Creating your own workout routine can seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually simpler than you think when you break it down step by step. Whether your goal is to maintain your current level of fitness, build muscle, lose fat, or improve endurance, a well-structured workout plan is essential for consistent progress.
This guide will walk you through how to choose the right exercises, plan your workouts around your schedule, and structure your routine based on your goals. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Define Your Goals
Before you start crafting a workout routine, it’s important to be clear on your fitness goals. Your goals will determine how often you should work out, what exercises you should focus on, and how intense your sessions should be. Here are a few common goals:
- Maintenance: If you’re happy with where you are and just want to maintain your current fitness level, working out 2-3 days per week is often enough. This routine should focus on full-body workouts with a mix of strength training and cardio.
- Muscle Building: For those looking to build muscle, you’ll want to work out more frequently—around 4-6 days per week. The goal here is to hit each muscle group twice a week with enough volume to stimulate growth. Aim for 10-20 sets per muscle group per week.
- Fat Loss: If you’re focusing on losing fat, a mix of strength training and cardio is ideal. You can follow a similar split to muscle building (4-6 days) but incorporate higher-intensity cardio sessions or circuit training to burn more calories.
- Endurance: Endurance training usually involves more cardio-focused activities, so your weekly plan might include long-duration, lower-intensity workouts combined with moderate strength training. You may work out 3-5 days per week depending on your level of fitness.
Step 2: Choose the Right Exercises
Once you have your goal in mind, it’s time to pick exercises that align with that goal. A well-rounded workout routine should include a mix of compound exercises (movements that work multiple muscle groups at once) and isolation exercises (which target specific muscles).
Compound Exercises
These are key for building strength and muscle efficiently. They target multiple muscle groups in one movement, making them highly effective for overall body development and fat loss. Examples include:
- Squats (targets quads, hamstrings, glutes, core)
- Deadlifts (works hamstrings, glutes, lower back)
- Bench Press (focuses on chest, shoulders, triceps)
- Pull-Ups (targets back, shoulders, arms)
- Overhead Press (focuses on shoulders and triceps)
- Rows (hits the upper back and arms)
Isolation Exercises
These focus on specific muscle groups and are great for adding volume to areas you want to grow or improve.
- Bicep Curls (for arms)
- Leg Curls (for hamstrings)
- Lateral Raises (for shoulders)
- Tricep Extensions (for arms)
- Calf Raises (for calves)
Step 3: Plan Your Weekly Workout Split
How you split your workout week depends on your goals, available time, and how many days you plan to train. Here’s how to approach it:
2-3 Day Full-Body Routine (Maintenance)
If your goal is maintenance or you’re short on time, a full-body workout is the most efficient way to ensure you hit all major muscle groups without needing to spend too much time in the gym. Each workout will involve compound exercises that target the entire body.
Example:
- Day 1:
- Squats – 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Bench Press – 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Bent-Over Rows – 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Planks – 3 sets of 30-60 seconds
- Day 2:
- Deadlifts – 3 sets of 6-8 reps
- Overhead Press – 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Pull-Ups (or Lat Pulldown) – 3 sets of 6-10 reps
- Bicycle Crunches – 3 sets of 15-20 reps
You can adjust the number of days depending on your availability, but generally aim to work each muscle group at least twice a week.
4-6 Day Split (Muscle Building or Fat Loss)
When your goal is muscle building, the key is to hit each muscle group twice a week with 10-20 total working sets per muscle group per week. A common method is the “push/pull/legs” split, which divides workouts based on movement patterns.
- Push: Focuses on chest, shoulders, and triceps (movements where you push away from the body).
- Pull: Targets back and biceps (movements where you pull toward the body).
- Legs: Emphasizes lower body muscles, including quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
Example Push/Pull/Legs Routine:
- Day 1 (Push):
- Bench Press – 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Overhead Press – 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Tricep Dips – 3 sets of 8-12 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises – 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- Day 2 (Pull):
- Pull-Ups – 4 sets of 6-10 reps
- Barbell Rows – 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Bicep Curls – 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Face Pulls – 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Day 3 (Legs):
- Squats – 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Lunges – 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Romanian Deadlifts – 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Calf Raises – 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Repeat the cycle across the rest of the week if working out 6 days, or rest in between if you’re working out 4-5 days.
Target Sets and Reps
For muscle building, aim for 3-4 sets per exercise and 8-12 reps. This rep range is optimal for hypertrophy, or muscle growth. For strength, use lower rep ranges (4-6 reps) with heavier weight. For endurance or fat loss, increase your reps to 12-15+ and decrease the rest time between sets.
Step 4: Balance Rest and Recovery
Rest and recovery are just as important as the workouts themselves. If you’re training 4-6 days a week, make sure you’re allowing each muscle group to rest at least 48 hours between sessions. You can train different muscle groups on consecutive days, but avoid training the same group back-to-back.
Step 5: Customize Based on Time and Availability
Your schedule is unique, so make sure your routine fits into your lifestyle. A typical workout with 4-5 exercises will take around 45-60 minutes, depending on rest periods and the number of sets. Here’s how to structure your plan based on different goals:
- 2-3 Days Per Week (Maintenance): Focus on full-body workouts with a mix of compound movements. Each workout will take about 45-60 minutes.
- 4-5 Days Per Week (Muscle Building or Fat Loss): Split your routine into upper/lower body or push/pull/legs. Workouts will typically last 45-60 minutes.
- 6 Days Per Week (Advanced Muscle Building): Follow a push/pull/legs split or upper/lower body split with more volume for each muscle group.
Step 6: Track Your Progress
Tracking your progress is essential for seeing results. Keep a workout log where you track exercises, sets, reps, and the amount of weight used. Aim to gradually increase the weight or the number of reps over time to continuously challenge your muscles (known as progressive overload).
Final Thoughts
Building your own workout routine can be empowering. It allows you to tailor your fitness journey to your goals, schedule, and personal preferences. Start with a clear goal in mind, plan out your workout days based on that goal, and focus on a balance of compound and isolation exercises. Whether you’re aiming to build muscle, lose fat, or maintain your fitness, the key is consistency and steady progress. With time and dedication, your custom routine will lead to long-lasting results.