Step by Step Workout Program Design

!±8± Step by Step Workout Program Design

Designing a good workout program is not nearly as hard as quantum physics and you sure as hell don't have to be Einstein to create an effective program. Most guys and bodybuilders aren't even smart enough to play connect 4 but luckily it's still easier than that. There is no question that connect four is easy. So if you can do that you can design an effective training program.

People tend to workout things they like to see or are easy to do. Things like bicep curls, tricep pushdowns, bench press are typical workouts that people do. This is because there easy and are mirror muscle workouts. But focusing on only easy exercises and mirror muscle workouts will lead to asymmetry and lacking body parts. Many parts lacking by most people are shoulders, back, gluteus, hamstrings and core. That sure sounds like a lot of your body that is lacking. Because this body parts people can not see they do not focus on building or working them.

When people do decide to work these muscles they use machines. Machines really serve no purpose in any resistance training program outside of a rehabilitation program and even that's pushing it. Lets take a look at an prone leg curl also called the hamstring curl. The hamstrings serve as both knee flexors, hip extensors, and are also an eccentric resistor of knee extension during sprinting. Leg curls work knee flexion, in a nonfunctional capacity (you're on your stomach, curling a weight in a fixed plane of motion).

I look at this and ask myself when does this particular movement occur in sports or everyday events? As far as for that they do very little for inter- and intramuscular coordination and have no effect on increasing core strength or stability. So for an effective program machines are a waste of time.

This program design template I am laying out below will address

Produce better results: increased caloric expenditure, increased gains in lean body mass, increased fat loss, improved nutrient partitioning Help prevent imbalances and weaknesses Be more time efficient Develop the central nervous system and improve intermuscular and intramuscular coordination Give them the "most bang for their training buck"

Rather then using 7 machines to work one muscle, instead try to incorporate more compound movement patterns into your repertoire that allow you to train several muscle groups at once using dumbbells and barbells. The following is a simple guide.

The list Horizontal pushing

Dumbbell; flat, decline, incline (pronate, neutral, and semi pronated grips) Barbell; flat, decline, incline Floor presses; barbell or dumbbell( pronate or semi pronate grips) Board presses; 2,3,4,5 board Pushups
Horizontal pulling

Seated rows (various attachments and various grips) Dumbbell rows Barbell rows (pronated or supinated) Chest supported rows Head supported rows Self supported rows
Vertical pushing

Military press (barbell or dumbbell) Push press (barbell or dumbbell) One arm press Half press
Vertical pulling

Pullups Chinups Lat pulldowns (pronated or supinated)
Knee dominant

Front squat Back squat Split squat Bulgarian squat Box squat Zercher squat Single leg squat Pistols
Hip dominant

Deadlift (dumbbell or barbell) Single leg deadlift (babrell or dumbbell) Romanian Deadlift (barbell or dumbbell) Sumo deadlifts Rack pulls bridges
Core

I could write a whole article on core training but I will give you just a few of the effective exercises for core training.

Planks Bridging Side planks Rollouts Pallof presses Hanging leg raises Hanging knee raises
Almost done

Now before I go and explain a normal workout template I already know I am going to be getting emails asking why there is no biceps, triceps or crunches in this program. Well because if you do the exercises advised above you will effectively work those parts of the body anyways. We do not need to do any isolation work in less we find that that body part is lacking strength to properly execute an exercise. Then we would add exercises like band pulls, more rowing, triceps pushdowns and more core work for auxiliary purposes.

This program is always executed after a extensive warm up. I will also be writing up a Warm up routine later this week.

Training template for 3 times a week.

This training program is a very basic template. So feel free to tweak it to your specific needs.

Training sessions #1

A. Hip dominant
B1. Horizontal push
B2. Knee dominant
C1. Horizontal pull
C2. Auxiliary
D. Core

Training session #2

A. Knee dominant
B1. vertical pulling
B2. Hip dominant
C1. vertical push
C2. auxiliary
D. Core

Training session #3

A. Hip dominant
B1. horizontal push
B2. horizontal pull
C1. Knee dominant
C2. Vertical pull
D. auxiliary
E. Core

In the end, designing your own resistance training program isn't as daunting a task as you might have originally thought. With a little thought and some tweaks here and there, I'm willing to bet that the majority of the newer lifters reading this will see some vast improvements in their strength, body composition, nagging injuries, and posture!