2017 – 86164 | SS 110: Basic Weight Training | Aug 15, 2019

DESIGNING WEIGHT TRAINING PROGRAMS

Limitations to Consider 3 5 8-10

● Goal – muscle growth, rehab, sports 4 6 8-10
hy
5 Deload (3 sets, ½ Reps, 50-80% weight)
performance, muscle endurance, strength
6 3 8-10
gain, etc. Hype 7 4 8-10
● Time – how often per week and how long rtrop 8 5 8-10
each session. hy 9 6 8-10
● Equipment – the exercises you choose are 10 Deload (3 sets, ½ Reps, 50-80% weight)
limited to the equipment available to you. 11 2 3-5
● Fitness Level – dictates the intensity of the 12 3 3-5
Stren
13 4 3-5
routine gth
14 5 3-5
15 Deload (3 sets, ½ Reps, 50-80% weight)
Programs Variables to Keep in Mind 16 2 1-2
1. Exercise Selection – depends on the 17 3 1-2
Pow
availability of equipment and exercise er
18 4 1-2
preferences. For large muscle groups (back, 19 5 1-2
20 Deload (3 sets, ½ Reps, 50-80% weight)
chest, legs, including the hips), ideally 2
exercises. For small muscle groups 5. Sets – anywhere from 3 to 6 sets per
(shoulder, arms, calves), 1 exercise is exercise and one set is usually enough for
enough. beginners or people in a hurry; 2 or 3 sets
2. Training Frequency – dictated by time for intermediate level of fitness and 3 sets
constraint; ideally 2 workouts per muscle, or more for more advanced individuals
per week 6. Rest Interval – full recovery, if you are a
3. Exercise Order – in general, follow the rule beginner, take as long as you need,
of doing your upper and lower body otherwise, your rest intervals should be
exercises in the order of your larger muscles dictated by your training goal. If you are a
first, and then your smaller muscles. Lastly, beginner, take as long as you need.
exercise your middle body, your lower back Otherwise, your rest intervals should be
and abdominals, as they serve to stabilize dictated by your training goal.
your body as you do all prior exercise. 7. Variation – can change exercise every
4. Load – dictated by fitness level. Power mesocycle (after deload)
training usually involves 1-2 reps, strength is 8. Recovery – deload every 4 to 6 weeks
about 3-5 reps, muscle size about 6 to 12 9. Sustainability – Motivation < Discipline <
(6-8, 7-9, 8-10, 9-11, 10-12 for rep ranges) Habit Routine.
and muscular endurance needs upwards of
12 to 30 reps. Power training should only be Split Routines
done for heavy compound movements of Regardless of your goals, you need to hit each
large muscle groups. The load is simply muscle group twice a week. The simplest way to
dictated by the number of reps based on accomplish this is to perform two total-body
the principle of progressive over load. workouts per week; in other words, twice a week
Decay Rates of Training perform a routine that works every major muscle
Training Week Sets Reps group. Some people may want to go to the gym
Hype 1 3 8-10 more often and thus split routine can be done.
rtrop 2 4 8-10

“Focus on the pounds you LIFT, not the pounds you WEIGH.”
 2017 – 86164 | SS 110: Basic Weight Training | Aug 15, 2019

● When designing a split routine, you need to

follow two basic rules:
o train each muscle group twice a week
and;

M Tu W Th F S
x2 Full Full
x4 Uppe Lower Uppe Lower
r r
x6 Push Lower Pull Push Lower Pull
x3 Full Uppe Lower
r
x5 Upper Lower Push Pull Legs +

“Focus on the pounds you LIFT, not the pounds you WEIGH.”