If you’re serious about working out, you should know that making the most of your time in the gym is key to seeing the results you want. But showing up is half the battle; going to the gym on the days you “don’t feel like it” speaks to how disciplined you actually are. If you care about your physique and your mental health, you’ll still go on these days – regardless of how you feel.
With the access of the internet at our disposal, it’s extremely easy to find exercises for each muscle group. YouTube is a great source for visual learning, so make use of it. Pinterest is another. Once you have an idea as to what you’ll be exercising, there are a few key points to keep in mind. Here is how to create an effective gym schedule:
Create a Workout Split
In a nutshell, a workout split is a regime that optimizes complete muscle growth by focusing on different muscle areas or motions. There are many variations of this, like push, pull, legs, or focusing on a different muscle group every day (arms on Monday, chest on Tuesday, back on Wednesday, etc.) At its core this is a very basic method to working out, and virtually everyone who does relies on some sort of gym schedule anyway. To go even further, I like to work on multiple areas within a particular muscle group. If I’m working on shoulders, I make sure I do one exercise for traps; one for posterior deltoids; one for anterior deltoids; and one for lateral deltoids. All areas of the shoulder. The variation here in each section is key for best results, and it’s truly the most logical way to make the most of your time at the gym.
Aim to Push Past What You’re Comfortable With
When you find yourself consistently attending to your gym schedule, often there will be a certain weight for each exercise that you’re comfortable with. Maybe you’re able to push through 8-10 reps with ease, making you confident with it. At this stage you may force a caveat on yourself; that going past this point of complacency will end in failure. It’s important for the sake of growth and progress to let go of this state of mind and just try a heavier weight. You won’t know unless you try.
With that said, asking for a spot is an easy way to ensure that if you do struggle, at least someone can help you maintain proper form and prevent you from getting injured. In a public gym, people have no problem with this. And when you have support, you have no excuse to not test your limitations. Physical challenges not only strengthen you physically, but also create fortitude – a quality that carries over into other areas of life.
Side note: I suggest showing up in lightweight, comfortable clothing like a tank top and sweatpants. Excess layers are unnecessary as they make your body feel heavier while trying to lift already heavy weights; and as much as you want to aim for what’s uncomfortable to you, you should feel comfortable in what you’re wearing.
Make Time for It Consistently
Everyone is busy, but those who truly understand the importance of physical movement every day will make time for the gym, or at the very least for a walk on the days you opt out of working out. I’d like to stress that this should be non-negotiable; a healthy body is a healthy mind, which is ultimately a healthy life. We are meant to stay active. Our ancestors had to be constantly moving to look for food in order to survive, to escape from danger, etcetera. And the bigger you were in muscle mass, the better suited you were to protect yourself and your family from threats. Though the world today is astronomically different from thousands of years ago, the structure of the human body and its requirements for life sustainability haven’t changed. I think it’s especially important to keep this in mind when you don’t feel like working out.
Ideally 4 days minimum per week will suffice for a gym schedule. Although, going 3 but utilizing a specific split may render similar benefits (such as push, pull, legs). Personally, I was going 5-6 times a week for almost one year, but have recently started going every other day. The day off in between serves as a resting period, but it makes my drive to go the following day that much more pronounced. And at the very least, I like to at least do something, like going for a walk, so that I have logged some sort of physical activity. I’ve done this in the past and have seen muscle growth on a similar level to going nearly every day. As long as you use your time efficiently, you can reap the benefits. I would suggest testing what works for you as this is completely subjective.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
Your desire to work out will usually differ depending on your body structure; those who are overweight aim to trim that fat and increase muscle mass, whereas thinner people aim to bulk up by increasing their weight in muscle mass. If you’re overweight, including plenty of cardio into your anaerobic training sessions will bring you closer to your goal. If you’re skinny, an emphasis on weightlifting anaerobic exercise will bring you closer to yours. However, in either case, the amount of physical activity you do will not matter if your diet is not up to par. If I’m fat and all I eat is processed garbage when I’m not training, should I really be surprised if I’m not seeing the results I want? Your body has to be nourished from the inside out so that you’re ingesting the right amount of micro and macronutrients needed to maintain physical health and appearance. And to take it a step further, you could track your micro and macros to make this a more optimal experience for you. I personally don’t do this because I know that what I’m eating every day is good for my body and brain; and a basic quantitative understanding such as, four eggs a day for optimal protein intake, will meet my dietary needs. Anything beyond that is subjective, but by all means go that route if that’s what makes sense for you.
A very misleading message I heard was that fitness YouTubers promote eating anything you can to meet your macronutrient intake; this includes processed foods. Unfortunately, people who are genuinely trying to build an efficient gym schedule often rely on the information that these people distribute. And with the access to quick and convenient foods in the west, it’s no wonder why some people erase all their exercise progress so easily. That, coupled with the influence from those with millions of subscribers and a nice body, make for a misleading understanding of an ideal physique.
Greens, grains and fruits are foods that are great for getting the necessary micronutrient intake. These foods improve cognitive function and mental health, which are crucial for various areas of life; including your willingness and discipline to exercise at all. In addition your physical appearance will be healthier, reflecting the intake of these foods because you are what you eat. As for physique, maintaining a muscular one will require intake of protein-based foods like eggs, chicken and nuts; and this molecule is so important because it will repair the torn muscle tissue you experience after working out. Protein powder in combination with these foods will optimize your intake. In summary, working out consistently will not change anything about your appearance if there is no emphasis on a healthy diet; ensure that as much as possible, you’re cooking whole foods meals while also getting the necessary micro and macro nutrient intake.