You can over-plan your workout

This article is written by Rob Maxwell, M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

Should you adopt a random training program or follow a strict workout guideline?

I have a science background. I have a master’s degree in Exercise Physiology. I also have a bachelor's degree in Psychology.

In these disciplines we tend to look at things that can be measured.

Looking at things objectively is a good thing unless we take the science too far and get over analytical.

I believe that I have taken it too far when it comes to working out in a personal capacity.

I have learned that I can benefit from loosening the reign of control over planning my own workouts.

We can know too much about exercise.

When I was body building in the younger days in my 20’s, I would go to the gym with an idea of what I wanted to do.

If I had a random workout partner there and they joined me, we’d come up with a great workout. This system was a form of loose planning and it worked fine.

You don't have to think so much.

We tend to plan our workouts more thoroughly as we learn more about exercise

I started planning my workouts more formally as I evolved with more scientific knowledge.

I started writing exercise prescriptions for myself with this knowledge.

This works great for building a plan for my clients. Around this time, I started writing my own exercise prescriptions as well.

It’s not a bad idea to plan your own workout.

Feeling compelled to stick to your exercise plan perfectly can induce more guilt and frustration than necessary.

I believe it takes the creative juices out of a workout.

Workout plans are great for beginners who need the guidance

When I plan a gym workout for my clients, I need to know their goals. I need to know their limitations, level of experience and the time that they have available per week.

After that the exercises, sets, reps, and potential loads are chosen.

This is good and necessary in the beginning - especially with a novice.

Trainers with experience have all of this all in our heads already.

Some trainers plan too little

Some trainers don’t plan at all. I don’t think that is an appropriate solution either. I call this boot camp training.

We are all different with different goals and one workout design is not best for someone else.

When it comes to planning a workout for new clients, there needs to be a level of workout programming or we aren't being professional as trainers.

It’s another story when it comes to me planning a workout for myself.

It has become a level of unnecessary control.

I’m telling on myself here to potentially assist you.

I believe that the level of knowledge that I learned has made me think that I need to cross all my T’s and dot all my I’s when it comes to my own workout design. Is that even possible?

I know the exercises that are best for me. These exercises change over time.

I know the ideal rep range for myself and the number of sets can really depend on so many things.

Why plan it all out?

The answer is a desire to control for all variables as an act of OCD.

It doesn’t really work because, like everybody else that I would train, the plan needs to be changed.

Sticking to a plan that really doesn’t fire me up is not rewarding.

Change your exercise plan regularly.

Training without a plan at all can be good for you

Loose workout plans, random gym workouts and training instinctively

I have recently taken a different approach for my own workouts.

I’ve always been great with clients. I plan their workouts, but I also listen to them.

I get feedback stated covertly or overtly and I change their workout accordingly.

I don't train myself like a new client anymore

I know the days when I like to work certain areas.

I give it thorough consideration while planning my workout schedule.

I think about what is best for me regarding muscle recovery and spacing muscle groups out to get the most of what I need.

I also know what exercises are best for me. I know the rep ranges that are best for me right now and I know how many sets to do.

I leave it at that. I let my brain decide how I want to make it all happen when I get to the gym.

Advanced trainers can choose the exercises as they go once they decide which days they want to work each muscle group

I go into a workout knowing the muscle groups that I’m going to do.

Based on research and my level of buildup, I know how many sets I should do that day.

In other words, I know the basics already.

From there I see what the universe is telling me to do. I trust it.

If I have a yearning to do dumbbell chest presses verses smith machine bench press, it’s a good call to do that instead.

Why does this work? We put more energy into what we really want to do.

It’s not just exercise choice either. It is also structure.

These are no real obligations to continue your current exercise plan 

In the past if I wrote a plan to do straight sets on a given exercise but I really felt like doing super-sets instead, I felt the obligation to do what was planned - not what I felt like doing.

I stuck to the plan, but I would not do it with as much fire.

What benefit do you get from sticking to the same exercises? Do what feels right if it fits into the basics of what you want.

There is nothing wrong with spontaneous change when you feel like it.

Doing exercise the way that you feel like might improve your results

I’ve been doing this for a while now. I must say that I’m seeing positive results because of it.

I’ve added some muscle, which has been a goal of mine. I’m stronger and I appear to be recovering from my workouts better as well.

The proof is in the pudding.

I enjoy the workouts more too - which means that I’m more likely to get to the gym.

In my case I will typically get to the gym regardless, but I don’t want to dread it.

Exercise is a privilege, not a chore.

I only plan what muscle groups I should do with average set requirements per muscle group. I don’t over plan.

From there I let myself decide as I warm up or as I move along.

This way my creative juices flow and I come up with some diverse ways to get my sets in.

I stay within the limits of what I know is best for me. I let the rest rip.

Instinctive training doesn't apply to strength training alone

I’ve been doing this with cardio as well.

I know that I shouldn’t do hard cardio every day - and I don’t have any desire to. I know it’s best for me to alternate from moderate to lighter cardio and throw in a couple hard days here and there.

I’ve learned that I don't need to plan my cardio sessions to the second or to the heart rate either.

I know what hard is. I know what moderate is and I know what easy is for me.

I go into a cardio workout knowing that and I'll decide how I want to space it out during the workout.

It works very well and I don’t dread every cardio session. I don’t need to micromanage the exact details of exercise anymore. I just show up.

This may not be that unusual way to train for many people.

Some people just show up and let the workout take care of itself.

This was a big transition for me.

I tend to get pretty OCD and I realize that over planning isn’t necessary. It was cutting into the creativity of what a workout should be.

Exercise is movement and strength. We tend to make it more complicated than it is.

One of the reasons why people struggle to stick to an exercise program is because we make it way too complicated.

After randomizing my workouts, I've seen much greater growth during my own workout routine.

All the results that I hope for seem to happen when I don't drive myself nuts with over-control.

I’m learning to trust what I already know about exercise and trust my mind to throw me some suggestions when it’s time.

This article is written by Rob Maxwell, M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

Use association and disassociation to improve every workout

Use your mind to improve every exercise session.

This article is written by Rob Maxwell, M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

There is a time to focus intently and a time to be distracted

Trainers and trainees spend a lot of time on what are called acute program variables when they plan a workout.

Acute program variables

Acute program variables for strength training are the amounts of sets, reps, load, rest time and exercises used for the workout.

These are important. These things should be planned out.

You can miss out on all that the workout has to offer if you only focus on the acute program variables that you can measure.

Get into the right zone.

Don't turn your workout into a checklist

This type of workout can turn into a 'checklist' way of working out. A checklist way of working out is simply checking what you did off the list without a lot of interest.

You got it done. That’s it. It's time to go home. You miss out on some really good stuff when you go about it this way.

The other workout variables that we need to consider

There are other variables that cannot be measured as well as acute program variables.

The one I am going to cover today is focus.

Use focus during your workouts

Where should you put your focus? Where should you really be putting your attention when you are working out? Is there a best place to put your focus? There is.

You should focus on the task at hand, working out, and take the focus off anything that you are not doing at that time.

Let your gym time be all that you are focused on when you are there.

Focus improves performance.

Association and disassociation

Association and disassociation are terms in sports psychology.

You can use both of these things in sports and training very effectively. Association and disassociation are used in both exercise and sports as powerful tools.

Association

To associate is to focus in on exactly what you are doing at that moment.

Being mindful is what it’s more commonly called today.

An example would be when you do a set of curls you attempt to feel everything.

You feel the elbows stay in at the sides of your body. You feel the elbows lock out at the bottom. You feel the pause of the motion at the top.

You focus on exhaling as you lift the weight up and you focus on inhaling as you lower the weight down.

Most importantly you feel the muscles work (in this case the biceps) as you do the exercise. You focus on the burn from the lactic acid and you focus on the form to do it correctly.

Association brings mindfulness to every part of your exercise routine. It's like practicing mediation and exercising at the same time.

Focus on the moment.

Disassociation

To disassociate is to not pay attention to what is happening in the body. It is like daydreaming or purposeful distraction.

There is a place for this as well. When a cyclist is doing intervals on the bike and the lactic acid they feel in their quads is so strong that they want to quit, it is good to disassociate from the burn and turn the attention outside the body.

If you focus on the pain too much, you will quit sooner than if you focus elsewhere.

This tool helps athletes to get the most out of their interval program. In this case, you to want to take your focus off what you feel at the time and put your focus elsewhere. It's like some form of distraction.

Use your focus to improve your workout

Focus on the workout when you exercise.

More specifically; focus on the exercise, set, reps and load in that order.

Give everything else that's going on in your life a rest.

Give a rest to all that is going on in your life that you can’t solve during that time you are working out.

Put what you must do at work or problems that you have on hold while you work out. Stay in the moment.

This is harder for some than others, but I believe we that can all get better at it.

I like to work out alone a lot for this reason.

There are times that I get a lot of benefit from a workout partner, but there are other times that I really want to focus solely on the peacefulness of getting a good workout in.

My performance may be better as far as acute program variables when there is a training partner to push me, but the focus I have is stronger when I train alone.

What’s better?

I guess that it depends on what you think is better.

If you think that getting that personal record on the bench press is of total importance of the day, then I think that it’s best to have a partner around.

But if your view of having a really great workout means you can let go of every other concern you have and focus in on getting a good workout, then training alone with no distractions is best.

Everybody is different. Different scenarios call for different approaches.

Your state of mind determines a lot.

Tune in to your workout

Tune in.

Research shows that we get more out of working out if we focus on working out exclusively.

Body builders have known this for years.

In fact, body builders are very skilled at the mind to muscle connection.

Many of them spend less time worrying about how many or how much and simply focus more on the feel.

The two methods of association

There are two ways of associating that work.

You can focus on the feel of the muscle or you can focus on the form that you use.

Naturally, you can do both. Both can get you to the same place.

If you really focus on the form of doing every aspect of the rep correctly, then the feel will be there.

Do you feel the exercise in the correct targeted muscle group?

If you do triceps press downs, you should feel it in your triceps.

You may be surprised by how many clients state “I’m not sure” when I ask them if they feel it in the targeted muscle group.

Then they may start to focus and state “yes”.

If you feel it in the target muscle, you will get more out of the exercise.

This is easier to do with isolation exercises and nearly impossible to do with what we call compound exercises.

Focus on your muscle.

Compound exercises

Compound exercises work more than one muscle group at a time.

A squat is a compound exercise because it works the glutes, quads and hamstrings at the same time.

It’s harder to focus in on a muscle group because the activation is being shared by at least three muscle groups.

Just because you don’t feel it there doesn’t mean that it’s not working. It simply means you will not feel one muscle group. In cases like this it’s best to focus on the form.

Isolation exercises are exercises that use one joint at a time. One muscle group is being targeted.

A leg extension is an isolation exercise for the quad muscle which is the anterior upper thigh.

In this case you can focus on the muscle being stimulated - or the form. Both roads will get you to Rome!

How to focus on form

Start from the beginning when you focus on form.

Before you start your set, think about what you need to do form wise and what areas are being targeted.

Get zeroed in before you start the movement.

Then think about your posture - whether it is your standing posture or seated posture depending on what you are doing.

Think about keeping your core tight and your spine straight.

When you stand, think about your foot location. Are they where they should be so that you have a good athletic base?

How is your posture when you are seated? Is your back all the way up to the back rest? Are you slouching?

Are your elbows, wrists and hands in the position that they should be when you start the motion? Are you controlling the movement?

Think about where the full range of motion is for the exercise and do it.

If you get choppy or hyper-extending, stop it.

How does the weight or load feel during the motion?

Is it light enough to keep good form for the number of reps you are doing? Is it heavy enough to challenge you? How does it feel?

I can tell after one rep if I’m going to be able to reach my rep goal for the set. You should train yourself for that kind of awareness as well.

Focus on your posture.

Focus on your breath during exercise

Focus on your breath during your set as well.

Are you breathing out during the lifting portion of the lift? Are you breathing in when the load is being lowered? Where is your gaze?

Are you focusing your eyes where they should be? Where is that? If it’s in the mirror, then focus on how your form looks. If you are not using one, attempt to gaze straight ahead.

Be careful not to jerk your neck around. Keep your body still.

There will be times where it is good to look down at your quads or the weight stack on a leg extension exercise, but do not look at your legs or feet while doing a squat! Gaze straight ahead.

Make sure that you focus on your body.

Bizarre imagery

Bizarre imagery is another form of deep focus. Imagery is a part of associating. Visual imagery is visualizing what you want to occur.

Arnold Schwarzenegger used what is called bizarre imagery.

He would exaggerate a thing or a situation to help him focus on what he wants. In the case of Arnold, he would imagine that his shoulders looked like big bowling balls.

Research shows that this kind of imagery works.

I use this type of imagery as well at times. I have competed in body building.

I visualize how I want the muscle group that I’m working to look on stage when I work out. I imagine it as deeply as I can.

Visualize your goals.

Summary

To associate or not associate, that is the question! Yes is the answer!

Focus your mind before you enter the gym.

Tell yourself that anything not related to your gym workout will be put on hold until you are done. Make this declaration.

Find a way to focus on what you do during each exercise - even the exercise bike.

Do you realize how many people just mindlessly pedal?

Did you realize that the stirrups on the bike aren’t there to keep you from falling off? They are there to get you to pull back with the pedal because 1/3 of the pedal stroke is done by the hamstrings - but not if you can't pull back.

Focus. Continue to get zeroed in on every part of every exercise after you warm up.

Your mind may drift and you may daydream. That is okay. Bring it back.

I’m willing to bet you that your results will multiply if you start to work out this way.

It's about your mental state.

This article is written by Rob Maxwell, M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.