How To Design a Safe , Sensible Workout Program
It’s that time of year. The holidays are ahead of us. November and December are all about festivities and family as these months they should be. At the time of this writing, I haven’t seen any of my immediate family in the past 7 months. So I look forward to being one of that many that are traveling soon to be with loved ones. I’d hope we can all get a few workouts in during these months. As a personal trainer, and employee of the fitness world, we want to convince the masses that fitness is equally important as all other essentials ( Because it is. But I get it, most of us aren’t thinking about exercise in November and December).
But then January rolls around! Now the mindset flips. This is the year I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna get fit, even get a gym membership. Then you join a gym, then it starts. But there’s one of many problems, I’m here, but what do I do with all this equipment?
Personal trainers are hired to help people with fitness goals. And clients stay working with trainers for a multitude of reasons. Yes, anyone could learn what to do and move on from working with us. I’ve never been shy about explaining programming rationale . Because if a client is going to leave, they’ll either be upset that they didn’t learn what they wanted to learn, or they’ll be happy that they did. And if they’re happy, that client will speak well about me. Maybe even give a referral!
So let’s talk a little about how to design a safe, effective sensible routine.
Address the movement patterns:
For all the fancy exercises on social media, the fundamentals are ultimately what deliver results. Those fundamentals being squat pattern(knee dominant), the hinge patterns (hip dominant), and the push/ pull patterns horizontal and vertical. Some movement patterns should be prioritized pending the individual’s goal’s. But all patterns should be addressed at some point.
Own the movement:
Ligaments connect bone to bone. Tendons connect muscle to bones. Strengthen ligaments and tendons before strengthening muscles. This is done by with a resistance level at about 60% max intensity, along with more reps. But we all have a different starting point pending fitness levels.
Progressive Overload:
Once our ligaments and tendons are strong, and we’re owning the movements its time to add on resistance. This can vary pending the individual and how many times per week of training. But add on resistance with caution of what work for you and your goals. For example, someone with powerlifting goals would add on resistance for a 5 rep max. An endurance athlete might keep the resistance the same, but add on more reps and lift to failure.
Accessories to the main workout:
Once the core movements are addressed, now we can get into the accessory movements at the end of the workout This is where we isolate muscle groups. Common movements are bicep curls, tricep extensions, hamstring curls and leg extensions.
The takeaway:
This is a general formula for workout routine, regardless is the goal is losing weight, building muscle mass, or building endurance. We’re all different so there will be a different starting point for all of us. There are different modalities in gyms for all exercises based on what we’re looking to accomplish.
Then there’s what we do to progress and modify pending equipment availability. That’s where us fitness professionals come in. Because everyone needs a trainer, EVEN US TRAINERS!
