How to design a quality workout plan – tips, trainings, most common mistakes

Designing a good workout plan is a very specific requirement for an athlete since everyone has their own fitness goals, an idea of workout and time for it. At the same time, diet and fitness level must also be taken into account. Some workout routine are suitable for beginners while others are good for advanced athletes. In this article, we tried to combine hints and tips that will serve you all as a key to the desired results.

7 steps in designing a quality workout plan

First of all, it is important to note that there is no best workout plan. If someone says so about his workout routine, he is mistaken. There are basic principles that are good to follow, but it is important not to forget about the diversity of workouts, new challenges and monitoring your own progress. This is the only way to move forward and forward. We have prepared 7 tips to help you to achieve your fitness goals. Do you have your fitness goal?

1. Set your goal

Every good workout should meet your requirements, so you should set realistic goals and plans. The first step is to set your main goal. Of course, we are talking about your motivation thanks to which you decided to start your fitness journey. Decide whether you want to increase strength, gain volume and muscles, or lose fat. The second step is to decide how you want to achieve this goal. For example, if you want to lose fat, then you should increase the capacity of your workouts. [6]   

It is important that you understand that your goal determines how long your workout will be, how many repetitions you will do, and also which exercises are suitable for you. [2] Do not forget that if you have set a goal, then you will have to stick to it for some time. If you want to gain muscles and you eat healthy and exercise for 4 weeks, and the next 4 weeks you try to lose fat, you will never achieve anything. [5] Set a realistic goal and stick to it for at least 12 weeks. Then you will definitely see the results.

You might be interested in these products:

2. Build your own workout routine

It would be good to start with one-hour workout. First, do the warm up with a 5-minute cardio, then exercise for 40 minutes and leave 15 minutes of workout to focus on specific exercises to go after your fitness goal. Generally speaking, the basic workout routine should look like this [6]:

• exercise 2-5 times a week
• ideal workout length – 60 minutes
• devote first 5 minutes to warm up and cardio
• then exercise with weights for 40 minutes
• devote the last 15 minutes to target specific body parts

Of course, you can customize the length of each part to suit your possibilities and schedule. What do we mean by a specific part? Exercises for smaller muscle groups, which may include [6]:

• conditioning workout focused on calorie burning, full body workout using short breaks and intense exercises
• workout focused on lagging body parts
• performance-based training
• flexibility and mobility exercises
• rehabilitation exercises
• grip training focused on wrist and grip strength

3. Choose suitable exercises and arrange them

So, you already know your goals and have an idea about the workout routine. Now we will talk about the division of exercises into categories focusing on individual body parts. This will help you to involve different body parts in a different way each workout. Create categories that have a reproductive system. Each workout plan should cover exercises for a whole area of the body, and these are exercises for [6]:

1. Upper body, focus on pressing exercises – we are talking about exercises on the upper half of the body, for example, pressing the weight. These include push-ups, bench press and dumbbell press.
2. Upper body, focus on pulling exercises – this is a workout that involves the muscles of the upper body, such as rowing or any other pulling exercises. These include, for example, pull-ups, all kinds of dumbbell pull-ups, and rope climbing.
3. Quadriceps femoris muscle – exercises that involve the front muscles of the thigh, the glutes and hamstrings. For example, squats and lunges, bulgarian split squat, step-ups and high jumps.
4. Glutes and Hamstrings – exercises that involve thigh, lower back, glutes and hamstrings. This category includes deadlift and all its variations, hip thrust, long jump or sprint.

If you do not split your workouts on different muscle groups but you rather have full body workouts, then you should add the exercises mentioned above to each workout. In addition, it is also necessary to train small muscle groups, and at least once a week. Specifically, we mean [6]:

1. Core – exercises for the core of the body to strengthen the abdominal muscles, specifically straight and oblique abdominal muscles. These include exercises such as plank, leg lifts and sit-ups.
2. Grip – exercises focused on wrist and grip strength, for example, farmer walks, wrist curls.
3. Shoulders – exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff in the shoulder joint and upper back. For example, face pulls or shoulder exercises with a resistance band.
4. Thigh Muscles – weak quadriceps can lead to injury and annoying pains, so you should not forget about it when designing workout plan. Try exercises such as lateral lunges, walking with resistance bands or lateral leg raises.

4. Determine the correct number of reps and sets

The number of repetitions, the weight of the dumbbells and the length of the break between sets depends on whether you want to gain strength, increase muscle mass or get shredded body. Find out which numbers you should follow to achieve your goal.

Strength workout

Strength is determined by how much weight you can lift. If you workout to increase strength, you cannot expect your muscles to grow as if you were concentrating on weight gain. The principle of increasing strength is to workout with heavy weight and to perform fewer reps, namely [1] [6]:

• weight: heavy, 80 – 100% max. weight
• number of reps: 3 – 5
• number of sets: 3 – 5
• rest between sets: 2 – 5 minutes

Muscle building workout

Muscles do not grow in the gym, but real muscle growth takes part while you are resting, for example, during sleep. This works in such a way that when you increase the weight, you develop muscle fibers that begin to regenerate during rest and gradually become stronger and larger. The principle of muscle gain consists of workouts with moderate weights and a reasonable number of reps[1] [6]:

• weight: moderate, 60 – 80% max. weight
• number of reps: 6 – 8
• number of sets: 3 – 5
• rest between sets: 30 – 90 seconds

Shredding workout

Ripped muscles are lean, toned and trained. This means that they are not too bulky. You can get shredded body with the help of small weight and a large number of reps. [1] [6]

• weight: 40 – 60% max. weight
• number of reps: 10 – 15
• number of sets: 2 – 3
• rest between sets: 20 – 30 seconds

5. Create a combination of exercises

Selecting suitable exercises and combining them into a good workout plan requires some experience. Therefore, it is better for beginners to contact a trainer or an experienced athlete to help them design suitable workout plan.

When choosing right exercises, it is important to consider three factors – the load, the interaction with other exercises and the complexity of the technique. Therefore, we do not recommend to combine [6] :

• heavy weights or intense exercises that load the same muscle groups
• two exercises that put pressure on one joint
• exercises that cause muscle spasms
• two exercises in a row that can quickly raise your blood pressure

On the other hand, it is suitable to combine these in your workout plan [6]:

• different muscle groups
• similar muscle groups if you want to reach the volume of muscle mass
• technically intense exercises along with less technically challenging exercises

So that you understand this better, we will explain it. A good example is the combination of exercises – barbell front squats (4 sets of 5 reps), and then pull-ups (4 sets of 12 reps). Exercises mainly include muscles of arms and back, while the legs, waist and core work in barbell front squats. Thus, different muscles have the opportunity to relax.

A bad example is the combination of front squats (4 sets of 5 reps) and then barbell row (4 sets of 12 reps). During barbell row, you use your arms and upper back, just like during pull-ups, and that’s fine. However, you are putting a lot of stress on the lower back, which you have strained even during squats. Consequently, this combination may cause pain in the lower back even before the third set.

6. Design your workout plan based on these points

You are almost ready for the workout, you just need to make a schedule. Here are some suggestions on how the workout plan may look like. Design yours based on your fitness goal. [6]

Strength workout

Category	Exercise	Number of sets and reps
Upper body – press	Bench Press	4 x 5
Upper body – pull	Low cable row	3 x 12 (each hand)
Glutes and Hamstrings	Deadlift	4 x 5
Muscles of the lower leg	Long jump	4 x 12
Quadriceps	Front squats	3 x 8
Core	Toes-to-bar	3 x 12
Special exercises
Smaller thigh muscles	Clamshells	2 – 3 x 15
Grip	Farmer walks	2 – 3 x 90 sec.

Muscle building workout

Category	Exercise	Number of sets and reps
Upper body – pull	Pull-ups	3 x 12
Upper body – press	Bench Press	3 x 12
Quadriceps	Front squats	4 x 6 – 8
Upper body – press	Overhead Press	3 x 12
Glutes and Hamstrings	Hip thrust	3 x 12
Upper body – pull	Toes-to-bar	3 x 12
Shoulders	Chest supported row	3 x 12
Special exercises
Core	Reverse Crunch	2 – 3 x 15
Grip	Wrist Curls	2 – 3 x 90 sec.

Weight loss workout

Category	Exercise	Number of sets and reps
Cardio	Sprint	15 min.
Upper body – press	Push-ups	3 x 12
Conditioning workout	Sled push	3 x 60 seconds
Glutes and Hamstrings	Hip thrust	3 x 12
Conditioning workout	Battling Ropes	3 x 30 seconds
Quadriceps	Goblet Squat	3 x 12
Upper body – pull	Pull-ups	3 x 12
Special exercises
Shoulders	Prone L Raise	3 x 15
Mobility and balance	Stretching with a foam roller	3 minutes

7. Plan your training load and frequency

The frequency of training and splitting your workout routine for different body parts depend on your goal, recovery speed and schedule. The table gives you an overview of how often you should exercise and how much time to spend on recovery. [5]   

Goal	Strength	Muscle growth	Fat loss
Training frequency per muscle group	2 – 3 x per week	1 – 2 x per week	1 x per week
Recovery	3 – 4 less intense days per week	2 – 3 less intense days per week	3 – 4 less intense days per week

Strength workout plan

Workout for strength growth includes, in particular, involves the central nervous system. This is one of the workouts that requires a long recovery time, which means that you should have more days of rest in your workout plan.

In addition, strength is gained with skill. This is a continuous process of learning how to maximize the use of your muscles. The more you use your muscles, the more strength you gain. Therefore, you should train any muscle group more often and at the same time, you need more days to recover, 3-4 days per week. You can also use the following workout plan [5]:

Muscle building workout plan

When you exercise to increase muscle volume, you are most focused on the muscles. In this case, motor skills and the use of muscles is not as important as during strength workout, and therefore the frequency of training may not be high. Just train each body part twice a week. Muscles also regenerate faster than the central nervous system, so you will need less days to recover, about 2-3 per week. The following schedule would be effective for achieving this goal [5]:

Fat loss workout

If you want to get rid of fat, you need to perform workouts to speed up your metabolism. This means that you do not need a lot of time for recovery, although the number of days for rest should be about 3-4 days. However, on these days you can do less intense workouts, cardio, or long walks to increase and improve fat burning. It is good to include 1-2 strength workouts per week, and add cardio on other days, for example [8]:

A: Fat loss

• day 1 – chest and back workout
• day 2 – cardio
• day 3 – recovery
• day 4 – quadriceps and hamstrings
• day 5 – recovery
• day 6 – cardio or high-intensity training
• day 7 – recovery

4 mistakes you should avoid

1. Too long workouts

A shorter, but more intense workout can be much more beneficial than a long workout. After 40 minutes of intense exercise, the quality of exercise begins to deteriorate rapidly. However, this is very individual, but we think that more than 90 minutes of workout is unnecessarily long. [6]

2. Training the same muscle groups

This fact is often underestimated, but the balance in the training of various muscle groups is very important. Therefore, be careful to keep the following ratio:

• exercises for thighs and quadriceps at a ratio of 1: 1, perfectly 2: 1
• exercises for the upper body – pull & upper body – press ratio of 1: 1, perfectly 2: 1

You should always include at least one shoulder, mobility, or performance exercise in your daily workout plan. [6]

3.  Too many exercises

It is better to focus on doing fewer exercises and more sets. In this way, you will reach the right technique and strength much faster than if you had done few reps of each exercise. In addition, you would not have enough energy throughout the whole workout, if you perform too many exercises. [6]

4. Obsession with tempo

Continuous tempo control can be confusing. Not to mention that you think about it when you have a barbell on your back. Instead, try the following tips:

• less than 8 reps: quickly increase the weight and check the correct technique
• more than 8 reps: quickly lift weight and count to 3 when you go down

With less reps, you gain strength, so perfect exercises quickly, but check out the technique. If you do 8 or more reps, you work on the size of the muscles, so maximize the time of muscle tension. [6]

We have collected all the key tips on how to build a quality workout plan. If you stick to them and avoid 4 major mistakes that we have mentioned above, you will have a real chance to reach your goals. Keep in mind, however, that building muscle is a long and slow process.

Even if you follow all the tips, you can only get about 1-2 grams of muscle per week, which means you don’t have to buy new clothes in a month. So get ready to workout for at least 8-12 weeks before you see the results. Plan your workouts for 8-12 weeks so that they reflect your chosen goal. [5]

We also recommend that you always listen to your body. You probably know that it is important to get the necessary nutrients and have enough of sleep to recover. So, do not forget to include time for recovery and rest in your program. [2]

Despite of having enough rest, you may feel tired. To avoid having break for a week, adapt to the needs of your body. You will never know how to do this until you begin to exercise. That is why your workouts should be so flexible that you can do the exercises according to your current fitness level. Thus, you can manage to stick to your routine and also be full of energy for further workout. [2]

We hope that these tips would help you improve your workout plan and achieve your fitness goal. Tell us, how often you go to the gym, whether you schedule your workouts yourself or with the help of a trainer. If you think that the article is useful and you want to share it with your friends, then do not forget to repost it. We wish you good luck on the way to overcoming yourself and moving towards your goals.

Sources:

[1] Bryan Kenny - Creating the perfect bodybuilding program! – https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/teen-kenny4.htm

[2] Dan Blewett - 6 steps to building the perfect workout – https://www.t-nation.com/training/6-steps-to-building-the-perfect-workout

[3] Shannon Clark - 5 best bodybuilding programs to pack on serious muscle! – https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/5-best-bodybuilding-programs-to-pack-on-serious-muscle.html

[4] 6 keys to building your own training program – https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/6-keys-building-your-own-training-program.html

[5] Christian Thibaudeau - How to design a damn good program – https://www.t-nation.com/training/how-to-design-a-damn-good-program-1

[6] Dan Blewett - 6 steps to building the perfect workout program – https://www.t-nation.com/training/6-steps-to-building-the-perfect-workout

[7] Fitness 101: The absolute beginner´s guide to exercise – https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/fitness-beginners-guide#4

[8] Christian Thibaudeau - Destroying fat, war room strategies to maximize fat loss – https://www.t-nation.com/training/destroying-fat