BASIC TRAINING FOR PLANNING A WORKOUT

The one question I get asked the most by soldiers is, "how do I plan my workout?" 

For someone like myself who has been a Strength and Conditioning Coach for a decade the answer is simple. However, these are Soldiers we're talking about here, and they need the basics. So I put together a plan to set any Weekend Warrior on the right path. 

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Go into a gym, any gym really, and you will see the same thing; a bunch of sweaty dudes with different goals trying to achieve them using different types of equipment and methods. Have you ever actually LOOKED at the order people are doing things, though?    

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Often times the best of intentions in training can be mired by improper programming. Correct exercise order seems like a basic idea, but it is often done incorrectly. Here is a brief introduction on how a proper training session should go.

Every training session should begin with a dynamic warm up. Whether you choose to use the preparation drill from the Army’s Field Manual 7-22 or you have formulated your own at home in your living room. 

The purpose of a warm up is to both raise the body’s core temperature at least 1 degree Celsius and take the joints through a significant range of motion to get them ready to exercise. 

YAY! WE'RE WARM!

YOU SHOULD BE SWEATING BY NOW!

After a proper Dynamic Warmup, here is how a training session should go:

1. Explosive Lift (Olympic lifts, box jumps, medicine ball throws, etc)
   
2. Multi joint strength and power “core” lifts (squat, bench, military press, deadlift, etc)
   
3. Multi joint assistance lifts ( step ups, good mornings, close grip pushups, etc)
   
4. Single joint assistance lifts (bicep curls, leg extensions, tricep rope press down, etc)
   
5. Pre-hab movements (rotator cuff, knee, ankle mobility, etc)
   

Ideally you would do cardio and conditioning work on a separate day, but if you don't have the time to workout everyday then you must decide what your goal is.    

ALWAYS WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS!

Most athletes will emphasize the cardio after they train as lifting will only slightly take away from cardio. Whereas, cardio before lifting can be more detrimental to the progress of strength and power.

Planning a workout using proper exercise selection can help to maximize progress while reducing the risk of injuries over time. Placing exercises in the right order means that your body will become properly trained to do what you ask of it without getting injured. 

This is important for every Weekend Warrior, but especially for soldiers who are trying to stay healthy for deployment, Field Training Exercises, promotion, etc. 

Train safe, Train smart, and Train hard!  
Aaron  

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We really like to talk to people about working out. So, if you have a question about your workout or anything else write it in the comment block below.