Introducing Gym Workout Plans
For those of you who are looking to get fitter, build muscle, lose fat, tone up, or just generally benefit from undertaking exercise, this article is one you’ll want to read.
We know that exercise is great for our bodies and minds but sometimes finding the right types of exercise can be tricky, which is why at Elevate Training we want to make things as simple as possible to help you maximise your time at our gym.
We have created this gym workout plan to provide you with a step-by-step guide on working certain parts of your body for maximum success. It’s also good to remember that building strength is great for not only helping to play other sports but also for everyday life – everybody needs to maintain muscle mass especially as they get older to help avoid injuries and potential slips, trips and falls. We’ve also provided some cardio options which are great for helping to raise your heart rate and help to burn calories and body fat.
The great thing about this gym workout plan we’ve provided is that it contains variations of each exercise meaning you can do it with your preferred equipment, and we’ve also included some bodyweight exercises that can be done anywhere.
Unless otherwise stated. for each exercise, we’d recommend doing between 8-12 reps. You need to make sure you’re lifting a heavy enough weight to challenge you but not something that’s too heavy, so you’ll lose form and potentially injure yourself. The last 3 / 4 reps should be challenging as these are the ones that help build muscle.
Gym Chest Workout
Starting with the upper body, the chest is an area that people, often men, enjoy training as it can help create a strong-looking physique.
We have put together this gym chest workout to help you get on your way at one of our gyms, but don’t forget, that our personal trainers are also available to help answer any of your exercise-related questions.
Flat Bench Press/Dumbbell Bench Press
These exercises are a staple of a gym chest workout and will enable you to lift heavier weights which will contribute towards muscle growth.
Incline Flat Bench Press/Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
This one is exactly the same as the flat variation, but the bench should be set to an angle which will allow you to work the upper parts of the chest. Please don’t set the bench too near vertical as this will engage the shoulders more than the chest.
Dumbbell/Cable Flys
Our preferred option here is the machine cable flys as you’ll have more stability and be able to get a full range of motion on the flys. The dumbbell option is also good if you have limited equipment and both moves will work your chest to activate muscle growth.
Dips
These are some of the most effective and underdone exercises for the chest. They’ve been referred to as the “upper body squat” and are super effective for targeting the chest and triceps.
Press Ups
Press ups are great because they can be done virtually anywhere, require no equipment and only a short amount of time. Coupled with a few sets of each of the above exercises, press-ups will help to finish off your gym chest workout.
Gym Shoulder Workout
Shoulders are another important part of the body which needs to be trained regularly, but sometimes can be overlooked in favour of other body parts. The benefit of training shoulders is that by having broad shoulders your physique will look bigger and help you move towards the coveted “V” shape.
Here are some shoulder exercises that you can try.
Overhead Barbell/Dumbbell Press
Starting in the same way as the chest gym workout, you can do the overhead or dumbbell press to help you lift heavier weights at the beginning of your workout. The barbell press should be done standing, and the dumbbell press can either be done standing or sitting.
Arnold Press
Done with dumbbells only, this press variation is an excellent choice for building shoulder muscle and definition. By pushing up, outwards and overhead you’ll activate the muscles which will lead to muscle growth stimulation.
Lateral Raises
Keeping the elbows slightly bent and lifting the arms out sideways, lateral raises are a shoulder isolation exercise. These should be done with lighter weights to help avoid injury to the shoulder joint and keep proper form. As you’ll be using lighter weights you can extend the rep range to 15 if you’re able to do so.
Barbell/Dumbbell Shrug
The shrug is an effective way to build shoulder, neck and trap muscle. As you’ll be using lighter weights you can extend the rep range to 15 if you’re able to do so.
Handstand/Handstand Push-up
This is a difficult exercise and if you’ve not done it before it’s worth talking to one of our PTs. The handstand/handstand push-up is a great way of working on balance whilst placing the shoulders under tension, which will lead to muscle growth stimulation.
Working Out at the Gym Versus Working Out at Home
One of the biggest questions a lot of people have when they start working out is whether they should workout in the gym or elsewhere. Here are a few reasons why you should choose a gym, specifically Elevate Training if you’re in Oman.
- We’ve got four gyms across Muscat which are located in Al Azaiba, Al Kuwair, Madinat Qaboos and Shatti Al Qurum.
- At our Elevate gyms, you’ll have 24/7 access meaning you can workout at a time that suits you.
- Our fitness trainers comprise of professionals from a range of fitness disciplines.
- Our tailored training plans will ensure that you get the best results from your sessions.
More generally, gyms are a great place to workout for the following reasons:
- You’ll have access to all the equipment you need and won’t have to worry about making expensive purchases or storing any equipment at home.
- You’ll be working out with like-minded people who can share tips and knowledge. The gym is also an excellent place to meet new people and make friends.
- Gyms offer different types of exercise such as exercise classes, which are a great way to bring different exercises into your training plan.
Home workouts can also be effective especially if you are short on time or you don’t want to pay a monthly membership fee. Please remember though, that working out at home requires a lot of discipline as there are multiple distractions and you may not have access to all the equipment you need to perform a full workout.
Back to the Gym
If you’ve been absent from the gym for a while, whether that’s because of injury or you’ve just had other stuff going on in life, you’ll need a back-to-the-gym workout that will help get you started and keep you safe and injury-free.
The type of workout you’ll want to undertake depends on your goals, but we’d advise something that helps build some strength and also involves some cardio to help elevate your heart rate.
The important thing to remember about your back-to-the-gym workout is to warm up properly so you can avoid injury.
Here is a sample back-to-the-gym workout you can try:
Warm-Up 10 Minutes
This should involve some dynamic stretching and you should be looking to loosen up the body ahead of your main back to the gym workout.
Deadlifts / Squats / Bench Press
Complete three rounds of 10 repetitions of each exercise with a 2-minute break in between each exercise. These compound movements will help you build strength and work the majority of the body’s major muscle groups. You should choose a weight that challenges you but is not too heavy that you lift with bad form.
Isolation Exercises
Depending on which muscles you’re looking to target you may like to throw in some dumbbell isolation exercises such as bicep curls, shoulder presses, or flys, which will help build strength in specific areas of the body.
Cardio
It would be a good idea to throw 10 minutes of cardio work in at the end to help you elevate your heart rate and help to burn calories and fat. The choice is yours here, but for a short workout treadmill sprints are a good option or perhaps even a quick indoor cycle.
Cool Down
It’s always advisable to cool down after a workout so do spend 5 minutes doing some stretching and relaxing to avoid picking up any post-workout injuries.
This workout could also be done as a beginner gym workout to help those of you who haven’t used the gym before as it’s a good way of targeting the whole body in one session.
One of the great aspects of this back-to-the-gym workout is that you can complete a full-body workout in around an hour.
If you’re really struggling for inspiration for your gym workouts, you could check out our gym workout chart which we’ve designed to help get you started with your workouts.
Training Legs at the Gym
Legs are a fundamental part of any training plan and building strong and toned legs is an important aspect of creating an aesthetically pleasing body.
These moves are designed to work all the muscle groups in the legs, and a couple of them will specifically target the thighs giving a good thigh gym workout.
Squats
We’ve already covered them elsewhere, but we can’t stress enough how regularly squatting is good for building leg muscles.
Lunges & Weighted Lunges
Lunges are great for toning legs and building strength and balance. This is a perfect choice for a thigh gym workout.
Romanian Deadlift
This move will target your posterior chain and is great for building strong and toned legs.
Cycling
This is great for building cardio fitness and getting your legs in shape too!
We just want to round off this article by saying that we’re so glad you’ve taken the first step by reading this article, and whatever exercise you choose to do it’ll have some benefit on your body. As the old saying goes, you’ll never regret a workout and your physical and mental health will be so much better for getting a sweat on.
Common Questions and Answers
How to workout every day?
If you wish to workout every day, mixing things up is the best option. It’s important to remember that your body needs to rest and recover. If you train hard on one day, for example, lifting heavy weights or doing a long run, make sure this is followed up by a lighter session e.g. a walk or short swim which can be classed as active recovery.
Should I workout in the morning or evening?
It doesn’t really matter when you workout as long as it fits in with your schedule. If you’re a morning person, getting your workout done first thing in the day will set you up for the rest of your day, but if mornings are tricky, working out in the evening is also a great choice!
Is it ok to sleep after a workout?
Sleeping is crucial to recovery and helps the body recover and restore after exercise. Sleeping after a workout is fine, and many top athletes take ‘power naps’ during the day, but try not to sleep for too long otherwise this could disrupt your nighttime sleep duration which would negatively affect your full recovery process.
What to eat before a morning workout?
Many people who workout in the morning do it in a fasted state (having not eaten anything at all) but if you don’t want to train on an empty stomach, often a light meal or snack will be sufficient. Bananas can be a good choice as they are filling and provide energy, but other options include a protein bar or porridge. Remember to fill up on protein after your workout.
