WEIGHT TRAINING GUIDE
Splitting your weekly training
The way you split your training will depend on many things including time, preference, experience and discipline. So here are some options:
If you can only guarantee 1 day (but sometimes more) of weights each week, go with full body sessions. If you can definitely do 2 then choose a 2 way split; the most common choices are upper/lower or push/pull. But if you can definitely do 3 days of weights per week, then a 3 way split is an option.
That being said, if you can guarantee 3 and want to do full body sessions each time without focusing on isolating muscles or movements then do that. Have some independence and flexibility with your training and make it work for you. Your body, your workout.
Compound vs Isolation
Compound movements involve two or more joints, and two or more muscle group - they are bigger, stronger movements that use a lot of muscle recruitment and energy. These are the movements you can load up really heavy for hard work and big results. Eg. Squat or chest press.
Isolation movements use only one joint, and only one muscle groups - they are weaker, less stable movements that use less energy. These are the movements you need to be more careful of loading too heavily and are important for accessory work and addressing weaknesses. Eg Hamstring curl or pec flyes.
Planes of movement
There are four main upper body planes of movement - horizontal push, horizontal pull, vertical push and vertical pull. Then there are 3 main lower body movement - squat, lunge and hip hinge. So long as you are mindful of keeping a good balance of these in your training then you’re grooving.
Grip positions
Neutral grip refers to palms facing inwards - as your arms would rest naturally by your sides. Wide grip refers to flipping the hands so the movement is spread further from the body. This grip applies to almost all upper body movements and it changes the emphasis of muscles used. It’s minimal and not that important unless you’re a physique model - and sometimes a wide grip will feel uncomfortable for some people in certain movements (cue the bench press and all related injuries) so if a program says wide but you’re more comfortable going neutral then go for it!
Exercises and options
Depending on your targets certain equipment is better for certain things. You can load more onto a barbell for a back squat then you will be able to hold with a kettlebell for a squat, for example. And doing pec flyes on cable machines will work your core and functionality better than lying dumbbell flyes, but if muscle size or strength is your aim then you’re better off with the dumbbells - does this make sense? Often you will be dictated by what equipment is available, and usually you will find that you just prefer certain equipment for no particular reason. That’s great! Get comfortable and do what works for you! I love barbells, dumbbells and cables, I hate fixed resistance, bands and suspension (TRX) training. It’s just a preference for me - so feel free to find yours. More information is available for all the exercises used in the weight programs including instructions and equipment options.