Workout Routines and Picking the Right Plan
Chances are you looking for some workout routines for body building and weight training that you can review with the hope of picking the best plan for adding muscle mass and size. There are literally thousands of workout routines online to choose from and many thousands more that can be found in books and print.
So how do you go about picking the best workout routine to fit your needs? Are there any tips or recommendations that should be considered as part of the selection process? The answer is yes!
This brief article will provide 3 solid suggestions that you might want to consider as you contemplate which workout routine will give you the best result for your efforts. The key ingredient to any successful workout routine, regardless of which routine you choose, is motivation. Keep this in mind as you go through the workout routine recommendations for picking the best plan here.
Are you ready? Let’s jump right in!
Workout Routine Tip #1: Know your Body Type
One of the very first things you will want to do before choosing a workout plan to fit your needs is to identify your specific male body type. In other words, you want to know if you are an endomorph, ectomorph or mesomorph.
The reason you want to know your body type is directly related to how your body metabolically and physiologically gains or loses muscle and fat. For example, if you have a mesomorph type body, you will want to focus on workout routines that not only add muscle but also include elements of cardio. Why? Well, for example, mesomorphs tend to be hard gainers and need to kick start their metabolism through intense periods of cardio vascular exercise. The other body types, ectomorph and endomorph do not have these same challenges (they have different ones!)
Workout Routine Tip #2: Know your Goals
After you have identified your body type, you will then want to move about the business of knowing what your workout routine goals will be. Common examples include a desire to build a bigger chest or increase the size of your arms. Another goal might be to strengthen your legs or add mass to your back.
What is important is that you have concrete, measurable goals as part of your plan. If you just go in with the mindset of wanting to grow your upper body without focusing on specific body parts, like the biceps, triceps or chest, you will simply be playing the game of just going through the motions. It is for this reason you want to have clearly identified workout routine goals. This will keep you motivated and engaged during your training cycles.
Workout Routine Tip #3: Have Realistic Expectations
Whatever you have identified as your body building goals, make sure that your expectations are realistic. One of the biggest reasons people stop a given workout program is because they have set totally unrealistic expectations about seeing results. Most students and clients I work with on wellness activities have shared with me they believe muscle gains should happen within a week or two. While this may be true for some people, the research suggests that it takes a bit longer!
Keep in mind that a number of variables that need to be factors into realizing muscle gains. These variables include:
- Age
- Gender
- Genetics
- Prior strength training experience
- Metabolic rate
- Body type (See tip #1)
Most people will see rapid change during the early part of their body building program but these are not visible. Here, we are talking about changes to the nervous and skeletal systems, which will immediately start to adapt once you embark on a workout routine (assuming you are a beginner).
Changes in muscle size take longer. Generally speaking, it can take 6-8 weeks to see significant changes in the size and appearance of your muscles (Fahey, 2013). When you pick your routine, remember that you will not see instant results – regardless of what the routine is promising!
I have seen many new people start a workout routine get discouraged because of unrealistic expectations around muscle hypertrophy. Don’t let this happen to you.
Workout Routine Summary:
By knowing your body type, identifying your goals and having realistic expectations, you will go a long way in choosing the right body building routine to fit your needs. I want to encourage you to read all that you can about muscular growth and development.
If you are a new person to the gym and hoping to become better educated on body building, make sure you also focus on nutrition – which is a key factor in realizing results. Many people overlook this important focus area because they are concentrating too much on the resistance training exercises and routines.
I am suggesting a very easy to understand book below entitled, Bigger, Leaner, Stronger by Michael Matthews. He offers some solid advice that you will want to factor into your chosen workout routine.
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Reference: Fahey, Thomas. (2012) Basic Weight Training for Men and Women. McGraw Hill. New York