Gym Workout Plan

If you want to know how to find a good workout plan then you are already ahead of a lot of people attempting to lose weight or incorporate healthy habits into their lifestyle because you understand that not only is exercise important but the RIGHT kind of exercise is necessary for weight loss and for overall health.

The first step in how to find a good workout routine for you is to determine what your goals are.

Do you want to have more energy and stamina? Do you want to be able to lift heavy objects? Do you want to lose fat? Do you want to gain muscle? The answers to these questions will play a major role in finding the workout plan for you.

The next step in finding a good workout plan for you is to think of the activities you enjoy. Do you like to be involved in games and social activities, do you like to be in the company of one or two friends, or do you prefer to enjoy your personal time solo?

These might seem like less important questions but the fact is we are all more likely to stick to something like a workout routine if we enjoy it. So try and get a realistic picture of how you like to spend your free time. This will help you to gravitate toward a workout plan that is similar.

All athletes train and train hard but they do not train in the same ways. For instance, cyclists have a workout plan which involves strength training but the focus is more on the cardio component. The goal is to build their stamina so that they can sustain fast speeds for long periods of time.

Wrestlers on the other hand have long endurance cardio as only part of their workout plan but focus is more on strength training and interval training since their matches have more to do with their muscle strength and short bursts of energy.

Both groups are admirable athletes that work hard and dedicate most of their lives to their sports but they work out differently because they have different goals. Do you see where I am going here?

Gym Workout Plan & Your Objectives

Before getting further into this topic I should mention that you can find hundreds of different types of workouts in the workouts and training section of this website. From ab specific workouts to total body workouts in 30 minutes to celebrity workouts and even workouts you can do at home you will find something that really suits YOU best, so take a few minutes and look around.

Weight & Fat Loss
Now for those looking to lose weight you will want to find a workout plan that is a mixture of both cardio and strength exercises. Cardio helps to burn through fat and strength training builds muscle, which in turn boosts your metabolism for more effective calorie burning later on.

A good split for weight/fat loss would be to have 3-4 days of cardio and core strengthening while still implementing at least 2 days of strength training. It doesn’t matter which days you do or even if you do a day with strength training followed by a shorter cardio session after as long as you get this in.

Also remember for weight and fat loss you want to aim for 12-14 repetitions and keep your rest periods to no longer than 30 seconds. This means you will use lighter weights for your strength training but with this kind of conditioning you will excel at burning fat.

Increase Lean Muscle Mass
If you want to only gain muscle then you should focus on strength training with weights. You will still want to include some cardio because it is great for adding definition, good for your heart and also allows you build endurance with your weight training. However, remember that running five miles a day will not help build your muscles.

A good split for increasing lean muscle mass will be to go up to 5 days a week with weight training and include 1-2 days cardio as well.

With a focus on muscle mass increase you will want to aim for 6-8 repetitions which means that for your last rep your weight should be going heavy enough that you almost can’t complete the entire movement. Since each set will exhaust you it is a good idea to have rest periods between 30 and 60 seconds to regain the energy to go full force again.

Gym Workout Plan & Mixing it Up

After you have determined the cardio/strength training blend that is right for your goals you can decide if you want to be a gym, home, or outdoors exerciser. Some people prefer the social aspects of a gym since you can take classes and meet people, or even have a trainer assist you.

Others prefer to work out at home. The only trouble with this is that you run the risk of doing the exercises improperly so you may want to ask someone with experience to show you the right way to do things the first time around. Also for most people who work out at home motivation can be a real big problem as excuses are easy to get in the way.

In all honesty, I think it is best to always mix it up so you don’t get into a boring routine which provides results only for the first several weeks and then starts to go become stagnant as your body adapts. Mix it up with gym workouts, home workouts and even exercises you can do outdoors to keep it fun and challenging.

Nutrition Tips to Help you Meet Your Goals

If you are focused on weight and fat loss then you may want to consider supplementation to your diet with the following suggestions:

If you are focused on muscle gain then you may want to consider supplementation to your diet with the following suggestions:

Have any questions or feedback about your Gym workout plan? Please leave a comment below…