How to Create a Workout Schedule

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Create a Workout Schedule

Taking the time to actually sit down and create a concrete schedule is the all-important first step toward building the body you want. After that comes the tough task of following it every week, but that's another topic for another day, for now let's just focus on putting a workout schedule together.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Planning

Step 1

Sit down with a weekly calendar and determine how many days of the week you are willing to exercise.
Step 2

Decide what specific type of exercise you want to engage in. For instance, cardiovascular exercise will help you lose fat, whereas lifting weights will build muscle.
Step 3

See Section 2 for devising a cardiovascular exercise plan.
Step 4

See Section 3 for devising a weight-lifting program.
Step 5

Commit yourself to exercising according to your plan. This is the most important step.
Step 6

Follow your schedule for at least one month. The results you'll see after four weeks should be enough to keep you motivated.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Step 1

Incorporate 30-minute exercise sessions into your schedule. Thirty minutes of daily exercise is adequate for most people.
Step 2

Decide on a form of cardiovascular exercise for a specific day of the week. Using a treadmill or stair-climbing machine, jogging, biking, and swimming are all effective forms of cardiovascular exercise.
Step 3

Warm up and actively stretch for 5 minutes before beginning any activity.
Step 4

Exercise at a moderate pace for 20 minutes.
Step 5

Follow with a 5-minute cool down.
Step 6

Change your schedule to accommodate longer exercise periods when appropriate.
Step 7

Stick to your schedule.

Weight Lifting

Step 1

Set aside 30- to 60-minute workout sessions for lifting. If you don't spend a lot of time socializing or resting during your workout you can get a good session of lifting done in that time. Don't rest more than 60 seconds between sets.
Step 2

Begin by performing total body workouts aimed at conditioning every major muscle group (upper body, lower body and back). Balanced development is extremely important.
Step 3

Split your workouts as you become a more experienced lifter. This will enable you to better concentrate on specific muscle groups and areas. A common split that targets every major muscle group is: chest and triceps, back and biceps, shoulder and legs.
Step 4

Rest your muscles between sessions. Allow each muscle group at least one day of rest between sessions. Your muscles can't grow unless they have time to rest and heal.
Step 5

Tailor your schedule to best satisfy your goals.
Step 6

Stick to your workout schedule.

Comments

hakz said

Flag This Comment

on 8/27/2009 Hi all, just wondering if my workout schedule is good. I basically workout eg monday chest and shoulders then wednesday triceps n biceps....then continue same pattern. But i dont workout my back, as i just do dumbell excercises.
So what im asking is my schedule good? Would you think it gives enough time for my muscles to rest and repair? Results have been OK my triceps and biceps havent grown too much though, but everyone has noticed a growth in my body.

Sorry for lengthy question, thanks.

Hakz

omghow said

on 5/27/2009 Sticking with a written exercise plan has more staying power when it plan out. Thanks for the suggestions. Cheers.

vikki9 said

on 5/27/2009 Thank you for these helpful scheduling suggestions.

princessg said

on 5/27/2009 Thanks for the reminder...

RFerriANP said

on 5/27/2009 As a medical clinican and a personal trainer I think scheduling is essential to fitness. However, I also think we have become to "polically correct" when it comes to getting people to work out and take care of themselves. I honestly feel if you can "schedule" mindless TV time you really do not have a real "excuse" to skip working out. As a society we simply need to get off our butts. It sometimes really is that simple.