Follow this step-by-step guide to create your perfect workout from start to finish. Do this first:
1. Warm Up
Don’t even think about skipping the oft-neglected warm up as you create your perfect workout plan. For your warm up, focus on dynamic mobility drills and elevating your heart rate. Don’t overcomplicate it. And don’t do a lot of static stretching.
Too much pre-workout static stretching makes you weaker and less explosive (Behm 2011). Plus, stretching doesn’t reduce injury risk.
Ideally, choose a warm up that targets the muscles you’re going to use during the workout.
If you’re preparing for a run, do jumping jacks, jump rope, air squats and calf raises to heat up your lower body.
For upper body work, warm up with arm circles, push-ups and rowing.
2. Primary Exercise
Step two to create your perfect workout: put your primary exercise first. You can train this exercise the hardest because you’re fresh – and the pre-workout is just starting to make your face tingle.
Select an exercise that’s consistent with your goal.
Training for a marathon? Go for a long run.
Building bigger chest muscles? Start with the barbell bench press.
Unless you are a professional arm wrestler, don’t start your workout with forearm curls – tiny, isolation exercises are third priority.
Savvy lifters squat, bench or deadlift in this slot. Endurance athletes run, bike or swim first – whichever is the main focus for the session.
3. Secondary Exercises
Secondary exercises support the primary exercise.
Runners use secondary exercises to reduce injury risk and elevate performance – examples include calf raises, lunges, plyometrics and core work.
For lifters intent on bench pressing more weight, secondary exercises strengthen key bench press muscles – the pectorals, triceps, and deltoids.
4. Tertiary Exercises
Don’t neglect the final exercises as you create your perfect workout. By this point in the session, you’re ready to retreat to your couch with a protein shake.
That’s why you save the least important exercises for last – you have less energy and can’t push them as hard.
This is when marathoners do their bench press and bench press specialists do their cardio.
5. Cool Down
Your objectives with a cool down: reduce your heart rate and mitigate soreness.
If you’re inflexible and working on specific limitations, this is the best time to do static stretching.
Stretching won’t reduce soreness the next day – instead, try gentle foam rolling or percussion therapy to curtail muscle soreness.
You should know, post-workout is the best time to eat candy and pump glycogen (energy) back into your depleted muscles.
Hair on Fire
If your day is pure chaos or you’re short on time, follow these 3 steps for an efficient workout:
1. Warm Up with your Primary Exercise
Going for a run? Start with a slow jog. Bench press day? Start with the bar and gradually add weight.
2. Work Hard for 10 Minutes
Once you’re warm, spend 10 minutes on your primary exercise. That’s all. Feeling better? Do another 5-10 minutes, or move on to a secondary exercise.
3. Call it a Day
Go home, relax, and pat yourself on the back. Working up a sweat today was a moral victory.
Look, nobody is excited to exercise all the time. Some days you’re exhausted and “the perfect workout” isn’t happening.
That’s OK.
Instead of viewing exercise as “all or nothing,” show up and have a bad day. Build your discipline muscles by refusing to skip workouts.
You can create your perfect workout on paper. But some days you just need to “keep the streak alive,” even when it means short, uninspired training sessions.
Icing on The Cake
Healthy food and amazing sleep are nature’s best supplements.
If you need an extra boost, supplements can provide extra benefits beyond those of diet and sleep.
But with over 50,000 supplements on the market, it’s hard to know which ones work & which ones are a waste of money.
Fortunately, there are a few tried and true supplements supported by decades of robust research.
Find out which ones make the cut:
The 3 Best Fitness Supplements (According to Science)
Readers: How do you create your perfect workout? Do you prefer strength training, cardio, or something else? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Looking for more evidence-based fitness tips? Join the free Facts & Physio Newsletter. Plus, get The Recovery Checklist when you sign up.
