I recall my early days at the gym and the workouts I used to do. The goal, like many, was fat reduction and visible muscles. The common narrative included higher repetitions, lighter weights, and shorter rests – a belief I held, and now I understand why progress was limited.
I mention this because, despite a wealth of quality information available, there are still those promoting programs for weight loss. The truth is, weight loss programs don't exist.
Are you making the same mistakes as I did?
- Hours of cardio when your goal is muscle building?
- Assessing a program's effectiveness based on how much you sweat?
- Not following a structured plan but choosing workouts from Instagram?
- Avoiding challenging weights?
- Changing programs too often, hindering long-term progress?
- Chasing the pump?
- Making supersets the foundation of your training?
- Doing jumps during breaks?
- Shortening rests and moving to the next set without proper recovery?
- Training six times a week?
Regardless of your current goal, be it weight loss or muscle building, your program shouldn't change. The only difference may be that, in a caloric deficit, you might not lift the same weights as when you have ample food and energy.
No matter how many exercises you perform each week (20-30), ensure that the muscle groups you want to grow (during muscle building) or maintain (while losing weight) constitute the majority of your overall training volume.
How many days a week can you train?
Don't cram 10-15 exercises into one session; your training split depends on you and the time you have available (3, 4, 5).
Studies indicate that 10-15 challenging sets per muscle group per week are optimal for muscle growth. Advanced individuals might need a bit more for adaptation.
For muscles to grow, you need adequate stimulation. If your strength is declining, and you haven't progressed recently, maybe you're not training hard enough.
If you need a smartly structured program tailored to your goals, consider joining online coaching! You can also find workout videos on my profile that will undoubtedly lead to progress.
