How to create a strength training routine

One of the main desires behind joining a gym is to get stronger and more muscular. Don’t get us wrong: we’re not saying everyone wants to be a bodybuilder, but whether for health reasons or just for aesthetic ones, building strength is beneficial for our overall well-being. Benefits include improved physical health, better posture and balance, boosted metabolism, and long-term health benefits such as prevention of age-related muscle loss and reduction of chronic disease risks.

However, increasing your strength takes more than just showing up and lifting weights randomly — you must have a clear plan. And this isn’t an easy task with so much information out there. That’s where we come in. At EVO, we want to facilitate this process and help you design a plan that fits your goals. So let’s see how to create a strength training routine. 

How to create a strength training routine

1 – Set your goals 

Never underestimate the importance of setting clear goals before starting any workout plan, whether specifically focused on strength training or not. Ok, you want to create a strength training routine, but what are you aiming for? Is your goal building muscle, increasing strength, or improving endurance? This goal dictates the approach, shaping how your strength training routine unfolds. 

2 – Track your workouts

Monitoring your workouts and tracking the exercises and weights in every session is crucial to ensure your routine works. Nowadays, it’s easy to record the exercises you perform, the weights you lift, and the number of sets and repetitions completed. This information can later help you identify areas to improve. Improvement is a key aspect of creating a strength routine. You don’t just create a strength routine and use it forever. You tweak it as you progress to ensure you don’t hit a plateau.

3 – Designing your strength routine 

Some actions are fundamental when creating your routine. First, you must choose the exercises. Make sure they target major muscle groups and align with your goals. Incorporate compound movements too, as they allow you to work on several muscle groups simultaneously. Then, you must structure it. The number of sets, reps, and rest periods may vary depending on your goals. Finally, you have to schedule its frequency. Whether you opt for three days or a full week depends on your availability, but you should also consider the importance of targeting different muscle groups on alternating days.

Last but not least is progressive overload. As mentioned before, you don’t simply create a strength routine, choose the exercises and the number of reps, and stick to it forever. You need to continuously challenge your muscles through heavier weights, additional repetitions, or advanced variations of exercises. Progressive overload is what allows you to increase the intensity of your workouts.

4 – Rest and recovery

Recovery is essential for peak performance, and resting is just as important as the workouts to building strength. Include rest days in your routine to allow your muscles time to repair and grow. Listen to your body, and don’t push yourself too hard, as overtraining can lead to injury and burnout.

5 – Need help? Seek professional guidance

Whether you’re new to crafting a strength training routine or seeking fresh ideas, you can count on the expertise of EVO’s personal trainers to assist you. They will evaluate your fitness level, establish achievable goals, and craft a personalized workout plan tailored to your needs and preferences.