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In December of last year, I took a hard look at my training and knew I'd started cherry-picking workouts. I'd force myself to work on my weaknesses once in a while, but there wasn't a rhyme or reason to it and I knew I could do better. Essentially, I wanted to be more efficient and better utilize my time at the gym. So I decided that one of my New Year's Resolutions would be to begin tracking and planning my own workouts.
Related: Why all yogis should strength train.
Now to be clear, I know this isn't a novel idea, and I can only speak for myself, but in hindsight, I can't believe that I was just going into the gym and doing whatever. In the last thirty days, I feel like I've made so much more consistent progress than in the last few months of just sort of winging it. I know, {Meryl Streep voice} Groundbreaking.
The Notebook
I bought a small notebook and I love that you can open it and see the entire week on the two pages at a quick glance. It's nice and small so it takes up very little space in my gym bag, and it's been so handy to be able to quickly flip to the weeks prior and see what I did. I've recently started doing a quick 'Gym Journaling' and by that I mean just adding in a word or two at the end of each workout to keep track of how I feel at the end. Like if I crushed the workout without a problem, I'd make a note of that and write, "Strong. Lots of energy." If I felt slow or sluggish or tired, I'd jot it down. It just helps to keep it all in check - and then if I feel like it later (I usually don't, haha), I can go into My Fitness Pal app and see what I ate the day prior to having a workout where I felt like crap because at least for me, there are a lot of components that go into having a great workout. Eating well is one of them, and sleep and stress levels are other factors. I'm not keeping track of either, specifically right now, only because I don't feel like it, but maybe down the line I will.
Components of the Workouts
Cardio: One day per week I'll do a longer, slower run. Four to five days per week I'll do a HIIT workout. Two to three days per week, in addition to a HIIT, I'll do some sort of sprint training because it's worked wonders for me when I want to get lean. Sometimes it's a row sprint. Sometimes it's a treadmill sprint. Sometimes it's a sled push sprint. Usually I'll do 10 sprints, about 20 seconds on, 40 seconds rest.
Strength: Three days per week I'll do back squat or front squat. I try to do deadlifts at least once a week. One day per week I'll do power snatch, hang snatch or squat snatch. One day per week I'll do the same with cleans. One day per week I'll do jerks.
Weaknesses: I now incorporate exercises that target various weaknesses often. My weaknesses are predominantly upper body strength, so I am doing regular dips, push presses, thrusters, bench presses, push ups, pull ups, and rows. I also have a minor shoulder imbalance that I am working to correct, so I've been doing a lot of shoulder and back accessory work a few times per week. My core isn't particularly strong, either, although I've improved over the last few years, but that's another focus. So a few days per week I'm adding in some core stuff like L-sits, L-hangs, v-ups, hollow rocks, hollow holds, sit ups, kettle bell side bends, etc.
Plyo: I'm also incorporating some sort of plyo jump exercises because yoga doesn't really target fast twitch muscle fibers, and I like the idea of being as well-rounded as I can with my training. So I'll do box jumps, knee jumps or broad jumps.
Yoga: I start and end each workout with a yoga sequence (I sometimes forget to write it in because it's just second nature to me). To start, the sequence is more of a flow, and I end with more restorative slow stretching at the end.
What I Learned
To be fair, I don't think thirty days is enough to see drastic improvement, but given that I'm not that strong, I've already seen gains, which is not that uncommon for beginners. That's kind of the joy of being a beginner - the PRs (person records) come frequently. I've already seen improvement in the ease with which I squat five rounds of five at 65% - 70% of my one rep max. I've already seen improvements in my dips - I used to tap out at four rounds of four before I'd have to start doing negatives, and now I'm at five rounds of five and making it through each rep, so I think it might actually be time to go up in reps. All the improvements are very clear for me to see in the notebook, because if I flip a few pages back, I can see what my numbers were, and like I said, I've been writing down a phrase or two after each workout to convey how I felt that day. Being able to look back and see my growth really motivates me. In the past, I'd keep these numbers in the back of my head and then I'd second guess my improvements, you know? So I've learned that this is a great way to stay motivated, inspired, and hold me accountable for what I do.
If You're Ready to Program Your Own Training
If you're looking to start programming your own workouts, you can do a quick google search with the term 'How to Program Your Own Workouts' and there are lots of resources out there depending on what your goals are (strength, aesthetics, running, etc). So you just kind of have to narrow it down to what your goals are and then factor in your training style (hiit style, bodybuilding, long distance running, etc), and then figure out what's doable for you in terms of your schedule and experience (ie if you're a total beginner, I wouldn't suggest going HAM six days a week, maybe start with three). If you're new to programming your own workouts, you'll probably make some mistakes along the way (I'm sure I will, if I haven't already!), and you'll just have to use the lessons of yoga - the mind-body connection - to readjust and tweak your programming as needed. You can almost think of this as an extension of yoga because you're constantly checking in with yourself and taking inventory of how you feel, what you're capable of, and using your breath to stay focused as you move through the workouts.
If programming your own workouts sounds too daunting, you can check out our workout programs - we have two. The first is a 4 Week Gratitude, Yoga and Fitness Program. Designed with beginners in mind, or for people who are just feeling a little blah, this program is meant to jumpstart the mind-body connection and bring gratitude to the forefront as you journal, yoga and do bodyweight workouts (no equipment needed). We also have a 6 Week Workout Program designed for experienced athletes who are well versed in oly lifts and hiit style workouts. The program is co-written by an elite athlete and for an elite athlete, so just keep that in mind and go WAY down on weights and reps to suit your level (and then you can work your way up as you get stronger and more familiar with the movements and programming).
I hope that's helpful and I'd love to hear from you down in the comments below. Do you program your own workouts? Do you follow a program written by someone else? How's that going for you? Do you just do whatever you feel like in the gym? Is that working for you? (It works for a lot of people, by the way! I just wanted to try something different to help balance out my weaknesses.)