Planning Your Training

Whether you’re a novice at the gym or you’ve been hooked for a while, having a proper training plan is a must. A training plan establishes and organizes the various stages of training so you can achieve your goal. A year’s worth of training can be planned from day one.

The fitness world is full of planning methods and terminology. To help you grasp the basics, here are four stages to include in your plan:

• Preparation: Lasting 2 to 12 weeks, this stage teaches you the basics of training through learning new exercises, developing your technique and practising new training methods.

• Progression: Lasting 8 to 12 weeks, this stage improves fitness, mainly by increasing training volume (number of repetitions, series, exercises, etc.) as well as the level of technical difficulty of the exercises.

• Optimization: Lasting 4 to 8 weeks, this stage allows you to achieve your objectives effectively by increasing and managing intensity and recovery.

• Recovery: Lasting 1 to 4 weeks, this stage lets your body regenerate and rest, and mentally prepares you for future training cycles.

The planning stages will make sure you progress toward your objective in an organized and efficient manner. If you have any questions, feel free to talk to a personal trainer at your gym.

Have a great workout!

Jean-Denis Thomson, B.Sc.