The Best Workout Routine
What are workout routines and how to pick the best one?
Exercise. What to do? Where to go? How to start?
Diving into the fitness space is like jumping into a whirlwind of information. Everyone says different things and it can all get confusing.
So today we’ll take a look at what workout routines are, what one should include, and how to pick one for yourself.
What is a workout routine?
A workout routine is a cycle of workouts repeated over time, usually a week.
A popular example is the Push, Pull, Legs (PPL) split used by gym enthusiasts who prioritize volume training and aesthetics.
It typically involves up to six different workouts completed on six different days with one rest day per week.
PPL is a great choice if you want to maximize hypertrophy through volume and spread it over a week. But it might not be the best choice for you.
What is the best workout routine?
The best workout routine is the one that you will stick to for months, or even years, at a time that aligns with your fitness goals.
There is no one-size-fits-all-all because we’re all built differently, live different lifestyles, and hold different values.
But there are three key aspects a workout routine should include.
What should a workout routine include?
A well-balanced routine should have three major components: resistance training, cardio, and stretching.
As you’ll see later on, how long you spend on each depends heavily on your goals and priorities when it comes to fitness.
Resistance training
As the name suggests, resistance training involves any exercise that uses resistance to work the muscles. Be it weights, resistance bands, or simply gravity.
Aside from the obvious benefit, of being aesthetically pleasing muscles, resistance training offers many more.
Benefits of resistance training:
Improving bone and joint health
Boosting metabolic rate
Increasing quality of sleep
Better athletic performance (speed and power)
Improvements in posture
Your workout routine should include some form of resistance training, no matter your goals. The benefits of doing so will carry over into other areas of your life.
Cardio
Heart disease was the world’s biggest killer back in 2019, and it’ll still be very high on that list.
That’s why cardio is essential in the modern day as the average person simply doesn’t do enough.
Cardio is short for cardiovascular exercise. It involves any form of exercise that increases the heart rate for a prolonged period.
Examples of cardio include:
Running
Swimming
Cycling
Circuit training
Hiking
Like resistance training, cardio is essential when choosing or creating a workout routine. If anything, when it comes to health, it’s even more important.
Mobility
Hours of weight training and running can leave you feeling stiff and sore. That’s where mobility training comes into play.
Mobility training can be used to improve recovery by doing short stretching routines, but it also has other roles.
You could design a whole workout around mobility and come out of it feeling like you just did an intense weight training session.
Here are some exercises focused on improving mobility:
Planks
Lunges
Push-ups
Toe touches
Supermans
Don’t sleep on mobility, future you will be grateful.
That Sounds Like A Lot
It can be, and that’s where your priorities come into play.
If you know what you want, you know how long to spend on each type of exercise given your time restrictions for physical activity.
Say you can only manage six hours of exercise per week, split into four different sessions.
Let’s take a look at how you’d spend that time depending on your priorities.
Build muscle mass and get lean
An example workout routine to build muscle and get lean within the time restrictions could be as follows:
Weight train in all four sessions by using the Upper/Lower split
At the end of both Upper sessions, do 30 minutes of medium-intensity cardio (like cycling on the stationary bike)
At the end of both Lower sessions, engage in a mobility routine focused on stretching
This will help you build muscle by stimulating hypertrophy through weight training and help reduce body fat through cardio while still incorporating all three essential aspects of a workout routine.
Cardiovascular health and mobility
If your focus is on cardiovascular health and mobility, you may choose to do a workout routine like this:
Two full body weight training days
One low-intensity steady state (LISS) cardio day
One high-intensity interval training (HIIT) day
Each day followed by a mobility routine, tailored to your requirements (such as lower back health)
Through this workout routine, your cardiovascular health will improve along with your stamina, you’ll boost your mobility, and the additional weight training will provide the crossover benefits to help you go further.
Speed and Power
What comes to mind when you think of speed and power? Explosive lifts combined with sprints. Here’s an example:
Three full body weight training days, each with a focus on the big three lifts (bench press, squat, and deadlift)
Each weight training day ends in a short hill sprint session
One HIIT day (circuits)
This workout routine focuses on intensity and short bursts of activity, a surefire way to improve speed and power.
Where to go from here?
If you’re new to the fitness space and not in a rush, experiment and have fun. Apart from getting healthier, you might not know what you want from fitness just yet. Feel free to get out there and try new things as you figure out your priorities going forward.
Doing so will also help you get out of your comfort zone, building the foundations of confidence that you’ll need to achieve your fitness goals.
But there are hundreds of options and directions you could go in and it can get confusing.
So if you feel overwhelmed but know what it is you want, getting expert help will bring clarity and fast track your progress.
However, if you prefer to go at it alone, be sure to research and gather knowledge as set out on your journey.
In any case, every journey requires that first step. So go and get started.