According to the Academy of Sports Medicine, the optimal amount of training for most healthy adults should include 8 to 10 exercises that target the major muscle groups, performed twice per week. If you are just beginning a weight-training regimen, however, or have been sedentary for several months or longer, training each body part once per week is a good place to start and will result in strength gains. Once-per-week training of each body part will also maintain strength levels if you have been consistently strength training two to three times per week for several months or longer.
Step 1
Get your physician's approval. If you are currently sedentary or have not exercised consistently for several months or more, are age 50 to 65 with a chronic health condition, or are over age 65, get your physician's approval before beginning an exercise program. If you have any pre-existing health conditions, it is important to discuss them with your primary care physician as well as what medications you are taking, as these may interfere with your ability to train safely.
Step 2
Set aside time for training. Thirty minutes to one hour per day for four or five days per week is sufficient to exercise all of the major body parts. If you don't have this much time, 20 minutes per day, six or seven days per week, is also an option. Just be sure you don't over do training. The best plan is the one you'll stick to, so choose a schedule that works best for your particular lifestyle.
Step 3
Build in time for rest and recovery. Allowing one or two days for rest and recovery between sessions that train the same body part gives muscles time to repair and rebuild after strength training. For example, if the chest and back are trained on Monday, then those muscle groups should be rested until Wednesday or Thursday before they are trained again.
Step 4
Include time for stretching after every workout. Ten to fifteen minutes of stretching after each training session will help diminish delayed onset muscle soreness and also keep muscle tissue pliable and healthy. Hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds and perform one to two sets of each stretch.
Step 5
Create a plan. Your training sessions can be set up so that each body part is trained once per week. One common technique is to divide the body into regions, and train certain regions on specific days. For instance, arms on Monday, chest and back on Tuesday, abdomen and hips on Wednesday, and legs on Thursday. Another option is the "push/pull" method of training, whereby you train all of the muscles that are used to "pull" on one day, and all of the muscles used to "push" on a separate day. To achieve the maximum benefit when training each body part, regardless of the method you choose, aim for 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise using a weight that sufficiently fatigues the muscle being trained by the final repetition. The last repetition should be challenging, yet not impossible to complete with correct form.
Tips and Warnings
- Solicit the help of a personal trainer if you are uncomfortable performing certain exercises, need a refresher course in weight training, or simply want feedback to know if you are doing the exercises correctly. A little time spent in the hands of an experienced fitness professional may be time (and money) well spent if it keeps you injury free and on target for reaching your goal.
- Strength training can be very strenuous. If you have a chronic health condition or are over age 65, it is important to seek your physician's approval before beginning an exercise program.
Things You'll Need
- Weight training equipment
- Calendar
