How should you organize?
Having a strict program you follow every week is essential to achieving your fitness goals. But do you have trouble deciding which is the best? And how many times a week should you train and split your exercise? Well! Your goals, the time you have available, and the outcomes you want from your training will all influence the answer to this question.
How many days per week?
This topic has caused diversion among the gym community, with each side passionately supporting their opinion. Actually, the volume of the muscle group being trained is the only factor that counts. Workout regimens that consist of six or seven days a week are immediately deemed inappropriate because they are excessively strenuous and prevent your muscles from receiving the necessary rest. Muscles require two to three days to recuperate.
Thus, scheduling for three, four, or five days a week is appropriate. What kind of exercise you desire to do and how much time you can devote will determine the most suitable strategy, though. For instance, a three-day full-body workout plan is a wonderful choice if you are aiming to train your entire body but are short on time.
On the other hand, you can choose a 5-day plan if you wish to divide up your workouts to target different muscles. The choice is entirely yours. The most crucial thing is to adhere to the timetable you have given yourself. In order to ensure that you don’t neglect any muscle groups throughout your split workout, it would be advisable to choose four days per week, even if you like to break it up.
How should you spit out your workouts?
A workout split actually means how you split and plan your workouts throughout the week. There are mainly 5 types of splits that are the most popular and are recognized by everyone: Full-body split, upper/lower split, push/pull/legs, bro split, and hybrid split. Beginners at the gym may find it difficult to comprehend and choose a split that works with their schedule and strategy. I will go over each of the primary divides and their advantages and disadvantages.
- Full-body split: It’s a quite simple and self-explanatory plan where you have full-body workouts. As mentioned, it is perfect for people with tight schedules who aim for 2-3 days a week of training. The only problem you will face is that your workout sessions might be longer than usual.
- Upper/lower split: It is a famous split that a lot of gym-goers use. You make it simple for yourself to keep track of whatever muscle group you’re training by splitting your workouts between the upper and lower bodies. It is for people who stick to schedules of four or five days a week. One of the downsides is the volume, which may lead to fatigue, specifically in your upper-body workouts. Because the upper body has more muscle groups than the lower body, if, for example, you train chest, biceps, triceps, and forearms, then by the time you train, you’re back close to the end of your session, you’re fatigued, you’re armed, and don’t have the power to support the back.
- Push/pull/legs: It sounds complex, but it really isn’t. They are categorized based on the movements involved with the workouts. Push workouts involve pushing, chest presses, and shoulder presses, while pull workouts involve workouts where you pull, like rows, and lastly, legs are simply lower-body leg workouts. It’s another split that you can do on a 3-week workout plan. It is not beginner-friendly, and beginners may find it difficult to decide how they are going to split push-pull exercises for maximum results.
- Bro splits: This is a very unique, interesting, and straightforward type of split, where you train one muscle group per workout! I would need 5 days a week for these workouts. Some people like and support it, and some people don’t. I think it’s not a good idea to devote an entire training session to one muscle group, but it’s your decision. The facts are that one muscle group per session is too much volume, and it only takes 2-3 days for muscles to recover, so waiting 7 days to train that muscle again will result in losing a lot of gains.
- Hybrid splits: A hybrid split is a mix or combination of different types of splits. After you gain some experience and understand what benefits your body more and what does not, you can create your own hybrid split that is tailored specifically for you. The combinations are endless.
If you have decided on a split but don’t know the specific exercises you will do, then it’s a good idea to ask, or if you want, you can just copy some from professional and trustworthy trainers on popular social media platforms.
Tracking progress
It makes no sense if you create a gym program/plan and don’t track your progress. By tracking your progress, you can see whether your plan is achieving its purpose or not, allowing you to make important changes so you stay on the right path.
You can track progress in many ways, like by taking periodic photos, comparing how much weight you can lift between weeks, or watching your weights. It will make sure that you are working at the highest efficiency and motivate you for the progress you have made so far.
Conclusion
Take your time deciding on a program that fits your needs, and again, remember that the most important part of creating a gym program is to stick to it and remain consistent. Don’t forget about the other aspects of lifting weights, which are to rest, watch your diet so your body can properly heal and adapt to its challenges, always keep the correct form, and warm up before starting intense sessions.
Also, start adding more weights after a few weeks so that you can progressively overload your body for more gains and strength.
Author:
Menelaos Shima
