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Analyze Your Workout
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How to Analyze Your Workout Routine
The primary measurement of a productive routine is progressive overload. If you want to maximize strength, speed, hypertrophy, or fat loss, a consistent increase in resistance is needed. There is no such thing as a perfect routine, but there are several principles that should be addressed to ensure optimal progress and personalization. There should be a reason for every detail of your workout routine. If you don't know why you do something, maybe you need to change it. The following list contains common variables and ways to manipulate them in order to personalize your workout.
1. Intensity - Resistance training is an anaerobic activity, which, by definition, means high intensity and short duration. The harder you can and do push yourself, the fewer sets you need to perform. If you cannot or will not train to failure, a slight increase in volume may be helpful.
2. Volume - Intensity is inversely related to volume. All other things being constant (consistent progress, muscular balance), the lower the volume, the better. However, very short periods (about 2 weeks) of higher volume training can lead to an increase in muscle mass if followed by adequate rest.
3. Tempo - Training specifically for strength may work best with a slow negative contraction and a relatively quick but smooth concentric contraction. The best results for fat loss, rehab, or increased lactic acid tolerance may occur with a slow negative and slow positive phase. If you lack strength in a specific range of motion, isometric holds may be useful.
4. Time Under Tension - TUT equals the number of reps multiplied by the number of seconds per rep. For example, if you lower a weight in 4 seconds and raise the weight in 2 seconds for 10 reps, your TUT equals 60 seconds. For hypertrophy, fast-twitch dominant muscle groups (high strength/low endurance), respond best to a TUT of around 40-50 seconds. Slow-twitch dominant groups respond best to a TUT of around 80-90 seconds. A powerlifter or sprinter may also benefit from a TUT of under 30seconds.
5. Frequency - Simply put, you should increase the amount of weight you lift every workout, with few exceptions. If you are at a plateau, chances are you need to reduce your training frequency. The split you use also influences frequency (examples: full body vs. upper body/lower body vs. back & bi's/chest & tri's/legs & torso). Someone training with a full body routine needs less frequency then someone using a split.
6. Variety - This is perhaps the most difficult variable to gage. If you change exercises to often, it may be hard to progress (due to lack of skill in each lift). If you do the same exercises every workout, you may gain strength at the expense of hypertrophy and balance. One option is to change your entire routine every 6-8 workouts. Another option is to pick one exercise for each body part to keep constant. If your strength in this exercise increases on a regular basis, you're doing fine.