By Will Duru, BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, Award-winning Personal Trainer with over 10 years of experience in strength training and optimising recovery
Many people at the gym ask me how to plan their workouts. I always tell them the same thing. It depends on two things. First, how many days can you train each week? Second, how much time do you have for each session?
I have spent almost a decade training women in the City of London as a personal trainer. Helping people to build muscle is my passion. I love seeing my clients get stronger and feel more confident.
Let us look at two clients. Client A wants to train three times a week for 45 minutes. Client B wants to train three times a week for at least one hour. Their programmes will be very similar. I only make small changes. For Client A, I use more supersets. This helps them finish faster. For Client B, I use supersets and single exercises. We have more time to rest. Your fitness level also matters when you plan your sessions.
Planning your workouts before you go to the gym is very important. It saves you time. It helps you avoid feeling lost. But many people find planning hard. In this article, I will show you three easy ways to plan your gym workouts. I have used these methods with my clients for 10 years. They really work.
The three ways are:
- Using the push/pull/legs method.
- Using supersets to save time.
- Use a timer to stay focused.
The 12reps app is built to help you with all of these. It makes strength training easy for everyone.
What is Push, Pull, Legs?
The push/pull/legs method is very popular. It is a great way to muscle building. It lets you train your whole body in just three sessions a week.
In this method, you split your body into three types of movements:
- Monday: Push and Pull (Chest and Back). When you move weight away from your body, it is a push. For example, the bench press is a push. When you pull weight towards you, it is a pull. For example, a row is a pull.
- Tuesday: Shoulders and Arms. Moving your shoulders is a push. Your triceps (the back of your arm) are for pushing. Your biceps (the front of your arm) are for pulling.
- Wednesday: Legs. Leg day has both push and pull moves. A squat is a push. A deadlift is a pull.
The 12reps app helps you track this. It tells you which body parts you have not trained yet. It checks this every week and every month. This means you never miss a muscle group. It is the perfect workout tracker for staying balanced.
What is a Superset?
A superset is when you do two exercises one after the other. You do not rest between them. You only rest after you finish both.
This is a great way to save time. It makes your workout harder. It keeps your heart rate high. This helps you burn more calories. You can do supersets targeting the same muscle group, like a chest press followed by a push-up. Or you can do them for different muscles, like biceps and then triceps.
I use supersets with all my clients. It stops them from talking too much! Some clients like to chat for five minutes after a set. Supersets stop this. They must keep moving. This leads to more muscle growth.
If you want to use supersets, you should download the 12reps app. It has over 1,500 exercises. It shows you exactly how to do them with videos. It makes setting up supersets very simple.
Use a Timer for Your Session
I always tell my clients to use a timer. A timer keeps you focused on your work. It stops you from looking at your phone. It stops you from talking to friends for too long.
When people see you using a timer, they know you are busy. They will not bother you. Most importantly, it keeps your rest times short. This makes your workout better.
The 12reps app has a timer built inside it. You do not need a separate watch. It tells you when to start your next set. This helps you get the best results from your strength training.
Why the 12REPS App is Best for You
Many people go to the gym without a plan. They walk from one machine to another. They do random things. Then they feel sad because they see no results. I created the 12reps app to fix this.
Here is what the app does for you:
- Personalised Plans: It asks you about your goals. It asks what equipment you have. Then it gives you a plan just for you.
- Home or Gym: You can use it anywhere. It works for home workouts and gym workouts.
- Easy Tracking: You can log your weights and reps in seconds. You can see yourself getting stronger every week.
- Expert Help: All the plans are made by real trainers like me. We have many years of experience.
Get Started Today
You no longer have to guess what to do at the gym. You can have a personal trainer in your pocket. The 12reps app is here to help you build a stronger body.
Join thousands of other people who are using it. You can start your 7-day for free trial right now. See how easy it is to track your progress and reach your goals.
References
[1] American College of Sports Medicine. (2009). ACSM’s position stand on progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 41(3), 687-708. Link
[2] Schoenfeld, B. J. (2010). The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(10), 2857-2872. Link
[3] Wernbom, M., Augustsson, J., & Thomeé, R. (2007). The influence of frequency, intensity, volume and mode of strength training on muscular adaptations in well-trained humans. Sports Medicine, 37(4-5), 339-361. Link
