There are many ways in which to articulate a training program. In this post, I will go over a five steps to help you craft your own 6 week strength training plan.
STEP 1: SET YOUR GOAL/S FOR THIS PROGRAM
The first step is to determine what your goal is. Are you looking to put on muscle mass, add strength, muscle endurance or power? There are different rep ranges for each category. Typically, in a set with fewer reps, you are able to increase the weight. For example, during my hypertrophy phase, I will do 4 sets of 10 reps at 190 lbs. During my strength phase, I will do 4 sets of 5 reps at 220 lbs. With the fewer amount of reps, one is able (and should) increase the weight resistance.
Here are the ranges:
Endurance-15+ reps
Hypertrophy (adding muscle mass) 8-12 reps
Strength (increase the cross section of muscle fiber) 4-6 reps
Power 2-3 reps
STEP 2: DETERMINE HOW MANY DAYS A WEEK YOU CAN GO TO THE GYM
After you determine the amount of reps you want to go with, you need to REALISTICALLY set how many days a week you can go to the gym. This is not a “I’m going to the gym five days a week to lift, doing yoga on one day and an active recovery” type of goal. Be real with yourself and you will have far better results. When you know how many days you will be able to get to the gym, you will then be able to determine your splits.
Step 3: Create your splits
Let’s say you can realistically get to the gym three days a week. I would do resistance training for all 3 days but split up which muscle groups you are working out.
Here is a possible split-
Monday: Back and Chest
Wednesday: Legs
Friday: Shoulders, Biceps and Triceps
There are different ways to split up your resistance training. This is a sample of one that I have done in the past. I would finish the workout with either a 20-30 minute cardio session if you have time. I believe it is important to get at least three, 30 minute cardio sessions per week. Wherever you can squeeze them in is perfect.
Step 4: Determine the number of exercises and what order to do them
The next step is to determine how many, as well as, the order of the exercises. Any over head, two joint exercises should go first in order of exercises. Two joint exercises include: back squat, deadlift, bench press, etc. After the two joint exercises, you have the single joint exercises followed lastly by the accessory lifts. I would stick to 3-5 exercises per muscle group based on your experience and how much time you have in the gym. Start small in the beginning (3 exercises per muscle group if you are an beginner).
Step 5: Determine the weight
There is a way to determine the amount of weight you should be doing based on your 1 rep max. This is complicated to do and takes some time to figure out. For an individual just getting into resistance training, I would suggest playing around with weight. It may take some trial and error but start light. The last rep of the last set should be difficult to complete. If the last rep of the last set is way to easy, then you will know to increase the weight for next time. I like to write down the weights in my phone using the notes app. Make sure you leave your ego at the door. I see way too many people sacrificing good technique in order to press or pull more weight. Do the exercise correctly, even if this means decreasing the weight. Doing so may help prevent injury down the road. I hope this helps, tag any of your friends who may benefit from this post below!