How to Build a Workout

Creating an effective workout is both an art and a science. Whether you’re designing your first routine or refining your existing program, understanding the principles of workout construction will help you build sessions that are safe, effective, and perfectly suited to your goals.

The Foundation: Understanding Your Goals

Before you start selecting exercises, clearly define what you want to achieve:

Strength Goals

Strength training focuses on increasing the amount of weight you can lift through low reps (1-5), high intensity, and longer rest periods. Exercise selection should emphasize compound movements that allow heavy loading.

Muscle Building Goals

Muscle building focuses on increasing muscle size and definition through moderate reps (6-12), moderate intensity, and adequate rest. Exercise selection should include a mix of compound and isolation movements.

Endurance Goals

Endurance training focuses on improving muscular endurance and conditioning through high reps (12+), lower intensity, and shorter rest periods. Exercise selection should emphasize full-body movements and circuits.

General Fitness Goals

General fitness focuses on overall health and functional movement through a balanced approach with variety. Exercise selection should emphasize fundamental movement patterns.

Exercise Selection Principles

Movement Patterns

Every workout should include exercises that cover these fundamental patterns:

1. Squat Pattern

Examples include back squat, front squat, goblet squat, and Bulgarian split squat. These exercises work the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and core, and are essential for daily activities and athletic performance.

2. Hinge Pattern

Examples include deadlift, Romanian deadlift, hip thrust, and good morning. These exercises work the hamstrings, glutes, erector spinae, and core, and are critical for posterior chain development and injury prevention.

3. Push Pattern

Examples include bench press, overhead press, push-ups, and dips. These exercises work the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core, and are essential for upper body strength and pressing power.

4. Pull Pattern

Examples include pull-ups, rows, lat pulldowns, and face pulls. These exercises work the lats, rhomboids, biceps, and rear delts, and are important for postural health and pulling strength.

5. Carry Pattern

Examples include farmer’s walks, suitcase carries, and overhead carries. These exercises work the full body, especially the core and grip, and are important for functional strength and core stability.

Exercise Hierarchy

Primary Exercises (1-2 per workout)

Primary exercises are compound movements that work multiple muscle groups, have heavy loading potential for strength development, and require technical skill - these should be your focus.

Secondary Exercises (2-3 per workout)

Secondary exercises are supporting movements that complement your primary exercises, use moderate loading with specific muscle targeting, and while movement quality is still important, they are less complex.

Accessory Exercises (3-4 per workout)

Accessory exercises are isolation movements for specific muscle groups, use higher rep ranges for muscle building and endurance, and focus on technique refinement and muscle activation.

Structuring Your Workout

Warm-up (5-10 minutes)

Always start with a proper warm-up: begin with 5 minutes of light cardio for a general warm-up, followed by dynamic stretching for major muscle groups, activation exercises with light movements that prepare your muscles for work, and movement preparation by practicing the exercises you’ll be doing with light weight.

Main Workout Structure

Option 1: Traditional Structure

Start with your primary exercise for 3-5 sets of your main movement, followed by secondary exercises with 2-3 sets each of supporting movements, then accessory work with 2-3 sets each of isolation exercises, and finish with a cool-down of stretching and mobility work.

Option 2: Circuit Structure

Perform your primary movement, followed by a secondary movement targeting the opposite muscle group, then an accessory movement. Rest 2-3 minutes between circuits and repeat for 3-4 rounds total.

Option 3: Superset Structure

Perform Superset A with two exercises targeting different muscle groups, rest 90 seconds between supersets, then perform Superset B with two different exercises, and repeat for 3-4 rounds of each superset.

Cool-down (5-10 minutes)

End every workout with static stretching for major muscle groups worked, mobility work for joints and movement patterns, and breathing exercises to promote recovery.

Programming Variables

Volume (Sets x Reps)

Volume recommendations vary by experience level: beginners should aim for 10-12 sets per muscle group per week, intermediate lifters for 12-16 sets per muscle group per week, and advanced lifters for 16-20+ sets per muscle group per week.

Intensity (% of 1RM)

Intensity recommendations vary by training goal: strength training uses 80-95% of 1RM, muscle building uses 65-85% of 1RM, and endurance training uses 50-70% of 1RM.

Frequency

Training frequency varies by program type: full body workouts are done 2-3 times per week, upper/lower splits 4 times per week, push/pull/legs splits 6 times per week, and body part splits 5-6 times per week.

Rest Periods

Rest periods vary by training goal: strength training requires 3-5 minutes between sets, muscle building uses 1-3 minutes between sets, and endurance training uses 30-90 seconds between sets.

Sample Workout Templates

Full Body Workout (Beginner)

Warm-up: 5 minutes light cardio + dynamic stretching

Main workout: Start with squats for 3 sets x 8-12 reps, followed by push-ups for 3 sets x 8-15 reps, bent-over rows for 3 sets x 8-12 reps, overhead press for 3 sets x 8-12 reps, and finish with plank for 3 sets x 30-60 seconds.

Cool-down: 5 minutes stretching

Upper/Lower Split (Intermediate)

Upper Body Day: Begin with bench press for 4 sets x 5-8 reps, followed by pull-ups for 4 sets x 5-10 reps, overhead press for 3 sets x 6-10 reps, barbell rows for 3 sets x 6-10 reps, dips for 3 sets x 8-12 reps, and finish with face pulls for 3 sets x 12-15 reps.

Lower Body Day: Start with squats for 4 sets x 5-8 reps, followed by Romanian deadlifts for 4 sets x 6-10 reps, Bulgarian split squats for 3 sets x 8-12 reps each, hip thrusts for 3 sets x 10-15 reps, and finish with calf raises for 3 sets x 15-20 reps.

Push/Pull/Legs (Advanced)

Push Day: Begin with bench press for 5 sets x 3-6 reps, followed by overhead press for 4 sets x 5-8 reps, incline dumbbell press for 3 sets x 8-12 reps, lateral raises for 3 sets x 12-15 reps, tricep dips for 3 sets x 8-12 reps, and finish with overhead tricep extension for 3 sets x 10-12 reps.

Pull Day: Start with deadlifts for 5 sets x 3-6 reps, followed by pull-ups for 4 sets x 6-12 reps, barbell rows for 3 sets x 6-10 reps, lat pulldowns for 3 sets x 8-12 reps, barbell curls for 3 sets x 8-12 reps, and finish with hammer curls for 3 sets x 10-12 reps.

Legs Day: Begin with squats for 5 sets x 3-6 reps, followed by Romanian deadlifts for 4 sets x 6-10 reps, Bulgarian split squats for 3 sets x 10-12 reps each, leg press for 3 sets x 12-15 reps, standing calf raises for 4 sets x 15-20 reps, and finish with seated calf raises for 3 sets x 15-20 reps.

Progression Strategies

Linear Progression

Linear progression involves adding weight each session when you complete all sets. This approach is best for beginners and foundational movements, and while simple, it’s effective for consistent gains.

Double Progression

Double progression first increases reps, then increases weight. This approach is more sustainable than linear progression and is good for intermediate lifters.

Periodization

Periodization varies intensity and volume over time, prevents plateaus and overtraining, and is best for advanced lifters with specific goals.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Too Much Volume

More isn’t always better when it comes to volume. Start with less and add gradually, prioritizing quality over quantity.

2. Poor Exercise Selection

Choose movements that work for your body, don’t force exercises that cause pain, and focus on movement quality.

3. Inconsistent Programming

Stick to your planned routine, don’t change everything every week, and allow time for adaptations.

4. Ignoring Recovery

Recovery requires adequate rest between workouts, proper nutrition and hydration, and quality sleep is essential.

5. Not Tracking Progress

Log your workouts consistently, track sets, reps, and weights, and use LiftTrack for seamless tracking.

Using LiftTrack for Workout Building

Exercise Database

Choose from hundreds of exercises, filter by equipment, muscle group, and movement pattern, and create custom exercises for unique movements.

Progression Tracking

Set up automatic progressions and monitor your progress over time.

Garmin Integration

Sync workouts to your Garmin watch, track your performance in real-time, and data syncs back to the app.

Conclusion

Building effective workouts is a skill that develops over time. Start with the fundamentals: clear goals, proper exercise selection, and appropriate programming variables. Use proven templates as your foundation, then customize based on your individual needs and preferences.

Remember that the best workout is the one you’ll consistently perform. Keep it simple, track your progress, and gradually increase complexity as you advance. With LiftTrack, you have all the tools you need to build, track, and progress your workouts effectively.

The key to success isn’t finding the perfect workout—it’s finding a good workout and sticking with it long enough to see results.