While walking into your local fitness facility and experimenting with various machines isn’t a bad thing, there’s nothing that beats a solid plan, like structuring your exercise routine beforehand. But how can you best organize your efforts? Here’s how to build your workout routine so you can make the most of your time and achieve your goals with more intention.
Determine Your Situation
Are you looking to lose weight or build muscle? Are mobility and stability your priority? No matter your intentions, determining what you want to achieve beforehand allows you to personalize and structure your routine to cater to your goals. An effective way to create your goals is to use the SMART method, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.
Always Start With a Warmup
The body performs its best upon warming up. You never want to initiate a workout before allowing your body to grow comfortable with movements since doing so can lead to injury. A fantastic way to warm up before your main workout is to go on a quick walk or use the stair climber to fire up those muscles. After warming up, consider stretching to promote mobility.
Consider Incorporating Accessory Movements
After your main workout, consider incorporating supplementary exercise to target more specific muscles in the body. For instance, a bodybuilder will initiate their sessions by performing compound movements. Then, they’ll follow up with isolated exercises as accessory work.
If you plan on starting a weight lifting program, it’s best to know the difference between compound and isolated exercises to avoid confusion.
Knowing how to build your workout routine enables you to perform exercises and focus on achieving your goals. Instead of figuring it out on your own, you’ll have a reliable structure to guide you through your journey for more achievable results.
