Get With the Gym Programming

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Get With the Gym Programming | VERVE Fitness

Now that I have a home gym, how do I program my workouts? How do I get with the gym programming?

Congratulations! You’ve taken the plunge and set yourself up with the perfect home gym setup. Deciding to invest in yourself will pay back dividends; your health is your wealth, as they say.

If gym programming relatively new for you, it can be a little daunting at first. You may find yourself staring at a bunch of equipment, wondering where to start?

Well, we’ve got you covered.

Here are some of the best exercises to consider adding to your workout program. You’ll need to choose the style of movement that works best for you and your goals, but we will cover compound movements and some isolation movements, giving you an excellent foundation to build on.

Your circumstances are likely to be just as varied as your fitness goals - but the key is to take the first step and get moving. You’ll quickly understand what suits you and what doesn’t - allowing you to evolve your gym programming.

Get With the Gym Programming | VERVE Fitness

Now that I have a home gym, how do I program my workouts? How do I get with the gym programming?

Congratulations! You’ve taken the plunge and set yourself up with the perfect home gym setup. Deciding to invest in yourself will pay back dividends; your health is your wealth, as they say.

If gym programming relatively new for you, it can be a little daunting at first. You may find yourself staring at a bunch of equipment, wondering where to start?

Well, we’ve got you covered.

Get With the Gym Programming | VERVE Fitness

What Are Your Goals?

It's important to think about what you want to achieve, and how it can fit into the lifestyle you already have.

Losing fat or gaining muscle are probably the two most common goals for novices entering the exercise sphere. Some goals include supplementing other sports to help you find new pockets of performance, while some are simply trying to keep up with kids.

It’s essential to think about what your core motivation is behind working out. You don’t need to tell anyone but being honest with yourself will allow you to train with a goal in mind and to prepare the gym programming accordingly.

How To Make It Stick?

Working out can be great fun, and if you put in a bit of work, you’ll have some endorphins helping you along. Over time you will likely feel better, stronger and many people report sleeping better with more mental clarity.

For some, working out solo allows for greater focus, introspection and removes distractions, while others make quicker gains when someone is there to encourage, inspire and act as a spotter.

It’s worth trying both approaches - a workout partner (especially a paid one) might get you out of bed on those cold mornings when your motivation might be tested.

Mix up your exercises with fun movements and some that truly test your metal. You don’t want every workout to be a slog (unless you’re a glutton for punishment), so variety is key - music, a strong cup of coffee and even some lights can set the tone, mood and help with motivation.

Your Schedule?

It’s critical to pace yourself to avoid injury, which is especially true when you start. While some level of muscle pain is a good sign, nothing puts a strain on a routine more than a tweak that you could have avoided.

Even when lifting three to four times a week, it will take a couple of months until your body becomes accustomed to the new loads and strains. You should feel improvements, but they are cumulative.

Some feel a ‘moment’ where everything clicks into place, but for most, it takes you pausing and looking back at where you started to see how far you’ve come.

Your active and rest days will be something to plan, with muscle pain often peaking the day or two after a session, which means back-to-back leg days are reserved for the brave. If possible, spread your activity around the body to give time for recovery.

Days off can be for active recovery or simply a day off. Active recovery can be walking, swimming, cycling, yoga, foam rolling and other low impact activities. Some say a trip to the pub is the perfect form of active recovery (but only if there isn’t table service).

Warming Up / Cardio

While ‘stretching’ before a workout has been the topic of some debate, the benefits of a warm-up are solid. A five-minute walk will get the blood flowing and give you time to prepare mentally for what you want to achieve during your workout.

Skipping rope post-workout is a fantastic way to loosen up; you can skip just about anywhere, plus it’s both aerobic (cardio) and anaerobic (burns energy).

Movements

Compound Movements

Compound movements are your meat and potato exercises; they offer the best bang for your buck. The reason being, these are exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once, great for building strength and size.

Choose a weight you can comfortably lift for 8-12 repetitions for three sets with these movements. These movements can be very taxing on your nervous system, so take long breaks of 2-5 minutes between sets.

We’ve picked a few of the classic compound exercises:

Barbell Deadlift
Stand with your shins touching the barbell. While keeping an upright back, squat down until you can grab the barbell with your hand using an over-under grip for the most strength.

Slowly push your heels through the ground and stand up while keeping your back from rounding; return the weight to the starting position to complete one rep. Works the glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and core.

Dumbbell Squat
With feet about hip with apart, stand up straight, holding the dumbbells with your hand facing inwards. Keep the back as vertical as possible and imagine sitting down as if a chair is behind you.

Have your quad muscles parallel to the floor or go deeper, if possible, slowly stand back up to your original posture. Great for the core and lower body.

Dumbbell Lunge
Start from a standing position, holding dumbbells with palm facing towards your body. Take a big step forward, bend at the knee and let your trailing knee come to the floor.

Now reverse the move and take a step forward with the other foot. You can make this move on the spot or walk ahead if you have the room. Works the quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core very well.

Barbell Bench Press
With your eyes lined up under the bar, place your hands where you can feel the grip markings. Your palms will be facing forward. Keep your wrists strong as you gently unhook the barbell and bring it down vertically to your chest.

Push the bar straight back up at an even pace, using your pectoral (chest) muscles as much as possible. This movement can also be done at an inclined or declined angle bench. A big chest builder, along with the triceps and anterior deltoids.

Bent Over Row
With the barbell at your shins, carefully squat down with an upright back; have your feet hip-width apart or a little wider. The overhand grip is traditionally used here, but underhand or mixed grip can also be used. Stand up with your back at a 45% angle to the floor.

Now ‘row’ the barbell in towards your waistline and back out while keeping your elbows close to your body. This move can be a little tricky at first; it builds the lats, mid and lower trap muscle while being great for overall grip strength.

Isolation Movements

These are movements that focus on one muscle group at a time, ‘isolating’ the muscle. These work well as accessory movements to the more significant compound exercises.

Use much lighter weights here that you can lift for 12-15 repetitions for three sets. Rest for 1-2 minutes between sets.

Dumbbell Bicep Curl
The quintessential gym exercise that will have you shopping for new t-shirts! Stand upright, holding a dumbbell in each hand, with palms facing forward. Start with your weaker arm and curl the weight upwards while keeping your elbow aligned with your body.

Don’t slouch with your shoulder or let your wrists break; maintain an even posture throughout the move. Bring the dumbbell back down and switch to the other side. Focus on the bicep muscle as you perform this move.

Seated Tricep Extension
Sit on a bench with your palms facing toward the sky, holding a dumbbell above your head. While keeping your arms in line with your body, bring the weight behind your head by hinging at the elbows.

Keep your elbows close to your head as you push the weight back up to the starting position; you’ll feel an intense burn in your tricep muscles.

Dumbbell Flys
Lying back on an inclined or flat bench, imagine you are hugging a large tree and trying to make your hands touch. Your arms will be at about a 15-degree angle as you open and close them in a ‘hugging’ movement.

This is an excellent chest accessory exercise.

Lateral Flys
Start from a standing position, dumbbells by your side with palms facing inwards. Lift the dumbbells out and away from your body, bringing your hand to about parallel with your shoulders.

Make sure to keep an upright, relaxed posture here, with a bit of bend in your knees. The exercise works the deltoid muscles very effectively

Recap
By now, you’ll be a little bit more comfortable with using your new equipment and planning a routine for yourself. Remember to take your time, breathe, and listen to your body.

You’ll be putting new stress on your system, so eating right and getting plenty of good quality sleep will be the deciding factors on how well your body recovers.

Have a look at the equipment below to achieve your fitness goals!

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What Are Your Goals?

Your Schedule?

Movements

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