Now it’s coming into summer many of us turn our attention to improving our physique. Noticeable, physical changes usually start to take shape around 4-6 weeks after commencing a workout programme. However, a two month schedule allows time to see the results whilst preventing putting the body through extreme and sometimes unmaintainable measures.
Some of the main considerations when designing your eight week workout programme should be:
STICK TO A SCHEDULE, To see noticeable gains over an eight week period you need to make time to train and structure each session. If you are new to training then a good starting point is an alternate day or 5:2 work/rest ratio. As you progress rest days can be reduced as the body becomes stronger and better equipped to deal and adapt. However, at least one rest day per week should be incorporated to allow the body to repair and grow back stronger.
KEEP YOUR HYPERTROPHY TRAINING BALANCE, For many, the focus is on building a bigger chest and pumping the biceps in preparation for your summer beach body. Whilst there is no harm in working both of these muscle groups it is important to remember that working the traps and lats will strengthen the back muscles, improving retraction and consequently opening out the chest (making it naturally bigger). Don’t forget the lower body too, twiglet sized legs are not complimentary to a muscular torso.
TRY SPLITTING YOUR ROUTINES BETWEEN UPPER AND LOWER BODY SESSIONS, …Although if you are new to resistance based training then full body sessions are advisable to prevent too much strain being placed on a specific body part in one hit.
DON’T CANCEL OUT THE CARDIO, As hard as you might be working in the weights room if the muscle you are building sits under layers of unnecessary fat then your blood, sweat and tears in the squat rack will show you very little return. Strip fat by incorporating some pulse raising cardio into your training schedule. At the correct intensity (aerobic) this will use fat and not muscle as your fuel source creating a leaner and more defined physique. High Intensity Interval Training is a great way to see greater gains in a time efficient way.
REPS, TIME, TEMPO & INTENSITY, If you’ve been following a programme but are feeling that progression has come to a standstill (plateau) then it’s time to look at some of the variants and change these up. Number of repetitions, training duration, time under tension and effort level are all factors that can be manipulated to keep intensity challenging and results continuous no matter what stage you are at in your training.
YOU CAN’T OUT TRAIN A BAD DIET, You can train twice a day, seven days a week, every day of the year (although not advisable) but if you are consuming poor quality foods and taking in more calories than your body is utilising then you are never going to get the beach body you aspire too. Eat lean proteins, good sources of fat and complex carbohydrates to fuel the body in the most effective way with post training meals being imperative to muscle growth and repair.
By Glen Weinstein at mattroberts.co.uk
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