Your first gym day and personalised training program

Any beginner athlete is faced with the problem when he needs to compile a personalised training program. Without a peep, I remind you that you shouldn’t be confused with a training program and a workout plan. What’s the difference? Read this post.

So, let’s back on track with a personalised training program 

I note that any newbie has difficulties literally at every step. How to warm up? What exercises to take? How long should a workout be? And so on.

Everything is much simpler. 

• Firstly, there are no magical training schemes. If someone (trainer or fitness blogger) sells you something, he’s just making money on your inexperience.
• Secondly, a huge number of exercises doesn’t guarantee your progress. Quantity does not equal quality.  
• Thirdly, using the same thing over again (I mean, the same workout program) will lead you to stagnation and a plateau.

Therefore, the best training program is the one that you made by yourself

Most likely, you won’t get the desired result immediately. But you will be polishing your program and will bring it to the ideal with time. And it’s cool! Because the more flexible your workout routine is, the higher your level as an athlete will be.

Of course, you may have a reasonable question: how to draw up a personalised training program, if I’m doing it for the first time?

I suggest you to follow this algorithm:

• determine the total duration of the workout. I wrote how to do it in this post;
• divide the workout into three main blocks: warm-up, primary exercises, and a cooldown;
• choose primary exercises based on your goals: if you prefer a split system, you train one or two muscle groups; if full body workout is more suitable for you, you train the whole body (sounds trite, but so it is!);
• the cooldown also depends on your preferences: it can be cardio, stretching, or a few static exercises.

I want to give an important remark!

In fact, it doesn’t matter at all what exercises you use. A key thing to carry on them in the correct technique and to know how each exercise loads your body or a specific muscle group. Once more: exercise technique and understanding of its effect are crucial in your training program.

Having mastered these two fundamental points, you can easily determine the number of sets and reps, vary the working weight, and also combine exercises. 

For example, I never know in advance what my workout will be like. I choose exercises as I go when I’m already in the gym.

Now you have instructions on how to compose a personalised training program. Even if this is your first gym day! 

By way of illustration, below is one of my training days’ routine. But this is just an example. Of course, you will create a program for yourself. And don’t be afraid to things out. It’s experiments that make your workouts more varied, funtastic, and effective.

My usual gym day and example of my personalised training program