my current strength training plan

I wanted to take the time to share my current strength training plan.  I’m not going to lie though… I took Tina’s ideas and put them to work for me.  (I told you I am terrible at making up my own strength training routines!)  But, I thought her ideas were awesome, so I wanted to try them out for myself.  And I am IN LOVE with this plan.

I decided to go with a 3 day routine, lifting Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.  To get in all the strength training moves I wanted, I split up Mondays and Wednesdays into movements that push and movements that pull, respectively.  And to round out my week, I made Friday a full body lifting day, doing mainly large muscle, compound movements.  [Compound movements/exercises are ones that work more than one muscle – so instead of just biceps, it works biceps + back.]

I also tend to get bored extremely easily, so I needed something that would not only be different on a daily + weekly basis, but would also keep me from being bored in between sets + movements.  Therefore, I decided to break my routine into smaller circuits.  This not only keeps me from getting bored, but it also helps me move through the routine faster.  Getting everything done in less time – what’s not to like?!  Plus, I love the fact that I can switch up the exercises every time.  [I rely on my Women’s Health Big Book of Exercises – because, you know, I seriously cannot get creative when designing routines… ugh.]

And, if I have time and want to amp up the intensity a bit, I add in some 1 minute or 400m sprints in between circuits. 

DAY 1 – Push	DAY 2 – Pull	DAY 3 – Full
1A.  Quads	1A.  Hamstrings	Legs
1B.  Chest	1B.  Back	Chest
1C.  Abs	1C.  Abs	Back
2A.  Quads	2A.  Hamstrings	Lunges/Legs
2B.  Chest	2B.  Back	Shoulders
2C.  Abs	2C.  Abs
3A.  Shoulders	3A.  Shoulders
3B.  Triceps	3B.  Biceps
3C.  Abs	3C.  Abs

This is just the shell of my workouts.  I add in sets and reps as I feel, sometimes doing more sets with fewer reps, or less sets with more reps.  I also like to be able to do some exercises with heavier weights (thus, fewer reps) and some with lighter weights (more reps).  It’s fun to play around with it every week – and I feel like I’m at least seeing some results!  So, until I get bored with this one, I plan on keeping it around for awhile!