How to set up your workouts for the week

Aside from eating less and increasing your energy output, your weekly workout structure is key to achieving the goals you’re working towards.  

Randomly picking exercises at the gym, off Instagram, doing what your friend is doing, or repeating the same routine week after week, year after year, will NOT get you where you want to go.

Another important note: doing hours of cardio, endless HIIT classes, intense bodyweight circuits, or any other gimmick you see on the internet will NOT drive progress or get you the results you’re wanting. 

I’ve been there and done that. 

So you might be asking: what will get me the results I want?

Start by focusing on training (vs. exercising)

Now, hear me out, because training and exercising likely sound the same to most people. Every time you block time for a workout, aim to get better at the exercises you’re working on. This is what I like to call “training.” It’s not only about the sweat… increase your weights, improve your reps, and up the intensity whenever you feel yourself getting comfortable. That is training, that’s training like an athlete to continue to perform better than you were yesterday. That is so much more than exercise for the sake of exercise. 

Most importantly… BE CONSISTENT!

Stick to a game plan, don’t deviate from it or gravitate towards a new shiny exercise or class you saw online. 

Stick to the plan and focus for at least 90 days.

I personally have had the BEST results with both clients and myself training full body 3-5 days a week. 

Train a minimum of three days a week. 

Here’s an example of how I would program your week if I were your coach:

3 Days

• Monday –  Full Body Strength 
• Tuesday – Cardio (run, swim, bike, walking incline)
• Wednesday – Full  Body Strength 
• Thursday – Cardio (run, swim, bike) 
• Friday – Full Body Strength 

4 Days

• Monday –  Full Body Strength 
• Tuesday – Full Body Strength
• Wednesday – Cardio (run, swim, bike)  
• Thursday – Full Body Strength 
• Friday – Full Body Strength 
• Saturday – Cardio (run, swim, bike)
• Sunday – Active recovery, reset, recharge, try some yoga!

There’s always going to be some variation, and not every week will be your ideal schedule.

The bottom line…

Focus on major compound movements (squat, push, pull, hinge, carry, core) using bands, dumbbells, machines, or barbells to build muscle, make progress, and yield the best results. This will help stimulate more growth and allow recovery from workout to workout with enough rest in between. 

Trust me, I’ve been training like this for a number of years, and continue to make progress and get results with clients as well. 

Do you know how to build a proper workout routine?

Hit the reply and let’s chat about workouts.