The perfect guide to putting together an effective training program Part 3

After going into more detail about the best exercises for building strength and muscle mass in the second part of this article series and then looking at other things such as the best repetition ranges, the right number of training sets and the length of rest intervals between sets, the final part will focus on putting all this knowledge into practice. This will include specific examples of all the training splits described in Part 1.

How to put together your perfect training program

Okay, we are now ready to put together our training program. There are many ways I could have organized this section of the article, but I've chosen to base everything on your goals, as these will have the biggest impact on your overall training plan.

Before we look at each of the individual goals in more detail, it's worth mentioning that all of the training programs I've presented so far in this article will work for each of these goals.

So if your goal is to build muscle and strength, but you can't train 5 days a week, don't worry - you can still get good results with a 3 or 4 day training program. You would just get the best results with the 5 day program.

How you eat is also of crucial importance. It doesn't matter how well you train - if you don't eat right, you won't be satisfied with your results. For this reason, after planning your training program, you should also start planning your diet. You will find sufficient information on this topic on this site.

How to put together a training program for building muscle mass and strength

If you are relatively lean and want to build muscle mass and weight, then the 5-day training program will be your best choice. In addition to this, you should limit your cardio training to a maximum of one hour per week or even avoid cardio training altogether if you find it difficult to build muscle mass.

How to put together a training program to build muscle while losing fat

Yes, it is possible to build muscle and lose fat at the same time. However, there are prerequisites for this: You must either be a novice exerciser or have muscle memory on your side.

With that out of the way, I'd like to mention that the best training program for building muscle and losing fat at the same time is the 5-day training program. This will allow you to maximize your "beginner gains" (or muscle memory gains) even in a calorie deficit.

Although cardio training is not essential for fat loss, it can help. This is especially true when it comes to high-intensity interval training (HIIT for short). If your goal is to build muscle with maximum fat loss at the same time, then I would recommend 3 25-minute HIIT training sessions per week in addition to your weight training.

You can do this cardio on your weight training days or on your non-training days, but I would recommend that you take one completely non-training day per week if you are in a calorie deficit (avoiding strenuous physical activity on this day will aid your recovery).

How to put together a training program for fat loss and maintenance of existing muscle mass

If you are happy with the amount of muscle you have and just want to maintain that amount of muscle while losing fat, then you can achieve good results with the 3 day training program.

Add 3 25 minute HIIT workouts to your training week, with one full rest day per week where you don't do any training.

Examples of effective training programs

Now it's time to put everything we've learned into practice.

Here is an example of a 5-day training program:

• Day 1: Chest & calves

o Barbell incline bench press - warm-up sets and then 3 work sets
o Dumbbell incline bench press - 3 work sets
o Barbell flat bench press - 3 work sets
o Optional: Dips (chest version) - 3 work sets (with additional weight if possible)
o Calf training A

• Day 2: Back & abs

o Barbell deadlifts - warm-up sets and then 3 work sets
o Barbell rows - 3 work sets
o Pull-ups with wide grip - 3 work sets (with additional weight if possible)
o Optional: Lat pull-ups with narrow grip - 3 work sets
o Optional: Barbell shoulder raises (shrugs) - 2 work sets
o 3 to 6 training circuits for the abdominal muscles

• Day 3: Arms & calves

o Barbell curls - warm-up sets and then 3 work sets
o Bench press with close grip - 3 work sets
o Alternating dumbbell curls - 3 work sets
o Seated tricep presses - 3 work sets
o Calf training B

• Day 4: Shoulders & abs

o Barbell shoulder presses seated or standing - warm-up sets and then 3 work sets
o Side raises - 3 work sets
o Side raises bent over - 3 work sets
o 3 to 6 abdominal training circuits

• Day 5: Legs

o Barbell squats - warm-up sets and then 4 work sets
o Leg presses - 4 work sets
o Romanian deadlift - 4 work sets
o Calf training C

Here is an example of a 4 day training program:

• Day 1: Chest & Triceps & Calves

o Barbell incline bench press - warm-up sets and then 3 work sets
o Barbell flat bench press - 3 work sets
o Dips (chest version, if possible with additional weight) - 3 work sets
o Bench press with close grip - 3 work sets
o Seated tricep press - 3 work sets
o Calf workout A

• Day 2: Back & biceps & abs

o Barbell deadlifts - warm-up sets and then 3 work sets
o Barbell rows - 3 work sets
o Pull-ups with wide grip - 3 work sets (with additional weight if possible)
o Optional: barbell shoulder raises (shrugs) - 2 work sets
o Barbell curls - 3 work sets
o Alternating dumbbell curls - 3 work sets
o 3 to 6 training circuits for the abdominal muscles

• Day 3: Shoulders & calves

o Barbell shoulder presses sitting or standing - warm-up sets and then 3 work sets
o Side raises - 3 work sets
o Side raises bent over - 3 work sets
o Calf workout B

• Day 4: Legs & abs

o Barbell squats - warm-up sets and then 3 work sets
o Leg presses - 3 work sets
o Romanian deadlift - 3 work sets
o 3 to 6 training circuits for the abdominal muscles

Here are two examples of a 3-day training program:

• Day 1: Push & calves

o Barbell incline bench press - warm-up sets and then 3 work sets
o Barbell flat bench press - 3 work sets
o Barbell shoulder press sitting or standing - warm-up sets and then 3 work sets
o Side raises - 3 work sets
o Dips (chest version) - 3 work sets (with additional weight if possible)
o Bench press with close grip - 3 work sets
o Calf training A

• Day 2: Pull & abs

o Barbell deadlifts - warm-up sets and then 3 work sets
o Barbell rows - 3 work sets
o Pull-ups with wide grip - 3 work sets (with additional weight if possible)
o Optional: barbell shoulder raises (shrugs) - 2 work sets
o Barbell curls - 3 work sets 3 to 6 abdominal training circuits

• Day 3: Legs

o Barbell squats - warm-up sets and then 4 work sets
o Leg presses - 4 work sets
o Romanian deadlift - 4 work sets
o Calf training B

• Day 1: Chest & triceps & calves

o Barbell incline bench press - warm-up sets and then 3 work sets
o Barbell flat bench press - 3 work sets
o Dips (chest version, if possible with additional weight) - 3 work sets
o Bench press with close grip - 3 work sets
o Tricep press sitting - 3 work sets
o Calf workout A

• Day 2: Back & biceps & abs

o Barbell deadlifts - warm-up sets and then 3 work sets
o Barbell rows - 3 work sets
o Pull-ups with wide grip - 3 work sets (4 to 6 repetitions per set, if possible with additional weight)
o Optional: Barbell shoulder raises (shrugs) - 2 work sets
o Alternating dumbbell curls - 3 work sets
o Barbell curls - 3 work sets 3 to 6 training circuits for the abdominal muscles

• Day 3: Legs & shoulders

o Barbell squats - warm-up sets and then 3 work sets
o Leg presses - 3 work sets
o Romanian deadlift - 3 work sets
o Barbell shoulder presses sitting or standing - warm-up sets and then 3 work sets
o Side raises - 3 work sets
o Optional: bent-over side raises - 3 work sets

Conclusion on putting together a training program

Putting together the perfect training program takes some thought and planning, but the results are worth the effort. Once you've figured out what works best for your body, your schedule and your goals, you'll save yourself a lot of time, energy and frustration so you can focus on doing the actual work and having fun doing it.

You should not overlook the importance of enjoying your training program and sticking to it.

The fact is that even with a poor training program, you will eventually reach a point where you are at least reasonably satisfied with your results. The purpose of putting together a really good training program is to get you to that point faster and allow you to eventually reach the point where you are really excited about your results.

After reading this article, you'll probably know more about putting together an effective training program than 95% of the people you see in the gym every day. Put your knowledge into action!

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12436270
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22158142
3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1732669
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22032491
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1907774
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19691365
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18296968
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16686570
9. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288080560_The_Role_of_Fiber_Types_in_Muscle_Hypertrophy_Implications_for_Loading_Strategies

Source: https://www.muscleforlife.com/how-to-build-a-workout-routine/

By Michael Matthews