The best training programme is the one that fits into your life. We don't all have the time to go to the gym every day for multiple hours, nor should we.
Start with your available schedule
Training frequency should fit your life, not fight it. If that's once a week to stay in shape, that's fine. If you have five hours spread across the week, even better. So how many days per week can you realistically dedicate to training?
Three common starting points
- 1 Day / Week: Full-body training is ideal because it covers everything with plenty of recovery time.
- 2 Days / Week: Full-body training still works, but you may also consider an upper/lower split.
- 3+ Days / Week: You have more flexibility when you can dedicate more time to training, so you can explore more complex splits such as PPL, bro splits, Arnold splits, and body-part splits.
Recovery is the real filter
Whatever split works for you, make sure you also have plenty of downtime for recovery. Working out seven days a week won't get you there any faster; it will likely have the opposite effect. Age is also a factor: as we age, our recovery capacity tends to decrease.
“The most successful programmes are not the most impressive ones. They are the ones that survive real life.”
Keep it flexible
A good plan should work with your routine, not make your routine bend around it. If you miss a session, don't panic. Pick it up again when you can; just don't let one missed session derail your progress!
Read up about different splits
- PPL: Push Pull Legs
- Bro Split (coming soon)
- Full Body (coming soon)
