can use this chart to determine appropriate weight selections matched to your goals identified in Step 1.<\/p>\n A variety of factors influence which repetition range you should aim for. For example, some of these factors include your:<\/p>\n Once you’ve determined an appropriate repetition range target, we then need to line this up with a suitable weight.<\/p>\n Specifically, we want to start off with a safe training load. For most people, this would be a weight that allows them to complete at least 12-20 repetitions. At this intensity level, i.e. more than 12 reps, we’re looking at less than 70% of a one repetition maximum.<\/p>\n Essentially, your ‘One Rep Max’ (1RM) is the heaviest weight you could possibly lift for any given exercise. That is, the maximum resistance you could manage just one time. Conversely, a 6RM (6 Repetition Maximum) would represent a weight you could lift for a maximum of 6 reps. A 10RM you could manage for 10 reps, etc. Lifting in a 6 to 10RM intensity range seems necessary to maximise strength and muscle growth. However, you should progress to this level only in a safe and gradual manner.<\/p>\n Firstly, let’s cover a quick note about periodisation. In a nutshell, periodisation is simply a way of planning results. We look at an overall weight training program over a certain period of time and design it in terms of phases. In each phase, we might have different goals and aims. In effect, we manipulate the volume of work, resistance, training intensity and, ultimately, effort. By doing so, we strategically schedule rest, maintenance and recover phases in the overall plan.<\/p>\n It’s impossible to remain at 100% performance 100% of the time. Instead, periodisation allows us to ‘peak’ at certain times. That is, we might look our best for a particular event or celebration. Alternatively, we might design our weight training program so that we are at our strongest when we have a competition scheduled.<\/p>\n Overall, you can transfer these concepts of periodisation to any fitness goal. You can break down any weight management, cardiovascular improvement or muscular strength program into phases or training block.<\/p>\n Periodisation aims to provide adequate recovery while delivering maximum results at the same time. In doing so, we can help prevent detraining and\/or overtraining.<\/p>\nStep 2 – Match Your Goals To The Correct Resistance Training System<\/h3>\n
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Step 3 – Determine an Appropriate Training Load, or Level of Resistance<\/h3>\n
How To Plan, Customise and Design Your Basic Weight Training Program<\/h2>\n
Key takeaway for periodisation when you design your own weight training program<\/h3>\n