Why You Need an Exercise Plan

You have probably seen it before. Those poor individuals. The ones who seem to train hard & eat clean on a regular basis, but the sweat just comes and goes leaving no real results. More than likely these ambitious individuals are like explorers without maps, just wandering, inevitably to nowhere.

But not just any plan will do. Technically, it would be a “plan” to lift weights every second day, and that’s pretty insignificant. What you really need if you want to succeed is a carefully crafted plan designed to utilize progressive overload and obtain adequate rest/recovery. A plan that tells you where you are going, what you need to do to get there and when you will be done.

If you haven’t seen my post on setting S.M.A.R.T.E.R Goals, it’s a great place to start Before you go create or purchase a plan.

3 Traits of a Great Exercise Plan

1. Goal & Capability Oriented

Are you trying to lose weight? Gain muscle? Get stronger? Get fitter? These different goals will require wildly different plans. A great fitness plan won't have you dabbling in a variety of fitness areas, it will have you hone-in with a laser-like focus on the areas that you need to be focused on.

You also have to consider how capable you are in fitness when making your plan. Have you ever worked out before? Or are you an advanced lifter wanting to break through a plateau? Understanding your fitness capabilities, and what kind of training you need to do to improve them, is crucial if you want to make your own exercise plan.

When I am creating an exercise plan for a client who is completely new to the gym, I like them to do a week something I call “BASE LEVEL TRAINING.” This is the period where you find out where your strength and endurance capabilities are to start with, and if you need to make readjustments to your plan.

2. Adequate Rest & recovery

Proper rest & recovery is essential to progress in any area of fitness. After a muscle is broken down in a work out session, full muscle…