A Guide To Building Your Workout Routine

Whether you're aiming to build muscle, tone up, lose weight, or enhance your overall health, this guide will provide you with the essential elements to help you design a successful 12 weeks hypertrophy program tailored to your needs.

• Goal Setting

Setting clear fitness goals is the foundation of a successful gym program. Whether your aim is muscle growth, weight loss, or overall health, it's vital to choose exercises that engage both the upper and lower body. This balanced approach not only maximises calorie burn but also ensures a well-rounded physique. For instance, if your goal is to develop your chest, you can allocate more training volume to chest exercises while still maintaining a comprehensive routine that targets other muscle groups.

• Frequency

Consider how much time you can realistically commit to gym sessions and how often you can go without overstretching yourself. For instance, if you can dedicate three days a week, each lasting 30 minutes, design a 3-day program with 30-minute sessions to ensure a sustainable and effective routine. Prioritising consistency over excess time spent at the gym is key for long-term success.

• Exercise Selection

Compound Exercises: These are multi-joint movements that engage multiple muscle groups. Include compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, rows, and overhead presses in your routine. They provide maximum efficiency for building strength and muscle.

Single Leg and Arm Exercises: These exercises can help improve balance and address any strength imbalances. Examples include single-leg squats, lunges, single-arm dumbbell rows, and single-arm shoulder presses.

Isolation Exercises: To target specific muscle groups or weaknesses, incorporate isolation exercises like bicep curls, tricep extensions, leg curls, and lateral raises into your program.

Upper Body

Chest: Bench press (barbell or dumbbell), incline bench press, chest flies…

Back: Pull-ups, rows (barbell or dumbbell), lat pulldowns….

Shoulders: Overhead press, shoulder presses (dumbbell or barbell), lateral raises…

Arms: Bicep curls, tricep dips, skull crushers….

Lower Body

Quads: Squats (back squats, front squats), leg press, lunges….

Hamstrings: Deadlifts (conventional or Romanian), leg curls….

Glutes: Glute bridges, hip thrusts….

Calves: Calf raises (standing or seated)….

Core:

Include core-strengthening exercises like planks, Russian twists, and leg raises and other exercises to maintain core stability and strength.

• Rep Range

The rep range of 8-12 repetitions per set is often considered ideal for hypertrophy ( in theory but this is an othe discussion) , which is the process of increasing muscle size. This range strikes a balance between lifting heavy enough weights to stimulate muscle growth and performing a sufficient number of repetitions to create metabolic stress. When you engage in resistance training within this rep range, your muscles experience micro-tears that require energy to repair and build, thus increasing your metabolism. This heightened metabolic rate means you continue to burn calories even after your workout, supporting weight loss goals. Furthermore, as you build lean muscle through hypertrophy, your body becomes more efficient at burning calories, making it an effective strategy for both building a toned physique and shedding excess weight.

Incorporating this rep range into your training program, along with proper nutrition, can significantly contribute to your overall health and fitness goals.

• Volume

Training volume is a fundamental concept in exercise physiology and strength training. It refers to the total amount of work or resistance that you perform during a workout session or over a specific period, typically measured in sets and repetitions.

In simpler terms, training volume combines the following elements:

Sets: A set is a group of repetitions of a specific exercise performed consecutively without rest. For example, if you perform 10 push-ups in a row, that's considered one set of push-ups.

Repetitions (Reps): A repetition is a single completion of an exercise's full range of motion. For instance, one squat from the lowest position to standing upright is one repetition.

Load or Weight: The amount of resistance or weight used in an exercise can also be a factor in training volume.

Training volume is a crucial variable in designing effective workout programs for hypertrophy. For individuals looking to maximize muscle hypertrophy, research and practical experience suggest that a weekly volume of approximately 10 to 22 sets per muscle group can lead to significant progress.

• Split training

Splitting your workout program refers to how you organize and distribute your exercises across different days or sessions. The way you split your program can vary based on your goals, preferences, and available time. It is important to choose the split that fits your goals and schedule. Beginners can start with full-body or upper/lower splits, while advanced individuals may prefer muscle group splits. Make sure to rest between workouts for the same muscle groups. Here are some examples:

Full-Body Workout:

• Work your whole body in one session.

• Good for beginners or those short on time.

• Aim for 2-3 times a week.

Upper/Lower Split:

• Alternate between upper and lower body workouts.

• For example, upper body one day, lower body the next.

• Do this 3-4 times a week.

Muscle Group Split:

• Focus on one or two muscle groups each day (e.g., chest and triceps).

• Great for targeting specific muscles.

• Aim for 4-6 times a week.

Below you will find a program made by one of my client illustrating the elements explained above. While Julian is an advanced trainee and mix strenght work with hypertrophy, he managed to create a routine that suits his busy lifestyle while achieveing his goals:

JULIAN 5 DAY SPLIT TRAINING

Throughout the 12 weeks, remember to gradually increase the weight as you progress and ensure proper form and technique to prevent injury. Adequate rest and recovery between workouts are crucial for muscle growth. Additionally, nutrition and proper hydration play significant roles in achieving your hypertrophy goals, so maintain a balanced diet and stay hydrated. Finally, always listen to your body and make adjustments as needed to adapt to your unique needs and capabilities.

If you need assistance in crafting your personalised training program or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at soriacheurfa@gmail.com. Your fitness journey is unique, and I'm here to support you on your path to achieving your goals.