Make Your Own Custom Workout Plan with These Expert-Approved Tips

Reps, sets, rest, hypertrophy, lift to failure – do any of these sound familiar? If you’re new to working out or just getting back into a routine, the world of fitness can be overwhelming. With so much information available on the internet and in magazines, it’s easy to get lost in all the jargon and conflicting advice.

But don’t worry, creating your own custom workout plan doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with these expert-approved tips, you’ll be well on your way to designing a personalized and effective workout plan that fits your goals and needs.

Can I Make My Own Exercise Plan?

Yes, you can absolutely make your own exercise plan. In fact, creating a personalized workout plan is highly recommended as it allows you to tailor your workouts to your specific fitness goals and preferences. Whether you’re looking to lose weight, build muscle, or improve overall health and well-being, a customized workout plan can help you achieve your desired results.

Here are some reasons why a custom workout plan may be beneficial for you:

• It feels more personal and motivating when you have a workout plan that is designed specifically for your needs
• You can focus on specific muscle groups or fitness goals, rather than following a general program that may not meet your individual needs
• It allows you to track progress and make necessary adjustments as needed
• You can incorporate exercises that you enjoy and are more likely to stick with
• It can prevent boredom and keep your workouts interesting and challenging
• It allows for flexibility in scheduling, so you can fit in your workouts around your busy life
• It can save you money by removing the need to pay for a gym membership or personal trainer just to have a customized workout plan

How to Create a Custom Workout Plan?

To create a custom workout plan, you should follow these steps:

1. Assess your current fitness level
2. Set SMART goals
3. Identify personal interests
4. Select exercises for balance
5. Periodize your workouts
6. Create a weekly schedule
7. Incorporate progressive overload
8. Track your progress
9. Schedule deload weeks
10. Seek feedback and adjust

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1. Assess Your Current Fitness Level

Understanding your starting point is essential when tailoring a workout plan that truly meets your needs. 

To assess your fitness level, consider factors such as cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition. This can be as simple as taking note of how many push-ups you can do, how long you can hold a plank, or how quickly you can walk a mile.

Why is this important? It provides a baseline for measuring progress and helps set realistic goals. Here are some simple examples of baseline tests for endurance, strength, and flexibility, although there are many other options you can include in your baseline testing as well:

• Cardio Test: Time how long it takes to walk or run a mile
• Strength Test: Count how many push-ups or squats you can do in one minute
• Flexibility Test: Try reaching your toes and measure how far you go

Document your results and use them as motivation during your fitness journey.

Read more: 6 Day Calisthenics Routine? Is This Workout Program Safe For You?

2. Set SMART Goals

Setting goals is like charting a course – it gives you direction and motivation. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example, instead of saying “I want to get fit”, a SMART goal would be, “I want to run 5K in under 30 minutes within the next three months”.

Here’s how to set your own SMART goals:

• Specific: Be clear about what you want to achieve
• Measurable: Ensure your goal includes criteria to track progress
• Achievable: Set realistic goals based on your fitness level
• Relevant: Align your goals with your interests and long-term plans
• Time-bound: Set a deadline to instill urgency

3. Identify Personal Interests

Enjoyment is the key to sticking with a workout plan. Reflect on activities you love or have always wanted to try. Whether it’s dancing, cycling, swimming, or weightlifting, aligning your workout with your interests increases the likelihood of consistency.

Consider these questions:

• What activities do you find fun?
• Are there any sports or classes you’ve been curious about?
• Would you prefer indoor or outdoor workouts?
• Do you prefer working out alone or with others?

4. Select Exercises for Balance

A balanced workout plan ensures all muscle groups are engaged, which reduces the risk of overuse injuries. Include cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility exercises.

Cardiovascular exercises are necessary for improving heart health, burning calories, and increasing endurance. Examples include jogging, cycling, and swimming (1).

Strength exercises promote muscle growth and strength development (2). Resistance training with weights or body weight exercises such as push-ups and squats are great options.

Flexibility exercises can improve range of motion, reduce muscle tension, and prevent injuries (3). Examples include stretching, yoga, and Pilates.

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, a weekly workout plan should include (4):

• 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardio (or a mix of the two)
• Strength training for all major muscle groups at least two days per week
• Flexibility exercises at least two days per week

Here’s a basic structure to follow:

• Cardio: 20-30 minutes (e.g. jogging, cycling, brisk walking)
• Strength: 2-3 times a week (e.g. squats, lunges, push-ups)
• Flexibility: Daily (e.g. yoga, stretching)

5. Periodize Your Workouts

Periodization involves varying your workout routines over specific periods to prevent a plateau and optimize performance. This means alternating between phases of different intensities and focuses, such as endurance, strength, and recovery.

Here’s a simple way to periodize:

• Base Phase: Focus on endurance and form (4-6 weeks)
• Build Phase: Increase intensity with more weights or speed (4-6 weeks)
• Peak Phase: Maximize efforts in short bursts (2-4 weeks)
• Recovery Phase: Reduce the intensity to prevent burnout (1 week)

This approach serves several purposes, from preventing boredom to challenging the body and avoiding overtraining.

6. Create a Weekly Schedule

Consistency is the backbone of any fitness journey. A weekly schedule helps you allocate time for workouts amidst life’s responsibilities. Start by designating specific days and times for exercise, treating them as non-negotiable appointments.

Example schedule:

• Monday and Wednesday: Strength training
• Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday: Cardio
• Friday: Flexibility and recovery
• Sunday: Mixed workout (optional)

Adjust this according to your lifestyle and commitments. Consistency beats intensity every time.

7. Incorporate Progressive Overload

Progressive overload is the gradual increase of stress on your body during exercise. This principle is essential for building strength and improving fitness levels (5). You can achieve this by increasing weights, reps, or intensity over time.

For beginners:

• Weights: Add 5-10% more weight every 2-4 weeks
• Reps: Increase by 1-2 for each set of each exercise every week
• Intensity: Shorten rest periods or add more sets

Track these changes to ensure continuous improvement.

8. Track Your Progress

Monitoring your progress keeps you motivated and informed about what works. Use tools such as fitness apps, journals, or spreadsheets to record workouts, nutrition, and any changes in your body.

Focus on:

• Workout Logs: Record sets, reps, and rest times
• Body Measurements: Track changes in weight, inches, or body fat
• Performance Metrics: Note improvements in speed, strength, or endurance

Regularly reviewing these logs will help you make necessary adjustments and celebrate your achievements.

9. Schedule Deload Weeks

Deload weeks are periods of reduced training intensity that allow your body to recover and adapt. This prevents overtraining and keeps you refreshed both physically and mentally.

How to implement:

• Reduce workout intensity and volume by 50% for one week every 4-8 weeks
• Focus on light exercises, stretching, and active recovery
• Use this time to reflect on your progress and set new goals

These rest periods are essential for several reasons. They reset your mind and body, reduce the risk of overtraining injury, and are a reminder that fitness is a lifelong journey.

10. Seek Feedback and Adjust

Your workout plan should be flexible and adaptable. Seek feedback from fitness professionals, workout buddies, or through self-assessment. Be open to tweaking your plan to better suit your evolving needs and goals.

Consider:

• Consulting a coach or personal trainer
• Joining fitness communities for shared experiences
• Reflecting on personal experiences for self-feedback

Remember, fitness is a journey, not a destination, and adjustments are a natural part of the process.

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Is There an App that Creates Effective Custom Workout Plans?

Yes, several apps can help you create effective custom workout plans.

One popular option is from BetterMe, a health and fitness app that offers personalized workout plans based on your goals and fitness level. The app has a variety of exercises, including cardio, strength training, yoga, and more.

BetterMe offers a user-friendly interface that simplifies the process of setting up your fitness journey. The app provides guided workouts with clear instructions and video demonstrations, which ensures users perform exercises correctly and safely. It also includes a variety of workout options, such as bodyweight exercises, yoga, and cardio sessions, catering to different interests and preferences.

One unique aspect of BetterMe is its holistic approach to fitness, integrating workout plans with nutrition advice and tracking. This ensures users work out effectively and maintain a balanced diet, which is crucial for achieving fitness goals.

Read more: Creating A Diet Plan: A Detailed Playbook On Finding Your Own Dieting Rhythm

Can ChatGPT Create a Workout Plan?

Yes, ChatGPT can help create a workout plan by providing guidance on structuring workouts, suggesting exercises, and offering tips on setting fitness goals. It can tailor recommendations based on the information you provide regarding your fitness level, goals, and preferences. 

As with all generative AI models, it’s important to remember that it makes mistakes and may present “hallucinations”, which is the term used to describe instances where the AI model generates outputs that aren’t grounded in reality or factual information. These hallucinations occur due to limitations and biases in the training data and algorithms that are used to develop the models. 

While a general training plan can be generated by ChatGPT or other AI models, this should only be used as a starting point. It’s always important to do your research on scientific exercise programming principles or discuss your training plan with a certified fitness professional, physician, or physical therapist to get individualized advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is Lazy Fit any good?

Lazy Fit is an app that’s designed to offer quick and easy workouts that require minimal effort, which makes it appealing for those who struggle to find motivation or time for exercise. It focuses on simple exercises that can be performed at home without equipment.

While it provides a convenient option for staying active, its effectiveness is largely dependent on individual fitness goals.

For beginners who are seeking to initiate an active lifestyle, Lazy Fit can serve as a stepping stone. However, for more substantial fitness improvements, complementing it with more comprehensive workout routines is advisable.

• Does a 7-minute workout really work?

The 7-minute workout is based on high-intensity circuit training (HICT) principles, which aim to maximize results in a short time (6). Research has suggested that short bursts of intense exercise can improve cardiovascular and muscular fitness (7).

While it can be effective for improving basic fitness levels and burning calories, it may not be sufficient for those with advanced fitness goals.

For beginners or those with limited time, incorporating a 7-minute workout into a daily routine can be beneficial. However, for long-term fitness improvements, combining it with longer or more varied workouts is recommended.

• How long should a workout be?

The ideal workout duration depends on individual fitness goals, preferences, and time availability. For general health, the World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week (8), which can be broken down into sessions of about 20-30 minutes each.

Strength training sessions typically last 30-60 minutes. Beginners may start with shorter workouts and gradually increase duration as fitness improves. It’s important to balance workout length with intensity to avoid overtraining and ensure recovery.

• How many days a week should I work out?

The number of days you should work out depends on your fitness goals, current fitness level, and schedule. For most people, exercising 3-5 days a week strikes a good balance between activity and recovery.

Beginners may start with 3 days a week to allow the body to adapt to new physical demands. As fitness improves, you can increase to 4-5 days a week, incorporating a mix of cardio, strength, and flexibility exercises.

Rest days are essential for recovery, so ensure you include them in your routine to prevent burnout and reduce injury risk (9).

The Bottom Line

In conclusion, crafting a custom workout plan is a transformative journey that empowers you to take control of your fitness goals. By assessing your current fitness level, setting SMART goals, and selecting exercises that are tailored to your personal interests, you’ll lay the foundation for a plan that’s as unique as you are. Remember, consistency is key – maintain a regular schedule and incorporate progressive overload to keep challenging your body and fueling progress.