Designing the Perfect Workout Routine

I already decided I would do a Push/Legs/Pull routine for the month of June. But this still leaves me with a lot of questions.

• What is the optimal volume range PER WEEK?
• How many reps should I do?
• What order do I need to do my exercises?
• When do I need to change the weight, reps etc for progressive overload?
• Why are movement patterns important?

1. OPTIMAL VOLUME

Lets start with the optimal volume. In the most simple basic of terms, the optimal volume range for most people is:

• For each bigger muscle group (chest, back, quads, hams): about 60-120 total reps PER WEEK
• For each smaller muscle group (shoulders, biceps, triceps, calves, abs): about 30-60 total reps PER WEEK

We only need to train our smaller muscle groups half as much for two reasons; first the are smaller and don't need as much volume as the larger, second they are already getting used secondarily while training the bigger groups.

2. REPS

Here are some of the most commonly used rep ranges along with their training effect:

• 1-5 Reps per Set = Mostly Strength
• 5-8 Reps per Set = Strength AND Muscle Equally
• 8-10 Reps per Set = Muscle with Some Strength
• 10-12 Reps per Set = Muscle with Some Endurance
• 12-15 Reps per Set = Endurance with Some Muscle
• 15-20 Reps per Set = Mostly Endurance

I had been doing 12 reps per set for all of May, so I am going to stick to the 12-15 rep range for June.

3. EXERCISE ORDER

The general rules of exercise order are as follows:

• Exercises for bigger muscles should come before exercises for smaller muscles. Example: Chest or back before shoulders, biceps or triceps. Shoulders before biceps or triceps. Quads or hamstrings before calves or abs.
• Compound exercises should come before isolation exercises. Example: Bench press before dumbbell flys, squats before leg extensions.
• Free weight/body weight exercises should come before machines. Squats or deadlifts before leg presses. 

4. PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD

The progressive overload principle basically states:

"In order for muscle to grow, strength to be gained, performance to increase, or for any similar improvement to occur, the human body must be forced to adapt to a tension that is above and beyond what it has previously explained."

Whether you get just 1 more rep on just 1 set, or add 5lbs to all your sets - your goal is to beat what you did the previous time. Remember my picture? The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday? Do it! If you stick to the same workout regime, reps, weights every month of your life - you will do nothing. No muscle gain. No strength gain. No weight loss. Nothing. You do not need to progress with every workout. But make sure you do. You will know when you are ready.

5. MOVEMENT PATTERNS
Another way to categorize weight training exercises is in terms of their movement patterns. For the most part, these movement patterns are:

• Horizontal Push - moving a weight straight out in from of you so that it's going away from your tosto horizontally: bench press, chest press machine, flys
• Horizontal Pull - moving a weight in towards your torso horizontally from straight out in fro of you: bent over rows, seated cable rows
• Vertical Push - moving a weight up vertically in relation to your torso so that it goes straight over head or at least in that direction - shoulder press, front raises
• Vertical Pull - moving a weight down vertically in relation to your torso so that you are pulling down from over-head: pull-ups, chin-ups
• Quad Dominant - primary mover is your quads - squats, lunges, leg press
• Hip/Hamstring Dominant - primary mover is your hamstrings - deadlifts, leg curls
• Elbow Flexion - any exercise that involves moving a weight towards you by flexing at the elbow - bicep curls
• Elbow Extension - any exercise that involves moving a weight away from you by extending at the elbow - tricep extension
• Accessory Movements - any isolation movements that do not fit in to the above categories - calf raises, abs etc

Movement patterns are important for two reasons:

1. your workout routine should be comprised of EVERY movement category
2. you must BALANCE opposing movement patterns to prevent injuries

For every horizontal pull, you need a horizontal push. For every vertical pull, you need a vertical push. Hence, my PUSH/LEGS/PULL routine. 

If you follow this blog, you will be able to make the perfect workout routine. Choose some weight training exercises, set up the optimal volume/reps and make sure to match your movement patterns. 

Good Luck.

Thank you to aworkoutroutine.com for some great information.