Disclaimer: Always consult with your doctor or physical therapist before starting any new workout routine. Following this workout is always at your own risk. Listen to your body during exercise, and stop immediately if you experience any discomfort or pain.
The Gym Workout Plan consists of 24 different workouts based on an exercise system that I have developed since 2008. Basically, this is a mix of strength and endurance/cardio exercises with a 4-day workout split, meaning that we rotate between Upper Body, Lower Body, Total Body, and then Cardio+Core workouts.
All exercises take less than an hour from start to finish (with warm-up, exercise of the day and stretching). If you want to extend the workout by for example hopping on cardio equipment or adding an extra set (round) to the workout. If you want to shorten the workout, you can reduce the number of sets (rounds) of the exercise routine by one set or skip the finisher when it is part of the workout.
The workouts are designed to be challenging for you and the weights play a big role there. If you are a beginner, start with very light weights and get used to a new plan and establishing a routine. Under each exercise routine, I have added a benchmark weight if you are a beginner and it is highlighted in red. If you are more advanced, try your hand at weights but keep in mind that it is always good to take it easy in between (rule of thumb to take a light week every 3 weeks - otherwise find what suits you). If you are more advanced, the benchmark weight is also written and is crossed out in blue. The finisher is always optional and should only be part of the workout if you have the energy and want a little extra. Each exercise may look like a lot at first, but each exercise takes 45-60 min in total with warm-up and stretches.
All exercises start with a warm-up, in some cases it is optional to add an extra foam rolling massage and it is the same or a similar warm-up depending on which part of the body is being worked on. All exercises end with stretches and the stretching exercise routine is the same or very similar, but varies depending on which part of the body is being worked on. You can always add an extra warm-up, reduce the number of exercises in the warm-up or replace the exercises if you feel like it. In some cases, the exercises are timed and include a text explanation of how the exercise is set up, information on how to set the Interval Timer app. There is an explanatory video where I go over what I write in the text below. You can choose whether to watch/listen to the video or read the text below. Then you click on each exercise individually to see how it is performed on YouTube and under each exercise there is a written description.
A home workout version of this workout can be found here.
Equipment for this workout: Dumbbells, pull-down machine, cable machine, pull-up station, cardio machine (finishers). You may use a kettlebell, barbell or plate in stead of a dumbbell - see workout below.
Info: Start with a warm-up for the upper body, then you follow the exercise routines, start with exercise routine 1 and complete 3 rounds, then go to exercise routine 2 and complete 3 rounds and so on. Add a finisher if you feel you need a little extra and end with stretches.
If it says e.g. 4/4x then I mean finishing 4 reps first on the right side (R) and then 4 on the left (L). If it says e.g. 8x and this is an exercise that tests both R and L then this is the total number of repetitions and you alternate between R and L. This exercise is designed as a "beginner" exercise with few repetitions with a lighter weight or as an advanced exercise where you take quite heavy and few repetitions.
I will note the benchmark weight under each exercise routine. You can use the comment option below to make note of the weights you were using so you know when you repeat the exercise next time.
Upper body warm-up:
A.
1 round, optional foam roll:
5-8x sacrum (foam roll)
5-8x/5-8x glutes (foam roll)
5-8x upper back (foam roll)
Add extra foam rolling exercises if you feel the need to
B.
1 round:
4x cat cow
Add any dynamic stretches you feel the need to
C.
2 rounds:
Benchmark weight: Beginner 2x5-10lbs dumbbells, more advanced 2x10-15lbs dumbbells.
10x bicep curl (two dumbbells)
10x tricep kick back (two dumbbells)
10x shoulder press (two dumbbells)
10x bent over row (two dumbbells)
Exercise routine 1:
Benchmark weight: Beginner 5-15lbs (15lbs for row and 5-10lbs for bicep curl and shoulder press). More advanced 15-50lbs (row 25-50lbs, bicep curl and shoulder press 15-25lbs).
3 rounds:
8-10x bent over row R (one dumbbell or kettlebell)
8-10x bent over row L (one dumbbell or kettlebell)
8-10x bicep curl+shoulderpress R (one dumbbell)
8-10x bicep curl+shoulder press L (one dumbbell)
Rest as needed after each round - aim for 30 seconds
Exercise routine 2:
Benchmark weight: Beginner light weight for pull down (25-100lbs) and focus on correct form and confidence using the machine. More advanced anything over 100lbs. Beginner sit-ups with body weight or light weight, more advanced try with weight anywhere from 20-45lbs.
3x rounds:
10-12x pull down (pull down machine) (or wide grip row) (barbell or two dumbbells)
10-12x sit-ups (optional: one dumbbell or plate)
Rest as needed after each round - aim for 40 seconds
Exercise routine 3:
Benchmark: Beginner for cable machine lightest weight around 10lbs or 2x5-10lbs dumbbells for reverse fly. More advanced for cable machine 22-35+lbs or 10-15+lbs for reverse fly.
3x rounds:
8-10x facepull (cable machine) (or reverse fly with dumbbells or pull apart with resistance band)
12x lying leg raises or hanging (pull up bar)
Rest as needed after each round - aim for 30 seconds
Exercise routine 4:
Benchmark: Beginner use your own body weight minus 22-45lbs. So if you are 170lbs then adjust the weight of the machine to 130-150. Do narrow push-ups on wall or bench. More advanced use as light weight as you can on the pull up machine and try doing narrow push-ups on the floor or on a bench.
3x till failure (as many as you can):
Pull-ups (pull up station) or shoulder push-ups
Rest as needed after each round
Finisher
1-3x rounds:
60 sec sprint on a cardio machine
Rest around 60 seconds between rounds
Stretches
4/4x inner thigh + spinal stretch or 30 sec stretch for inner thigh
30/30 sec glutes
4/4x lying spinal stretch
20/20 sec shoulders
20 sec bicep
20/20 sec tricep
Add any stretches you feel the need to
Let me know in the comments how this workout was for you! And please share it with others so it can serve a greater purpose.
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