3 Steps to Create a Balanced Routine

Do you have a well-rounded routine?

Does your exercise program include endurance, strength, mobility, balance, motor learning, mental skills, emotional release, fun exercises, etc.?

Most likely, it does not.  That’s a lot to include in one program!  There are ever-increasing categories of exercises and movements that you can add into a program, and they are all important.

Here are only a few examples of exercise categories:

• Endurance                  

• Strength                     

• Hypertrophy              

• Mobility                     

• Neuromuscular/Motor Learning                   

• Coordination              

• Deceleration

• Mental Skills              

• Emotional Release     

• Sport-Specific              

• Fun Movements

• Agility & Change of Direction                        

• Cross-Training            

• Breathing Techniques

• Muscle Activation    

• Balance                      

• Posture Correction    

• Myofacial Release

• Rest & Recovery

And SO many more…

Using those examples as a guide, here are some tips on how to keep your exercise programs well-rounded:

1.     Make a list of your top 3 wants (categories that are productive, and you enjoy doing).

2.     Make a list of your top 3 needs.  This is best done with a third-person perspective, like a coach or trainer.  These are categories that have significant deficiencies that should be addressed in your program.

3.     Use the 6 categories defined above and create an outline for a program. For example, if your 6 categories are strength, myofascial release, mobility, balance, muscle activation, and breathing techniques, your outline could look like this:

Format:

Day:

• Focus: example exercise

Workout Outline:

Monday:

·      Breathing Technique: deadbug breathing

·      Muscle Activation: deer-in-headlights bridge           

Tuesday: Strength Exercises

·      Bench Press

·      Back Squat

Wednesday: Balance Exercises

·      3-Way Tennis Ball Tap

·      Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Thursday: Myofacial Release

·      Foam Roll

Friday: Mobility

·      Neck CARs

This is simply an outline to help guide your program. The entire day’s workout does not need to be the focus, it’s a reminder to include these exercises to help maintain a well-rounded program.  You can make an individual workout outline too.  It’s personal preference depending on how you like to periodize your program.

Another way to organize your workouts is to simply check in with your current program.  See what categories are present, overwhelming, and missing, and adjust accordingly.

How we do it:

All of our new clients fill out and intake form that gives us an idea of their personal exercise and activity background and preferences.  During the initial evaluation one of our goals is to get to know our client and a feel for their favorite types of exercises and activities.  Using all of this information and Penny Project Life’s values, we create a list of goals that encompass the most important exercise categories for our new client.  Using those goals, we create a personalized exercise program outline.  Every 4 weeks when we re-evaluate our client’s program, we will also take a look at our goals and make sure they are still a perfect fit.  There will always be small modifications along the way, but that’s just part of a training program!

We hope all of this information gives you some insight into how to build a balanced program for yourself or your clients. Everyone is different, and it is our belief at Penny Project Life that your exercise program should be just as unique as your thumbprint.