What are your goals?
I think this is a very important question especially if you are looking to progress efficiently and be successful.
These can be broad or specific depending on what it is you want to achieve. For most, simply looking and feeling better, becoming fitter and healthier might be their goal.
Generally, most common answers are:
To build muscle.
To lose fat.
To gain weight.
To lose weight.
To get “toned.”
To increase strength.
To improve performance.
To get “in shape.”
To be healthier.
To look great naked.
Any combination of the items on this list
For someone else it may be to get to 5% body fat, lift 200kg, run X distance in X time, fit into an item of clothing etc.
The first step is to decide firmly on the path you wish to go down. Based on your answer, certain aspects of your routine will need to be set up a certain way to best accommodate that goal.
Most people fit into 2 categories:
“Looks”
“Performance”
People who want to look better usually want to build muscle, lose fat, or do both. This group also includes more generic goals like getting “toned,” or getting a 6 pack, or losing weight/gaining weight.
On the other foot, people who are interested in performance usually want to get stronger, faster and better at a certain sport or activity.
Now there is a lot of overlap between the groups. Meaning, training for performance may lead to more muscle and/or less fat, whereas training for looks may lead to increased strength and/or improved performance in most cases. However, it will not always be in a way that is most optimal for those goals - it can often be a side effect.
So, what is right for you and how do you go about organising a programme that is efficient for its intended purpose?
Here are a few variables that should be considered when devising a training programme:
Reps
Sets
Tempo (how fast an exercise is performed)
Weight
Rest between sets
Volume (how much work is done within the session)
Type of exercise
Frequency (times per week)
Other factors that play a role include:
Diet
Rest and Recovery
Lifestyle (are you able to fit it around your work)
Experience (novice, intermediate and advanced)
Make sure you are realistic about this. There is no point in a complete novice stating that they want to be 300lb of pure muscle in 6 months – it's just not feasible. However, experience goes a long way. Achieving realistic goals can be brought on quicker with the correct knowledge and application.
Often someone looking to improve in a specific field will acquire the advice of an person with a good knowledge on that subject.
Experts have often gone through many processes or trial and error and If that person with knowledge is good at relaying the information they can essentially help you speed up the process toward your goals and success.
Now there is nothing wrong with researching a chosen field for yourself. With the internet at our fingertips we have access to a vast amount of information – some of it good, some not so good.
On a positive note it's vast and often free of charge, however a potential downside to this is you may be following advice that is wrong for you or just inaccurate in general. Also, you get little to no feedback and therefore there is often a longer process involved.
I would say if you want the best results possible firstly define your goal and take into consideration the variables listed above, then implement them into a solid routine that is specific to you and what you want to achieve. Finally, invest in yourself by finding a great mentor, coach, trainer etc and absorb what they have to offer!
Contact me directly for 1-1 Personal Training & Online Coaching: training programming, technique analysis, nutritional advice, support and guidance.
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Mankel Over Matter - Getting Stronger Together.