Did you know that the most important exercise to include in an excellent weekly workout routine is cardio, weight training, and flexibility training? 

Creating a weekly workout routine is a significant first step if you want to get in great shape.

By planning your exercises, you can ensure that you’re consistently getting physical activity and progressing toward your fitness goals.

But it can be difficult to know how to create an exercise routine if you are not used to working out. To make things easier for you, we have put together a guide. Keep reading if you want to find out more. 

Understand the Benefits of Exercising 

If you want to stay motivated while working out, it is essential to understand the benefits of exercising. Here are the most important reasons you should commit to a weekly workout routine. 

Physical Health

Regular exercise has numerous benefits for the body. It can help to improve cardiovascular health, strength, and flexibility. It can also reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Mental Health

Exercise has also been shown to have a positive impact on mental health. It can help to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, improve sleep, and increase happiness and well-being.

Energy

Engaging in regular physical activity can also increase energy levels. By exercising, you will improve circulation and oxygen flow to your body. This makes you feel more energized and alert.

Sleep

In addition to improving sleep quality, exercise can also help you fall asleep at night. This is because physical activity can tire the body and reduce stress and anxiety levels.

Essential Components of a Great Workout Plan

You will need to work with several vital components to create an effective weekly workout routine.

Here are the most important things you should consider when designing your program. 

Consistency

You will need to establish a regular exercise routine to see progress and maintain your fitness level. This may involve exercising a certain number of days per week.

It is also a good idea to schedule your workouts simultaneously each day.

Active Recovery

It’s also essential to allow for active recovery days, where you engage in low-intensity activities or rest completely. This can help to prevent overtraining.

This is especially important if you engage in endurance training or other high-intensity activities.

Variety

To avoid boredom and prevent burnout, you should incorporate a variety of workouts into your routine.

This may involve mixing your cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises. You should also consider trying new activities such as yoga or cycling.

Challenge

While it’s important to listen to your body and not push yourself too hard, it’s also essential to challenge yourself to see progress.

This may involve gradually increasing the intensity or duration of your workouts or trying new exercises that push your limits.

Keeping Track

Finally, make sure to keep track of your workouts and rest days. This can be as simple as writing down your workouts in a planner or using a fitness tracking app.

Decide on Your Work and Rest Days

The type and frequency of your workouts will depend on your fitness goals and current fitness level. If you are new to exercise, you may want to start lower-intensity workouts and allow for more rest days.

Once you become more comfortable with the exercise and build up your endurance, you can gradually increase the length and intensity of your workouts and decrease the number of rest days.

Remember that endurance training, which involves running, cycling, and swimming, typically requires more rest and recovery time compared to other types of exercise.

This is because endurance training places a greater demand on the body’s energy systems. People who do lots of resistance training also tend to experience more inflammation.

Generally, allow for at least one full rest day after an endurance training session. However, if you are training at a high intensity or are new to endurance training, you may need more rest days to let your body recover.

You will also need to listen to your body and adjust your work and rest days.

If you are feeling sore or tired, it may be a good idea to take an extra rest day or decrease the intensity of your workouts. But if you are feeling energized, you may be able to increase the frequency of your workouts.

Finding a balance between work and rest days is key to ensuring you get the most out of your workouts and avoiding overtraining or burnout.

Workout Tips: What to Do on Recovery Days

Recovery days are an essential part of any workout routine. They allow your body time to repair and rebuild after intense exercise. Here are some activities you can do during recovery days. 

Long walks

Going for a leisurely walk can help improve circulation and flush out lactic acid, which can build up muscles after intense exercise. Walking can also help to loosen up tight muscles and improve flexibility.

Yoga at Light Intensity

Practicing low-intensity yoga can help stretch and strengthen the muscles in a gentle, controlled way. Yoga can also promote relaxation and help reduce stress.

Foam Rolling and Myofascial Release

These techniques involve using a foam roller or other tool to apply pressure to the muscles and fascia (connective tissue). This can help to reduce muscle soreness and improve flexibility.

Swimming 

Swimming is a low-impact form of exercise that can provide a full-body workout.

The water’s buoyancy can help reduce stress on the joints, making it an excellent choice for recovery days. Swimming can also help to improve cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength.

Focus On Increasing Intensity Over Time

As your body adapts to exercise, it becomes more efficient at performing the movements. This means you may need to increase the intensity to continue challenging yourself and making progress.

Tips for working out at a higher intensity may include increasing the weight you are lifting, increasing the number of repetitions or sets, or increasing the duration of your workouts.

Increasing intensity over time can also help to prevent boredom and keep you motivated.

If you are getting shredded and reaching your fitness goals, you will likely feel more inspired to continue working out. But you must be mindful of your limits and not push yourself too hard too quickly.

Gradually increasing intensity and allowing for proper rest and recovery can help ensure that you progress safely.

How to Prevent Injuries When You’re Working Out

The most crucial aspect of working out is safety. This means that you’ll need to take precautions to prevent yourself from getting injured. 

Designing a workout routine that reduces the chances of injury involves a few key steps. 

Start Slow

If you are returning to a workout routine after a break, you’ll need to start slowly and gradually increasing the intensity of your workout. This can help your body adjust to the demands of exercise and reduce the risk of injury.

Use Proper Form

Pay attention to your technique and use the correct muscles during each exercise.

If unsure how to perform an exercise, consider working with a personal trainer or physical therapist to learn the proper form.

Change Up Your Workouts

Mixing up your workouts can help to prevent overuse injuries and keep your body guessing. Try incorporating various exercises and activities, such as strength training, cardio, and flexibility exercises, into your routine.

Warm Up and Cool Down

Taking the time to warm up and cool down before and after your workouts can help to reduce the risk of injury.

Warming up helps to increase blood flow and loosen up the muscles. And cooling down allows your body to gradually return to a resting state.

Listen to Your Body

Pay attention to how your body is feeling during and after your workouts. If you experience pain or discomfort, take a break and consider modifying your workouts or seeking the advice of a healthcare professional.

Understand the Importance of Record Keeping

By keeping track of your workouts, you can monitor your progress, set and track goals, and identify areas for improvement. Record keeping can also help you stay motivated.

You will be able to see the progress you have made and the progress you have yet to make.

There are many different ways to keep track of your workouts. This includes using a workout journal, a spreadsheet, or a fitness tracking app.

Whatever method you choose, be sure to record the type of exercise you did, the duration of your workout, the intensity level, and any other relevant details, such as the weight you lifted or the distance you ran.

It’s also a good idea to track other aspects of your health and wellness, such as your diet, sleep, and stress levels. This can give you a complete picture of your overall health.

It will also allow you to identify any potential issues affecting your progress.

Types of Exercise You Need

Including various types of exercise in your routine can help ensure that you are challenging your body in multiple ways and achieving a well-rounded fitness level.

Remember that the best way to build muscles and maintain your body is with RAMP training with Leo Costa.

If you are working out on your own, here are some important types of exercise to consider. 

Weight Training

Also known as resistance training, weight training involves using weights, bands, or other resistance to challenge the muscles.

Weight training can help improve muscle strength and increase metabolism, aiding in losing fat faster. Examples of weight training exercises include dumbbell curls, push-ups, and squats.

Cardio

Cardio, or cardiovascular exercise, involves activities that raise the heart rate and get the body moving.

Cardio can help to improve cardiovascular health, increase endurance, and burn calories. You will lose fat faster if you do lots of cardio. Examples of cardio exercises include running, cycling, and swimming.

Flexibility Training

Flexibility training involves activities that stretch and lengthen the muscles.

Incorporating flexibility training into your routine can help to improve flexibility and improve overall physical function. Examples of flexibility training exercises include yoga, stretching, and foam rolling.

An Example Beginner Workout Schedule

It is essential to understand how important it is to design a weekly workout schedule that meets your needs. Everybody’s workout schedule will be different. 

Here is an example of a weekly workout routine for beginners:

Monday: 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio followed by a full body weight training workout. At the end of your workout, take time to cool down. 

Tuesday: Rest day or active recovery. Consider going for a long walk. 

Wednesday: 30 minutes of high-intensity interval training followed by a lower body weight training workout. Make sure to eat plenty of protein on this day. 

Thursday: Rest day or active recovery. Do some light yoga or gentle stretching. 

Friday: 45 minutes of steady-state cardio followed by an upper-body weight training workout. 

Saturday and Sunday: Rest day or active recovery. Do an hour of yoga or go for a long hike or swim.

Design a Weekly Workout Routine Today

If you want to build muscle and get into great shape, it is a great idea to design a weekly workout routine. 

Make sure to include a combination of strength training, cardio, and flexibility training in your workout plan. It is also important to schedule rest days into your routine. 

Are you ready to lose fat quickly and build muscle? It would help if you considered participating in Leo Costa Jr.’s RAMP Training. Don’t hesitate to find out more today!