What Are you Training for? New Year New You- Physical Fitness Series Part 1.

What Are You Training For? How to Build Your Own Program & Routine.

What are you training for? I am training to see my son’s joy when I hit the ice with him at Stick & Puck, and to see my daughter’s pride when I can participate in a hand stand challenge with her.

I am training for my quality of life and longevity…..

What are you training for?

It is so important to have a reason and to keep that reason at the forefront of your mind, sticking to a program is not easy and motivation is only momentary it doesn’t last. You have to stay focused and consistent and just keep pushing forward making sure to never take more than 1-2 days off in a row so that you don’t fall into a slump and fall off completely.

Today I want to give some helpful insight on how to build your own program along with a video tutorial for your dynamic warm up, joint integrity exercises and stretching.

For beginners just this warmup chain might be enough to start with and could be done at home, it may take you 20-30 minutes to complete, and you could repeat it 3 times a week. For more advanced people you could get this warmup chain done in about 10  minutes at home prior to going to the gym.

No matter who you are, this is an imperative aspect to include in your daily training to help build up your foundation, warm up your entire body, increase your joint integrity, and prevent injury.

See the video tutorial below & all the information broken down after that for a Basic Strength Training Program, including Dynamic Warm Up, Joint Integrity, Weight Training & Stretching😊

Strength Training helps to boost your bone density, boost your metabolic rate and build your muscle mass. Strength training works by overloading muscles, allowing them to adapt, and overloading them again.

It is not a one size fits all approach, your own program should be geared towards your needs and goals, I have included a basic template for a full body strength training routine below, if there are any exercises that you don't think will fit your own ability then you can do a quick google search for an alternative exercise that will work the same muscle groups as that exercise listed. I have mainly included compound exercises in this program so that each exercise will work multiple muscle groups.

Every training program needs to start with a dynamic warm up (to prep the body for exercise) , & joint integrity movements. Together these 2 components will help to build your foundation and prevent injury.

Dynamic Warm Up

15 jumping jacks

15 seal jacks

15 pogo hops

10 In & Out Squat Jumps

10 Ass to Grass Squats

10 each side- Side Lunges

10 each side- Static Lunges with a twist

10 each side- Step back Lunges with a reach over

Skipping Forward 10-20 reps

Skipping Backwards 10-20 reps

Frankenstein walks regular 10-20 alternating legs

Frankenstein walks with a hop 10-20 alternating legs

Inch worm 5-10

Joint Integrity Exercises

Shoulders (with a band)

Internal Rotation 10-15 each side

External Rotation 10-15 each side

Scarecrow 10-15 each side

Band Pull Apart 15-20

Hips/Lower Body-Balance

15 each side-Bird Dog with a crunch

15 each side- Fire Hydrant Raises

10 each side- Fire Hydrant Raises with a Donkey Kick

Glutes/Back/Lower Body/Balance

10 each side-Single Leg Deadlift touch

10 each side-Single Leg Deadlift reach

10 each side-Single Leg Deadlift hop

Basic Stretching- hold each stretch for 30-60 seconds on each side

Arm across the body-Rear shoulder/back stretch

Arm over the head- Triceps Stretch

Hands clasped together behind the back and pull back-Chest stretch (not included in video)

Grabbing one foot and pull towards the butt- Quadricep Stretch (can be done standing or laying down, loop a towel around ankle if you can’t reach your ankle or foot and then pull the towel towards butt).

Cross ankle over opposite knee – Glute stretch (can be done standing hanging onto a secured machine or laying on the ground on a matt).

Building Your Routine

When you are planning your exercise program, it is important to break up the muscles you are training so that you give each muscle group the ability to recover and grow, the muscle can only grow during recovery. 

Make sure to focus on compound exercises (which work multiple muscle groups at a time).

Focusing on adding weight weekly increasing your load to make your muscles tear and grow (don’t overload them off the bat and injure yourself, always test your loads first to see what you can easily lift and then add from there to test how high you can go).

Also making sure that you are challenging yourself with enough load that the last 2 reps are hard to finish.

When lifting weights always make sure you understand which muscles you are using so you can focus on trying to engage those muscles as you lift the weights, ensure you know the proper form for each exercise either by looking it up online or buying a book to follow. Do your exercises in front of a mirror when possible so that you can keep an eye on your form.

Example of a Full Body Weight Training Routine (8-10 rep range to build muscle)

This routine incorporates machines which will help you hold your form while moving through exercises but I do incorporate some free weights as well, remember your form is everything so make sure to look up the exercises before hand and ensure you know how to do them properly.

Monday – Push & Pull Day @ the Gym (Chest & Back)

1.      Wide Pullups (on Assisted Pull up Machine) 3 sets of 8-10 reps-Can also do this on a bar with a band or small step to help push up if you can't make it all the way.

2.      Inverted rows on a pull up bar (set at mid height) 3 sets of 12-15 reps

3.      Close Inside grip Pull ups (on Assisted Pull up Machine) 3 sets of 8-10 reps-Can also do this on a bar with a band or small step to help push up if you can't make it all the way.

4.      Seated Chest Press Machine 3 sets of 8-10 reps

5.      BB Chest Press on bench 3 sets of 6-10 reps

6.      Eccentric Pushups (full or on knees, 4 counts on the way down) 3 sets 6-10 reps

Tuesday- Quadriceps & Glutes

1.      BB Squats, (if you don’t have knee issues you should focus on dropping below your knee level) 3 sets 8-10 reps

2.      KB Sumo Squats 3 sets 15 reps

3.      Glute Kick back machine  15 reps each side

4.      BB Glute Thrusts (with a bench at your back, on Smith machine, BB on hips, lower body below bench and thrust up with your hips ensuring you don't over extend and hurt your back.) 3 sets 10-15 reps

5.      Quad Extension Machine- 3 sets 8-10 reps

6.      Abductor machine 3 sets 10-15 reps

Wednesday-Shoulders, Arms & Core

Core-Focusing on the deep internal muscles

(1 set of each maintaining good posture, pulling your belly button to the ground so there is no space between your back and the mat).

1.      Heel taps 30 alternating

2.      Alternating leg extensions -30 alternating (laying on back with legs together in air, one bends with knee towards body while the other extends. Without your back arching off the ground, only extend as low as you can with your lower back not lifting or arching).

3.      Laying on back single leg extensions with light weights (hold weights in hands, one knee bent and foot on ground other leg extended, bring knee into chest, and arms towards leg, then extend that leg and lift arms over head, repeat).

4.      Double leg extension (same as above but both legs at the same time).

Shoulders

1.      Standing DB Shoulder press with rotation (start with palms facing each other and rotate palms out as lifting DBs above head). 3 sets of 8-10 reps

2.      DB Lateral Raises 3 sets 8-10 reps

3.      BB Upright Rows 3 sets 8-10 reps (start light and watch your form)

4.      Rear Fly Machine 3 sets 8-10 reps

Arms

1.      DB Bicep Curls -3 sets 8-10 reps

2.      Overhead Single Arm Tricep Extension -3 sets each side 10 reps

Thursday- Rest, Stretch or Yoga at Home

Friday-Hams & Calves

1.      Romanian Deadlifts- 3 sets of 6-10 reps (it is imperative to watch your form, if you can not do a proper flat back throughout the range of motion for this exercise then correcting your posture should be the priority before attempting loaded deadlifts).

2.      Single leg deadlifts with a KB 3 sets of 10-12 reps each side

3.      Back Extensions 3 sets of 10-15 reps

4.      Calf press machine (3 sets of-10 with toes in, 10 with toes out, 10 with toes regular- 3 sets)

5.      DB or KB Suitcase Deadlifts 3 sets of 8-10 reps

6.      Seated Hamstring Curl Machine 3 sets of 8-10 reps

Saturday- Stretch Day- Yoga at Home

And always remember that SMARTER Goals are, Specific, Measurable, Adjustable, Realistic, Time-Based, Exciting, Recorded.

Don't beat yourself up if you fall off and screw up, failure is what helps you grow in the long run, the faster you get back on it the faster your journey to success will be.

This is just as much a mental game as it is a physical game and learning to control your inner voice and shut out negative talk is just as important as making it to the gym and doing the physical exercises. Often times when we are creating a new routine the biggest reason for failing at it is because our negative habits and our surroundings don't support our new positive ones.

Its ok to step back and take time for yourself, its ok to stop and reflect on what you truly want in life and its ok to let things go if they are not serving at bettering you, or the life you want. Not everyone will want to be on this journey with you and that's ok too, maybe in time they will but if they don't that's ok, your new journey will open new doors with new habits and people that support the vision you have for yourself and your life.

You can't change people around you but you can change your surroundings.

Create a life you love, not one you feel like you need to escape.

Wishing you all the success in the world <3

Please Note: This blog is meant for educational purposes only, I am a health enthusiast, I am not a Doctor. please contact your health care professional for any medical advice.