General Full-Body Resistance Training Program
Benefits of Resistance Training
- Resistance training can help increase muscle strength and mass, which can improve physical performance and functional abilities in everyday life.
- Resistance training can help improve bone density, which can reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
- Resistance training can help improve overall body composition including a reduction in visceral fat (fat around your organs)
- Resistance training can help improve insulin sensitivity, which can reduce the risk of and/or reduce the severity of diabetes and other metabolic disorders.
- Resistance training can help improve joint health and flexibility, which can reduce the risk of injury and improve mobility.
- Resistance training can help improve mood, reduce anxiety and depression, and improve cognitive function.
Progressive Overload
- Increasing the weight you lift
- Increasing the number of repetitions in each set or the total number of sets
- Decreasing rest time between sets
- Increasing the frequency of workouts
How to Perform This Program
This program is designed to be used by those who have 1, 2, or 3 days per week to incorporate resistance training. This would apply to those who have a schedule where they are able to consistently hit 3 workouts per week as well as those who may hit 1 workout some weeks, 2 other weeks, and 3 workouts on other weeks. The flexibility is great. Please understand that you can get tremendous benefits from as little as 1 day of resistance training per week.
Since the program incorporates full-body workouts for each session, this means that if you only make 1 workout in the week, you still will have hit each muscle group at least once. If you get 2 or 3, that’s just more opportunities for muscle growth and increased strength!
Keep in mind that you’ll want to include at least 1 day of rest between each workout. You might choose to do nothing active at all or you may decide to go for a walk, bike ride, hike, do some cardio at the gym or home, etc. The “rest” is resting from resistance training, not necessarily (but that’s ok too) all physical activity.
I’ve also color coded the exercises for each day as well. I did this so that you can switch things around if you’d like. The way it works is that you can easily replace one exercise on any day with the same color exercise from another day. The color coding applies to the muscle group being worked.
A couple of examples of how you might follow this program might be:
- If you’re using this once a week, just pick the workout that looks most interesting on the day you decide to work out.
- If you’re using it 2 days a week you could do them in order where week 1 is day 1 and day 2, week 2 is day 3 and day 1, week 3 is day 2 and day 3, etc. Or, just pick the one each day that looks most interesting.
One of the keys to making this sustainable is to focus on enjoyment or at the very least, neutrality. If you dread doing your workouts, it may be a good idea to consider another form of movement that may be more enjoyable and thus more sustainable.
FINAL NOTE: This is just one example of a full-body workout. You may find this to be too difficult or too easy.
The Program
Day 1
Dumbbell Bench Press
Dumbbell Row
Dumbbell Overhead Press
Goblet Squat
Dumbbell Walking Lunge
Exercise Ball Crunch
Day 2
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
Lat Pulldown
Face Pulls
Barbell Back Squat
Barbell Romanian Deadlift (can be done with dumbbells)
Side Plank With/Without Hip Dip
Day 3
Machine Chest Press
Seated Cable Row
Machine Shoulder Press
Leg Press
Seated Leg Curl
Plank
Are You Interested in Becoming Equipped to Thrive?
