The goal of this short report is to help you come up with your own workout plans that are best suited to your bodybuilding targets.
Maybe your aim is to build more muscle. Or lose fat. Or gain strength. Or improve your overall health. Whatever it is, there are workout plans that can be specifically tailored to help you achieve it.
The best workout plans are those which:
- * are directed at helping you reach your goals
- * get you there quickly and most efficiently
- * are flexible to fit your schedule and preferences
Planning your ideal workout routine means taking the time and care to identify the exercises you should include, selecting the right equipment or accessories required for them, scheduling a time and place to do them regularly, and then drilling down into details of your workout plans to outline information such as
- * how often you will exercise
- * the intensity and duration of each workout session
- * your bodybuilding diet
- * targets to reach at each milestone
Trust me, the time you take to plan this in detail will be well worth investing. The reason why so many beginner bodybuilders give up mid-way through their body building plan is that they haven’t figured out the details before they start, and get stuck along the way. You don’t want that to happen to you. So here’s how to start defining your ideal workout plans.
What Goes Into Your Ideal Workout Plans?
While there can be no universal routines that suit every bodybuilder out there, you can try and follow some general guidelines.
Your workout routine should be fun. You should look forward to it, rather than feel reluctant about getting started. That’s the only way you’ll sustain your workouts over a long period.
Your workout plan should work. If what you’re already doing works well, just adapt or modify it rather than starting afresh. If your current regimen isn’t effective, change it completely.
Take Stock Before Planning Your Workouts
How long can you afford to exercise? Some people have an hour daily. Others can only squeeze in an hour 3 days in a week. Your workout must fit that time frame.
Where will you work out? Some prefer the gym, others like working out at home.
What exercises will you do? Lifting weights appeals to most bodybuilders. Resistance training is great to build muscle. But within the broad term of “weight lifting”, there are several workout routines you can choose from.
- * Quads include squats, lunges and box jumps
- * Pushes build upper body muscles and involve overhead and bench presses, push ups and dips
- * Pulls are for your back and forearms. You can do chin ups, pull ups and dumbbell rows
- * Core exercises like plans, exercise ball crunches and hanging leg raises are to strengthen your abs and lower back
For an overall body workout, pick at least one exercise from each group and include it in your workout plans.
General Tips For Effective Workout Plans
Start with a general body workout plan that develops your physique. Once you’ve achieved some results, you can select specific muscle groups to build further, and then include routines that workout those muscles more actively.
Keep your workout routines varied. Doing the same thing over and over daily can quickly become boring. Varying your routine by rotating your exercises around, or doing different ones on particular days of the week can keep it fresh.
Rest is important. Muscles grow and develop in the interim rest periods between your workouts. Doing more is not necessarily better, nor will it give you faster results. A workout plan that you follow 5 days in a week is ideal.
Be specific. Knowing the details of your workout plan keeps you on track rather than guessing or doing what feels good at the moment. Answer these questions:
- * How many sets will you do?
- * How many reps will each set have?
- * How long should you break in between sets?
- * What weight should you lift?
- * How long should you work out?
Your Bodybuilding Diet
To get the best results from your workouts, you must eat right. Total calories consumed are just as important as the type of food you eat daily. In general, a protein and carb rich diet that’s low on saturated fats is great. But within these broad guidelines there are many details to plan.
This article on bodybuilding foods can be of help in planning your intake while working out.
Keep Track Of Your Workouts
Recording your progress in a workout journal might sound like the most boring task in your routine today. But over time, this will be your best tool to assess progress, track improvement, motivate and inspire you to keep going, even help you make fact-based decisions about modifying your routines.
Jot down all that you do. How much time did you exercise? What did you do, specifically? What did you eat? How much do you weigh? How big are your muscles growing?
Comparing this data against your past records will serve as proof of how your workout plans are helping you develop and progress towards your goals.