[Barbarian_Brad]

I've been going to gyms where we train as a group for nearly four years. Now, for the first time in a long time, I'm on my own and have to set my own program.

Problem is - while I'm not out of shape physically - I'm out of practice when it comes to setting my own program and goals.

Whereas before I'd go in the gym and do what the coach said, now I've got a myriad of options... and no idea where to start.

How do you pick a workout program?

I know I need to select something and stick to it, but have no idea how to go about selecting. What's your process?

[Montrose]

first things first what are your goals? Why do you want to exercise?

Health? Cardio health? Be more flexible? Gain muscle? Lose fat? Aesthetics? Strength? Athletic performance? To play basketball? Are you an athlete in some field? You can’t really do all that at the same time or at least you need to have priorities.

[Montrose]

Also age, height, weight? How much do you Bench/Squat/Deadlift?

[Barbarian_Brad]

Two primary needs - aesthetics and energy levels.

Me: About to turn 30. About to do some long term travel. Going to be doing long hours of a job where I have to interact with the public and occasionally media - so looking good on camera and having high energy would help.

I could probably stand to drop some weight and add some muscle. Not fat, but not lean either. Mainly, I'm just aware that as a man, working-out is mandatory for a variety of reasons.

I don't have to be the biggest dude, and I'm not a pro-athlete in anyway. I used to train in a gym with some pro-mma guys (they were way stronger than me), and found that that level of workout left me dead tired. I'd rather do a bit each day and have it fit in my life, than do the insane pro-athlete level workouts they do (which usually cause me to overeat trying to replenish my energy anyway).

Ideally, I'd be able to do 30min-1hour of something every day or every other day, and look and feel good.

Edit: Also bench and squat 1 rep max are both around 220. Deadlift has been a long time, but last I checked it was over 300 (425 I think?).

[Montrose]

I don’t know your weight but it looks like you have room to progress to intermediate lifter. I’d pick a linear progression program (3/week) like starting strength or stronglifts 5x5 until you reach 150 on standing shoulder press and 300 on squat (or say 1.5 bw) considering your bench is almost intermediate already. Plus stretching and/or cardio once a week.

[LINUX]

The problem with resistance training is people read too many bodybuilding forums and not enough physiology, biology, and kinesiology books. It's almost as bad as trying to read though the TRT threads. Too many theories and regurgitated info and not enough experience. Asking me what the best program to be put on, already shows me you don't really understand the basic concepts of muscle growth and fat loss.

Ask yourself this:

1. What makes a muscle breakdown?
2. What makes a muscle repair?
3. What makes a muscle adapt?
4. How does nutrition effect muscle growth?
5. How does nutrition effect fat-loss?
6. What is the purpose of the major muscle groups, ie flexion of elbow, extension of knee?
7. Is energy expenditure cals in vs cals out or is it something more like resting metabolism and EPOC?

If you want to look "great" like you said, you need and should learn these things. Otherwise you'll always be relying on other men telling you what to do. To a personal trainer, you're what we call "prime clientele" , always doing what we say, coming back to pay more money, never asking questions or trying to understand why you're doing what you're doing.

Start here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0736058036/

[not_dead_yet]

(03-07-2018 03:08 AM)LINUX Wrote:  

Asking me what the best program to be put on, already shows me you don't really understand the basic concepts of muscle growth and fat loss.

Ask yourself this:...

OP, Montrose's advise is good.

LINUX, I disagree with you here. If someone asks you to recommend a car/computer/restaurant, do you tell them to become an auto mechanic/VLSI designer/chef? A student needs a baseline experience, even if it's the wrong one. The learning will come, if and when it's necessary.

[General Stalin]

If you are new to programming and working out on your own, just use Start Strength. Will get you familiar with linear progression and basic workout principles.

[Steelex]

How to pick a workout program....

Do some research.

USE YOUR BRAIN and pick the one that seems right.

Evaluate the results, go from there.

There's no magic here, it's just time and experience like anything else. I'm constantly learning and trying new things but I have sort of a groove to my training that works for me. But that takes a good bit of time to figure out, it doesn't happen by picking a program.

[heavy]

Depending on your personality...(so I'll answer to my personality)

- Just pick one you know you'll do
- If it pushes you too much (discourages you from doing it), pick an easier one (less time, less energy intensive, whatever...one you'll do)
- If doesn't push you enough, pick a tougher one (but never to the point of discouraging you from doing it)
- Repeat. You'll know when your workout "habit" is getting too mundane and you want to redo the process.

Don't ever let the goal kill the process.

Similar to what Steelex says, just doing it (whatever it is), your brain will figure out which is "right" (a combination of simply doing it, and getting results you think you want).

That process took me from doing nothing to where I am now: My fitness habits are a mix of a lifting workout (1-2x per week) and BJJ ~4x per week. I want to add in cardio, but I know the potential pitfall. I start something, push myself, get discouraged, and stop.

What I'll do is find a cardio I like, running the stairs (the only cardio I like). I'm going to add it in, 10 flights in 20 minutes because that's a pretty solid workout for me now. Could I push it to 18 minutes? Probably. But I'd probably kill my motivation to do it. So I'll stick to 20 minutes once or twice a week, no guilt if I miss, just get to like and be comfortable doing it.

Don't ever let the goal kill the process. There's actually some Jordan Peterson validation in this philosophy that I've typed out but haven't finalized.

[H1N1]

https://www.t-nation.com/training/the-be...al-lifters

I've been doing this recently and making good gains - more aesthetic than max strength, though I don't feel I'd have lost much.

High frequency, moderate intensity, low volume program that quite suits me for the time being. If you can be in regularly, but don't want to be running yourself into the ground too much, spending all your time eating, or worrying excessively about recovery, then I think this is a solid program.