There are a lot of different ways to go about structuring your daily fitness regimen. Some people prefer working out for an hour each day, while others find success with longer workouts every other day. There is no “right” way to do it, you just need to find what works best for you and stick with it! Here are some tips on how to structure your training regimen so that you can stay on track and see results!
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Start With Stretching
One thing that people often overlook when they are planning out their workout regimen is stretching. Stretching beforehand will help avoid pulling or tearing a muscle, and it will also increase your range of motion which allows you to exercise better! There are many different stretches you can do before your workout, including neck rolls, arm circles, leg swings, squats with bended knees, touching your toes. Other great stretches include jumping jacks, jogging in place, hamstring stretch, shoulder blade squeezes for the upper back, and spiderman lunges.
Protein Before And After Workout
After you stretch, you will want to make sure and get some protein in your system before and after the workout. Eating protein will help your muscles repair and grow stronger, and it can also reduce muscle soreness after strenuous or new activity. There are many different foods that have good pre-workout protein sources, such as eggs, milk, yogurt, turkey, or chicken. You can also find many quality protein sources in beef, tuna, and beans. You should try for at least 10 grams of protein before your workout and at least 20 grams of protein after your workout.
Set Workout Days For Each Muscle
One of the biggest mistakes people make when structuring their workout regimen is not working out each muscle enough. Muscles need 1 to 2 days, sometimes 3, to recover before working them again. This means that you should be exercising each muscle group once or twice a week! For example, if you want to exercise your legs and butt on Monday, don’t do any exercises for those muscles on Tuesday. Likewise, if you did sit-ups and leg lifts for your abs, don’t do squats and lunges until Thursday or Friday. Doing this will help prevent overtraining, which can lead to poor performance in future workouts!
Set Goals For Yourself
Setting goals for yourself is vital to keeping you motivated! When you set goals, try starting off with an end goal and then work backwards. For example, if your goal is to lose 30 pounds, determine how many weeks it will take at the current pace. Then, put smaller goals in place during that time. Such as, if it is going to take you 6 months at your current rate, set a goal of losing 5 pounds every 1-2 weeks. This will help prevent discouragement from not seeing results fast enough! Remember that results DO come with hard work!
Make Sure To Include Cardio
One of the biggest mistakes people make when structuring their workout regimen is forgetting to include cardio. Cardio, like stretching, will help prevent injuries during workouts and increase your cardiovascular endurance! You can do cardio anywhere, but many people prefer going to the gym for their cardio sessions since they have already paid for a membership. However, if you decide to do it, make sure that you are doing 30-60 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 3 times/week to see the best results. Some examples of great cardio exercises that you can do are slow jogging or walking, running stairs, jump rope, biking, and swimming.
Have A Plan Before The Gym
One of the biggest mistakes people make when structuring their workout regimen is not having a plan! You need to know what you are going to do before going to the gym. This will prevent you from wasting time and also help prevent injury! It’s a good idea to have a list of different exercises that you want to do, as well as how many reps or sets you would like to complete.
If you don’t know if an exercise is good for your muscle group, look it up on the internet beforehand. If you can’t think of any exercises for a muscle group, ask someone at the gym or look at the pictures on most workout machines which will show you which muscles those particular machines work.
Keep Track Of Reps /Sets/Weights
One of the biggest mistakes people make when structuring their workout regimen is not tracking their progress. This can include completing a certain number of reps, sets, or weights and not remembering it later! Some people write down their numbers in a notebook, while others prefer using their cell phone to take pictures of how much weight is on a machine. If you want, you can even set a goal for each workout in a spreadsheet and track your progress! Just be sure to be aware because this is important to progress in your workouts.
Conclusion
Once you figure out the perfect structure for yourself and your workout regimen, it is essential to stick with it! The more time and effort you put into your workouts, the greater results you will see. Remember that results do come with hard work! So, don’t give up after a couple of weeks because it isn’t working out as fast as you expected. Keep pushing yourself and stay determined!
