Buzz
You can start by simply walking into the gym (or heading to your home dumbbells), but to see continuous improvement, you need a structured plan. That’s why a weightlifting program is essential for progress.
A program serves as a detailed guide for what exercises to do and when to do them. Most lifting programs span several weeks or even months. Typically, the shortest is about four weeks, while a 12-week program is on the longer end. During that period, you'll train on specific days each week, follow instructions for exercises, and increase weights as you grow stronger. This approach works especially well for beginners.
Although some intermediate and advanced lifters can create their own routines, many still prefer using established programs or consult a coach to develop one. Where can you find such programs? There are plenty of free ones available online to download. Just be sure to read reviews from those who have already used them and can confirm their effectiveness. Additionally, there are paid programs, books with routines, and coaches or gyms offering monthly programming services, either online or in-person.
If you're just starting out with exercise, creating your own program may not be the most effective choice. Here's why it's beneficial to follow a program designed by someone with more experience than you.
You can’t tackle everything at the same time.”
Focus on one thing at a time
We often have multiple goals in mind for our lifting routine, but it's not feasible to focus on all of them at once. You might want to get stronger, build more muscle, lose fat, prevent injuries for your pickup soccer games, and maybe even think about competing in powerlifting once you're stronger.
It’s completely fine to have all those goals, but you can’t go all-in on all of them simultaneously. You’ll need to prioritize one goal to start with. In this case, a program with enough volume to begin muscle building would likely be your best option, which, if designed properly, will also help with injury prevention and lay the foundation for strength gains.
Later on, when you adjust your diet to shed some fat, you may want a program that’s easier to follow while consuming fewer calories, or one that can be adjusted based on how you're feeling each day. As your first powerlifting competition approaches, you'll need a training block designed to get you at your peak for the big day.
If you simply show up at the gym and do whatever feels right in the moment, you won’t necessarily focus on the most important aspects of your training at the right times. Selecting a specific program for each phase of your journey will help you stay on track.
Walk into the gym... prepared to break your personal record.”
Perform the right amount of work
If you've started lifting independently, you’re probably familiar with one of two recovery methods. Either you alternate body parts each day (chest on Monday, legs on Tuesday, and so on, the classic 'bro split') or you take a rest day after each intense workout.
These suggestions work fine, but if you have your own method for managing overall workload, there’s no need to plan your rest days in such a rigid way. For instance, a 5-day lifting routine can incorporate a mix of light, moderate, and intense days, which may allow for full rest days only twice a week.
Additionally, your program will likely adjust the workload from week to week. This could involve incorporating periods of deloads or easier weeks, ensuring you’re primed to hit personal records on specific days when you're ready for a PR.
Focus on performing the right exercises.
Exercise selection varies depending on your goals. For example, if you're gearing up for a powerlifting competition, your program will heavily emphasize the squat, bench press, and deadlift, done to meet competition standards. However, during your base-building phase, the focus may shift away from these specific lifts.
Beginners tend to approach exercise selection by trying to hit every muscle group they can think of, but that’s not always the best approach. You may overlook an important area that should be targeted (e.g., the infamous leg day memes), or you might not be selecting the exercises that truly support your goals. A well-structured program ensures you're focusing on what matters most.
...achieving progressive overload, which is key to boosting your strength.”
Make consistent progress.
A solid program will not only outline which exercises you should perform but also provide guidance on how much weight to use. Some programs recommend lifting a specific percentage of your one-rep max for each exercise, while others rely on RPE, an effort-based scale where you determine the weight based on how intense the lift should feel.
There are also hybrid methods that combine or adjust these strategies, such as programs that use a “training max” percentage, distinct from your true one-rep max, or programs that suggest a weight range for the day, letting you pick the exact weight within that range depending on your current energy levels.
All of these methods encourage progress by helping you track the weights you're lifting over time. In an RPE-based program, a weight that felt like an ‘8’ last year will feel heavier this year at the same intensity. Similarly, in a percentage-based program, achieving a new PR occasionally will raise all your working weights for the following training block.
Some programs give specific instructions to gradually increase weight within a set timeframe: for example, adding 5 pounds per session in a beginner's program, or increasing your training max by 10 pounds every three weeks. Other programs might have you test how many reps you can perform at a given weight to decide if you should increase the load for the next week. All these methods help you achieve progressive overload, which is crucial for enhancing your strength.
Our brains are wired to respond to simple rewards, and our bodies thrive on sustained consistency over time.”
Build consistency.
When you're improvising, there’s no compelling reason to hit the gym on a Friday; you might go, or you might skip it. But with a structured program, if Friday is deadlift day and you’re committed to improving your deadlift (or building a bigger butt, or reaching any other goal), you won’t skip it, because you recognize how essential that session is for progress.
Having a program means you follow a specific set of tasks. It provides a process goal (complete all scheduled workouts) alongside your overarching goal (like increasing your deadlift or building muscle). Our brains respond strongly to small rewards like ticking off checkboxes, while our bodies thrive on consistent effort over time.
If your goal is to get stronger and achieve whatever aspirations you have, find a program that aligns with your needs and start making better use of your gym time.
