With all the different weight machines and free weight exercises to choose from, how do you know if you are getting the most out of your workouts in the gym? Are you unintentionally overworking one muscle group and neglecting another? Can you be utilizing your time better in the gym? Creating a workout plan can be a fun puzzle to figure out, and there are a few strategies to help you fit those pieces together.
One way to create a well rounded workout is to is to choose an exercise from each “family” of movements. Movements can be classified as a hinge (deadlift, glute bridge), squat (goblet squats, leg press machine), push (push up, chest press machine), pull (dumbbell row, seated row machine), single leg exercises (walking lunge, step up), and core (plank, abdominal crunch machine). By choosing one exercise from each of these families of exercises you will have worked every major muscle in your body. This will also ensure that you are not overworking any certain body part and underworking another.
Another strategy that can be implemented is to include compound movements in your workout. Compound movements are exercises that require multiple muscles to be used in order for the exercise to be performed (as opposed to isolation movements that target only a single muscle at a time). In a sense, you can think of compound movements as more “bang for your buck” exercises because you are able to do more work in a short amount of time. For example, if you were performing a dumbbell squat to press movement, you will be checking off two family of exercises in one movement, the squat and the push. If slimming down is your goal, compound movements would be great because you will be burning more calories in a given amount of time. If you are on a time constraint, compound exercises are an excellent choice for you because you can complete your workout in a shorter amount of time.
A third strategy that is very efficient is to use supersets. Supersets pair exercises that involve different muscle groups. Examples would be pairing a squatting exercise with an upper body pulling exercise, or even an upper body pushing exercise with an upper body pulling exercise. That way, while one muscle group is working, the other muscle group is resting, and vise versa. Supersets are great for time management because instead of resting one or two minutes in between sets you are spending that time working on another group of muscles.
Whatever your reason for going to the gym, having a workout plan is a must. It will provide you with focus and will help you reach your goals quicker!
If you would like help with goal setting or creating a workout plan, contact Master Trainer Sean (sconnor@claremontclub.com) for a complimentary session.
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