In this article, we will take a look at how to structure your workouts more efficiently. More specifically, we will discuss deciding which exercises/muscles to train within the same workout session. This article is a guide for people ranging from novices and restarting training to people who have been training consistently for a few years. If you're interested in the health benefits of weight training, check out this article.
People love to debate these things as if there is a clear right or wrong way. Of course, there are better and more efficient ways to structure your workouts. For years I have been optimizing programs while coaching at QualityFit. You can make most program styles ( full-body sessions, body part split, push/pull, upper-lower, etc. ) effective as long as you incorporate the following principles:
1. Train your entire body.
If you divide your workouts into different sessions a week, make sure every major muscle gets some attention. Keep in mind that both within a training session and over the week, you do not need to target each muscle equally. You could train certain muscles twice as much as others, this is where your specific training needs come into play. However, not training specific body parts at all will make you miss out on easy benefits or might make you regress.
For example, one person might have legs that are very responsive to training, to where they only need 2-3 sets of squats per week and nothing else. This person could decide to dedicate all his remaining training time to upper body exercises. This approach wouldn’t work for most but I have coached someone like this, this was the best strategy we found.
2. Train the heavy exercises first.
At the beginning of your workout, you should focus on the more complex and heavier exercises ( deep heavy squats, barbell rows, incline bench press. Etc. ) The less tired you are when performing these exercises, the better. The reasoning here is that you are fresh and thus stronger. You will have a better force output & work capacity for that exercise. You will drive better adaptations because of the enhanced training stimulus. Optimizing this stimulus is precisely what we are looking for!
3. Frequency
How often you need to hit a muscle for optimal progress has been a big debate with both sides screaming, now without going into too much science (adaptations curves, optimizing time spend super compensating, etc.) It’s highly recommended to at least hit most muscles twice a week in some regard. This doesn't mean you need to do a full workout for the same muscle twice, it can be a small and a big stimulus.
For example in one of your workouts you could have 5 sets for your back and in the other workout 2 sets for your back and 4 sets for your biceps ( not counting the other exercises here). If you chose an exercise like supinated grip pulldowns in the first workout, you will have hit back and biceps in both these workouts to a meaningful degree. Having achieved a twice a week frequency.
4. Look for incremental progress
How heavy you should load an exercise or how many sets or reps you do is directly dependent on what you did in the previous sessions. Science is pretty clear about this. Training needs to get more challenging over time for continual results. “Just train hard brother! “ is decent advice, but such a statement leaves us with a lot of questions. How hard is hard? How heavy should I go? How many sets before I can call it a day? And so on.
Look for incremental steps over time, like an extra 2,5kg, or an extra rep, extra set,.. don’t rush this process. Over time your body will adapt to the added stimulus you provide it. This way, we can measure progress consistently over time and get the desired outcome.
5. Train the large muscles before the small ones.
When you train smaller muscle groups before larger muscles, the smaller muscles will become the limiting factor. Since they are tired, they will give out quicker and cause you to stop. This prevents you from creating a good stimulus for the larger muscles.
For example: do your rows and pulldowns before your bicep curls. If you reverse this, you will end up with fatigued biceps that will hinder your performance significantly during the pulling movements. you will not be able to stimulate your back muscles ( Latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, etc.) to any meaningful degree.
6. Find a training style you enjoy
Structure your workouts in a way that does not result in you hating the gym. We are all human, we all have finite amounts of motivation. Choosing workouts based on a recommendation from a big dude ( or IG influencer) that told you their favorite exercises, despite you hating these exercises, will not serve you well in the long term. You want to train in a way both science and proven practices have taught us are efficient. Luckily within these there are a fair amount of good options. Choosing the ones you enjoy will significantly affect how well and how long you stick with them.
Remember: what you accomplish in 4 weeks is almost irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, now what you can achieve in 4 to 8 months, that’s where the meaningful progress is to be found!
When you apply these principles to your workout program, you will find that your training will be more efficient, you will have a more straightforward path and you will progress quicker! Have fun, kick ass, and progress!