Weight Training Formats and Routines

Once your fitness goals have been established along with your time availability and level of commitment, you will need to decide on your training format. This will be based largely on the above factors and the training results you desire. For instance, a Whole Body Program would be ideal for an individual who can spend at least 2 or 3 days per week and wish to work on all their muscles in each session.

Those who want to develop on specific regions separately would be better off with a Split Routine. Circuit Programs offer an excellent opportunity for people who want ot combine cardio training with resistance training. The cardiovascular intervals of circuit routines can be emphasized for individuals seeking weight loss.

In addition to these training formats, a combination of the above, or partial programs, can be used to achieve more specific results such as building just upper/lower body strength or toning.

Whole Body Training Program

Whole body routines work on all major muscle groups in a single session and excellent starting point for beginners to develop their overall fitness and familiarity with weight training. Exercises in whole body routines predominantly involve compound movments (those that require more than 1 muscle group).

As you progress and adapt after several weeks, you can add in isolation exercises that focus on specific muscle groups. A single workout session may include 6-12 different exercises. You should always work from larger muscle groups to smaller ones, The follwing is an example of such a whole body routine:

  1. Pec Flys (chest and shoulders)
  2. Leg Curls (hamstrings)
  3. Lat Pull-down (back and biceps)
  4. Leg Extensions (quadriceps)
  5. Bench Press (chest and triceps)
  6. Squats, Lunges and Calf Raises (legs)
  7. Seated Cable Row (mid-back and biceps)
  8. Abdominal Exercises on Mat (core)
  9. Back Extensions on Mat (core)

Circuit Training Program

This is the ideal workout schedule for individuals who want to do weight training but also develop their cardiovascular fitness. In a circuit routine, the stations are set up so that you transfer between each without rest, thus involving continuous movement and an emphasis on endurance. Each exercise set generally alternates between upper and lower body muscle groups and involve 12-15 repetitions (of your max).

Cardio Circuit Training

Also known as super-circuits, cardio-circuits or aerobic circuits, cardio circuit training involves timed cardio activities (roughly 45-90 seconds) between each set of weight training exercises. Cardio activites may include biking, skipping rope, treadmill running, stair climbing, etc. Roughly 10-15 seconds are alloted between each exercise to change station and allow recovery while maintaining and elevated heart rate. The following is an example of a cardio circuit routine; each cardio activity would be performed between the resistance exercise sets:

  1. 2 sets Bench Press with 90 seconds on Stationary Bike
  2. 2 sets Leg Extension with 90 seconds Stair Climbing
  3. 2 sets Vertical Shoulder Press with 60 seconds Seated Cable Row
  4. 2 sets Leg Curls with 90 seconds Skipping Rope
  5. 2 sets Lat Pulldown with 90 seconds Hurdles
  6. 3 sets Calf Raises with 90 seconds Treadmill Running
  7. 3 sets Bicep Curls with 90 seconds on Stationary Bike

Split Training Routine

Split Training Programs is an excellent options for individuals who are avaiable 3 or more times a week and want a more intensive workout for targeted muscle groups. Split routines are designed in such a way so that each day is dedicated to training a specific muscle group. This set-up enables you to have workout days back-to-back and greater flexbility in choosing your recovery days. The follwing are examples of possible split programs:

Two-Day Splits

Example Weekly Training Schedule:

  • Day 1, Day 2, Rest Day, Day 1, Day 2, Rest Day, Rest Day
  • Day 1, Rest Day, Day 2, Day 1, Rest Day, Day 2, Rest Day

Example Upper / Lower Body Split:

  • Day 1 - Upper Body: Chest, Back, Shoulders, Arms
  • Day 2 - Lower Body: Gluts, Abdominals, Legs

Example Push / Pull Exercises Split:

  • Day 1 - Push Exercises: Chest, Triceps, Gluts, Quads
  • Day 2 - Pull Exercises: Back, Biceps, Hamstrings, Abdominals

Three-Day Splits

Day 1 - Chest and Back
Day 2 - Gluts, Legs and Abdominals
Day 3 - Shoulders, Biceps and Triceps

Day 1 - Upper Body Push: Chest, Shoulders and Triceps
Day 2 - Lower Body: Gluts, Legs and Abdominals
Day 3 - Upper Body Pull: Back and Biceps