If surveying most novice gym goers training, for body composition or strength:

“What program do you follow?”

Most would answer with either;

“Nothing, I just randomly use what equipment is available at the Gym and smash it”

OR

They would follow a typical body-part split or what we refer to as the ‘Bro-Split’

I.e. Monday: Chest Day, Tuesday: Back Day, Wednesday: Leg Day and so on..

For anyone wanting to get stronger, burn body-fat or gain muscle we wouldn’t suggest either option and I’m sure if you have been in this situation before - you would probably agree...

Why You Need to Follow a Training Program:

Gives each session a purpose in the Gym
A strong sense of purpose in your training, will prevent you from feeling bored or ‘lacking motivation’. A structured program gives you purpose and goals to work towards each week in the Gym.
Helps you maintain structure in your routine
While structure, habit & routine are crucial for seeing long-term results in the Gym. A structured training program will guarantee you are training a certain amount of times per week and increases your chances of being more consistent in the Gym.
Crucial for tracking progression i.e. using progressive overload
‘If you can’t measure it - you can’t manage it’ - The chances are much higher that you will be ‘making gains’ in the Gym, if you are actually tracking your workouts or following a structured plan.

Then Why can’t we follow a ‘Bro-Split’

Performance decreases throughout the session
It can be hard to maintain performance as the single body-part you are training can be very fatigued towards the end of a session, after hammering it for the past 60 minutes. This will leave you lifting below your capabilities as the session drags on.
Recovery can be slow
Due to the high levels of volume or stress that you placed on that single muscle group in one session, it’s typical to feel pretty beaten up for a while after the session. Recovery is important for muscle growth.
Training frequency is low
By Frequency we don’t mean how often you train each week but how often you can train a muscle group.
Studies have proven that it’s optimal for strength & body composition to train a muscle group at least 2 x per week. If you are only training a muscle group 1 x per week, you are essentially halving your chance of success in the Gym.

The PPS Recommendation

At PPS we recommend the following style of training programs,for anyone who is looking for greater success in the gym:

Full-Body Workouts
Full-Body sessions are great; they typically allow you to train a muscle group 3 x per week, with plenty of recovery in between to help optimise performance. A full-body session is typically made up of 1 x major lift for each muscle group and allows you to spread the loads out throughout the week.

As you are only hitting that muscle group once in that session, technically you should be able to give it 110% effort without the risk of it decreasing your performance elsewhere.

Full-Body Workout Split Example
Monday: Workout A
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Workout B
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Workout C
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest
Upper-Lower Workouts
Another great option is the ‘Upper-Lower’ split, which allows you to train a muscle group twice per week. You can vary up the intensity or rep range each workout and have a ‘Strength’ day and a ‘Volume’ day for each part of your body.

Upper-Lower Workout Split Example
Monday: Upper (Strength)
Tuesday: Lower (Strength)
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Upper (Volume)
Friday: Lower (Volume)
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest

Both examples meet the criteria outlined for increased performance & results in the Gym; Structured, Increased training frequency and sufficient recovery. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach will also save you time in the Gym each week and greatly enhance your chances of seeing results.

If you are constantly finding yourself bored, lacking motivation or constantly sore in the Gym - Ditch your old routine and implement our suggestions to get back on track with your lifting.

Click the button below to apply for a free ‘Training & Performance Starter’ pack which includes;
An Initial Consultation, Body-Composition Assessment & Goal Setting Session with our Team to gain greater Clarity & Guidance with your Training Goals:

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