Gym Workout Plans
Whether you’re starting fresh at the gym or you want to make your workouts sweat harder for you, a gym workout plan is a good place to start. But where do you find them, how do you know which one is right for you and do you actually need one?
Key takeaways:
A workout plan can help you feel more inspired, achieve your goals or get familiar with the gym
Make your workout plan realistic and achievable
Use the Virgin Active app for tailored workouts that match your goals
Do you need a workout plan?
When you’re new to the gym, a beginner workout plan is a great place to start. It gets you familiar with equipment, helps you find the right rep range and weight for certain exercises and helps you to understand your current fitness level. With a beginner training plan, you’ll typically be following it week-by-week, improving either your rep range, number of sets, speed or weight every time. It’s a good way to scale up your fitness and strength when you don’t know where to start.
So, what if you’ve been going to the gym for a while - do you still need a workout plan?
Well, the truth is: no one needs a workout plan, but it can be useful. If you’ve been going to the gym for a little while but you feel like you aren’t making progress towards your goals or you’re feeling a bit unmotivated, a workout plan gives you a focus.
Training plans are also tailored for different goals. You’ll find plenty for full-body workouts but you may want one that splits up your training into different focuses or muscle groups. Workout plans can also help to keep your sessions varied.
Where to find a gym programme
As a Virgin Active member, you can create your own tailored training programme in our app.
Head to Trainer
Choose ‘Create’ to start designing your training plan
Answer 6 short questions about yourself
We’ll put together a four week plan. We’ll tell you how many days a week you’ll be training, how long each session is, how many exercises you’ll be doing as well as what you can expect at the end of the plan. There’s also a timer and explainer videos so you can train along and track your progress in real time.
Join Virgin Active today and get all of this and more from day one.
What is the right gym workout plan for you?
The best gym workout plan is going to be the one that considers your goals and what you want to achieve. Have a realistic think about how much time you have to train. Consider commuting time, when you want to work out (morning, during the day or evening), how many days you want to train and how long you want to spend in the gym. All of these are valid ways to tailor a training plan and make it work for you. After all, if it’s not achievable, you’re not going to do it.
You’ll also want to think about what equipment you’re happy using or what you would like to learn. Our Virgin Active plans combine a variety of equipment from free weights to machines and bodyweight. Depending on what you want to get out of your training plan, you’ll find some which have more cardio in and others which prioritise strength. Again, what you choose depends on how you want to feel and what you want to work on.
You also might choose to have a workout plan for only certain sessions in the week. For example, you may have nailed your lower body days but you need a little more inspiration on how to develop upper body strength.
How do you stick to a training plan?
Having a shiny new workout plan is one way to help you stick to the gym. But how do you stick to your training plan?
The main thing is to keep it realistic. Don’t just choose the workout plan that looks the most attractive. Choose the one that fits with your lifestyle. If you find it too difficult or it’s too inconvenient, you won’t be able to stick to it on the days that you don’t want to work out. (And we all have those.)
Next, you’ll want to get clear on your goals. Make sure your training plan gives you a specific aim to stick to, ideally something which you can measure to see whether you’ve made progress.
A good idea is also to have a think about what works best for you in terms of motivation. Are you a person who gets bored easily and needs lots of variety or are you someone who needs to show up and know what they’re doing without thinking about it?
Ready for your next workout? Check out all the group exercise classes available at Virgin Active.
Not yet a member? Find your nearest club and start your membership today.
FAQs
How many days should I work out?
In the UK, the NHS says that people aged 19 - 64 should aim for around 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity every week. But it’s good to do exercise regularly, if not every day. The number of days you work out in the gym depends on what else you’re doing in the week, your goals and your general activity levels. Our general advice would be around 3 days.
How soon will I see results?
Results depend on how much you’re training, where you started and what your goals are. That said, you should be able to see changes in your body within a month of consistency.
What is a workout plan?
A workout plan is a structured training programme that gives you exercises to work towards a common goal.
How many reps and sets should I do?
Aim for around 3 sets of 8 - 12 reps, depending on how hard you find the exercise and your current fitness levels. If you’re a beginner, start with one set of 8 reps and see whether you feel like you can increase it.
What kind of workout plan should I follow?
Think about what you want to achieve with your workout plan. It’s good to consider the time you have to train, the types of workouts you like to do and what goals you have.
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