What are you trying to get out of your gym routine? Why do you go? Do you want to lose weight? Gain muscle? Here are some tips for the two most common reasons people tell me they go to the gym.
Muscle mass (Hypertrophy): If you are looking to gain muscle mass shoot for anywhere between 3-4 sets, with 8-12 reps to “failure”. Failure means your muscle is taxed to the extent that an additional rep is impossible. Get specific and stick to 4-5 different exercises for a movement (PUSH, PULL, LEGS). Rest between sets can be 90 seconds to 2 minutes but not longer.
Example workouts for PULL day: lat pull down, bent over barbell row, single arm dumbbell row, dumbbell reverse flies.
Weight loss: If you are trying to lose weight try to hit a rep range of 15-20 (also to failure) with 3-5 sets per exercise. Having a “full body” workout is optimal because tissue breakdown occurs in every large muscle group, which transfers into a greater caloric expenditure and a greater “after burn” to replenish the muscles. Rest for only 30 seconds to a minute.
Example circuit: deadlift, bench press, squat, lat pull down machine and reverse lunge.
Kyle is a nationally certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and lifestyle motivator out of Los Angeles, CA. He has been training for 5 years and has experience working with top-tier celebrity and executive clientele. When he’s not in the gym, Kyle is reading philosophy or writing poetry.
BosGuy 