Gym fitness routine

5-10 minutes of dynamic warm-up → strength training (compound movements take precedence over isolation movements) → aerobic training as needed → 5-10 minutes of relaxation and organization. Of course, this is not a standard answer. It will be adjusted at any time according to your training goals and sports foundation. There is no need to stick to the so-called "correct process".

I have seen too many people enter the gym and jump directly on the equipment. The guy in a sweatshirt comes up and bench presses with heavy weights. After three sets of presses, he leaves rubbing his shoulders.； The girl in tight pants squatted for two sets of deadlifts and couldn't stand up straight for a long time while holding her knees. When asked, she said, "I'm in good condition today, so I skipped the warm-up steps." She really couldn't do that. The current consensus in the mainstream kinesiology community is that during the warm-up phase, priority is given to dynamic movements, such as leg raises, lunges, shoulder circles, and hip circles. This can increase the temperature of the target muscle groups, open up the range of joint mobility, and then formally add weight, which can avoid 80% of sports injuries. Of course, there are exceptions. I know a few veteran powerlifters whose hip joints are naturally tight. Before squatting, they will do a 30-second static stretch for the hip flexors. After stretching, they will squat again. The weight of the squat is actually heavier than when they only do dynamic warm-ups. There is no problem. There is no need to stick to the rigid rule of "no static stretches during warm-ups."

In most cases, there is nothing wrong with putting compound movements first in strength training. After all, compound movements involve many muscle groups and require strong core stability. If you do them when you are strongest, you can not only push the weight, but also be less likely to compensate for injuries. For example, on leg training day, do squats and deadlifts first, and then do leg extensions and leg curls. ； On the day of chest training, first do bench press, parallel bar arm extensions, and then chest clamping and flyes. This is the most difficult arrangement for novices. However, there are also many muscle hypertrophy trainers who like to use the pre-fatigue method. For example, novices with poor chest muscle strength will exert all their strength on the shoulders and triceps when bench pressing. Then they can first do 3 sets of light-weight rope clamps to activate the chest muscles until they are swollen, and then bench press. On the contrary, it can reduce compensation and be more efficient, which cannot be said to be wrong. A while ago, I helped a friend of mine who had been training for half a year to adjust his plan. He used to do lat pull-downs first when doing back exercises. After pulling up his latissimus dorsi for half a year, he still had no sense of presence. Later, I asked him to do 3 sets of pull-ups every time he entered the gym. If he couldn't pull up, use a power belt. After pulling up, he would do lat pull-downs and seated rows. In the second week, he told me that he finally felt the "explosion" of his latissimus dorsi muscles. Oh, by the way, if you are very pressed for time today and only have 20 minutes to practice, then it’s okay to practice just two isolation movements. Just don’t do it every day. Be flexible.

The order of aerobics is actually the most controversial. Many people are confused whether to train strength first or run aerobics first. In fact, the core depends on your training goals: if you mainly want to build muscle and increase strength, then you must put aerobic energy behind strength. After all, there is only so much glycogen. If you run for 40 minutes to use up all the glycogen, then you can't even press half the usual weight on the bench press, and the muscle-building efficiency will be directly reduced. I encountered this pitfall when I first started working out. At that time, I wanted to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. As soon as I entered the gym, I ran for 40 minutes. I was out of breath and then tried to bench press. The 20kg bar shook. After two months of training, the weight did not increase at all. Later, I moved aerobics to the back of strength. The bench press weight increased by 15kg in two months, and my body fat did not increase much. But if you are a running enthusiast and your core goal is to prepare for a marathon, you can put long-distance aerobic training first, and then just do a few sets of strength to maintain muscle mass. There is no need to delay your main event for the so-called "correct order." There are also friends who play CrossFit who originally mix aerobic strength, and no one will worry about the order. It is enough to practice happily and make rapid progress.

The final relaxation session is more casual. After practice, just spend 5-10 minutes rolling a foam roller, doing static stretching, or using a fascia gun to hit tense muscle groups. It doesn't need to be too complicated. Some studies have shown that stretching has little effect on relieving delayed onset soreness. It mainly helps maintain joint mobility. If you feel comfortable after stretching, just do it. If you feel it is useless, there is no problem in changing clothes and walking directly after the exercise. There is no need to be mentally burdened.

In fact, there are really no iron rules that you must abide by when it comes to fitness. All the sequences are designed to make you practice safer and more efficiently. As long as you can make steady progress and don't get injured, you can do whatever you want.