Creating Your Own Workout

TylerWhiite

Hey everyone, so I'm looking to create my own workout for this summer, and want to be able to maintain or if possible gain some lean muscle while losing fat. What are the best reps and sets for muscle gain? Also, I read somewhere that I should change my sets and red every few weeks to avoid a plateau. Is this true? Any tips are appreciated, thank you!

SonyaCele

why are you creating your own when there are a million tried and true programs you can pick from?

thesupremeforce

Find a beginner program and run with it. Plenty of them work. No, you don't need to switch sets every few weeks. That's absurd. Just pick a program and do what it tells you to do.

Panda_Poptarts

I have a pretty sweet program.

I walk into the gym, pick an area of my body to work (unless it's total-body strength day), choose some equipment that currently interests me, and do a minimum of 3 sets on each piece of equipment. Bam!

TR0berts

If you're asking these questions, you don't know enough to try to design your own program.

As has been mentioned, get on a basic beginner program, such as StrongLifts, Starting Strength, All-Pro, etc.

sappermuff

Get a copy of Starting Strength and follow it. Disregard the dietary advice and add some sprinting. Personally I can take or leave the power cleans in the program, but that's just my opinion. No need to reinvent the wheel.

Secondly, as far as changing up rep schemes you don't need it yet. That's called periodization and it's just not needed if you are getting started. Focus on the basics for a year or so. Don't be a program jumper, that'll shoot you in the foot everytime.

Sassie_Lassie

I do my own workout. I work one muscle group a day and alternate abs and legs. Works quite well for me.

sweets1973

Sassie_Lassie wrote: »

I do my own workout. I work one muscle group a day and alternate abs and legs. Works quite well for me.

Yes I do the same sort of thing

nordlead2005

If you want to move weights around and make mild progress only to stall, then make your own program.

If you want a simple program that you can follow and make significant consistent gains, then follow an established program. There are plenty to choose from and I'm sure there is one that will fit your goals.

jemhh

For now, pick an established program and follow it. Here is a list of several possibilities. There are many more but well-rounded beginner programs are all very similar, as far as their core exercises go. Rather than spending time trying to figure out how to build your own program, it makes more sense to pick one and get going already.

* A Workout Routine (beginner) - http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-beginner-weight-training-workout-routine/
* All Pro's - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843
* Fierce 5 (note that there are several variations from beginner to advanced, 3-5 day, plus a dumbbell program) - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=162916931&p=1266578971&viewfull=1#post1266578971
* Frankoman’s Dumbbell Only Split - https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/frankoman-dumbbell-only-split.html
* Full body dumbbell routine (note: women and men can use the same rep range, if you want to go low do it, if you want to go high do it. I promise that neither will make you gain or lose a Y chromosome.) - https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dumbbell-only-home-or-gym-fullbody-workout.html
* Lyle McDonald's barbell and machine routines - http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/beginning-weight-training-part-4.html/
* Starting Strength (book) - http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-Basic-Barbell-Training/dp/0982522738/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1P1RP215KTX5JG6G80Q6
* Practical Programming (book) - http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Programming-Strength-Training-Rippetoe/dp/0982522754?ie=UTF8&qid=&ref_=tmm_pap_swatch_0&sr=
* Strong Curves - http://bretcontreras.com/wp-content/uploads/Strong-Curves-Workout-Templates.pdf
* Stronglifts - http://stronglifts.com/