2 QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR WEEK OF WORKOUTS
When you have so much to keep track of in life, sitting down to outline your workouts can feel like an unnecessary task to add to the list.
That is until weeks start to pass you by & all of those workouts you assumed you’d find time to do end up forgotten & pilling up just that like pile of laundry you swore you’d fold.
Sitting down to map out your week of workouts might feel unnecessary or even overwhelming, but setting aside 20 minutes to come up with your plan could be that secret sauce you need to finally complete those sessions you always said you would.
Today I have 2 questions to help you come up with a plan that works for you.
QUESTION 1: How many days can you participate in structured movement & where do they fit in?
This one of the most important considerations when planning your week. If you’re not proactively deciding how many workouts you’re going to do or when they fit into your schedule, it’s going to be a struggle to accomplish anything.
Things to consider:
What “must-dos” or already planned tasks are on your schedule; time slots that are taken up by work, school drop-off, weekly trivia, etc.
What free time you currently have & how you’re spending it; scrolling, hiking, watching TV, etc. (Follow-up: What, if anything, are you willing/wanting to give up or do less of?)
How many rest days or low-activity days you’ll include; this is important for progress & making sure you have time to do other things you enjoy
With this in your mind:
How many workouts/sessions do you want to include in your week?
How many sessions can you include in your week?
(^^ These answers might be different!)Where do these sessions fit into your week?
Remember there is not a specific number of workouts that is “right” or “best” in this case. Just what works best for you.
If you’re new to exercising you may start with 1-2 sessions each week & build from there.
Training frequency can & will change week to week regardless if you’re a new, returning or seasoned exerciser. One week you may hit 4 lifts and the next you may be lucky to fit in 1. `Tis life!
Even though you’re creating a plan, you can still be flexible. Adjust, rearrange, “snake” or even skip workouts so it works best for you!
So you know how many days & roughly which days your workouts are planned for. Nice!
You may also already have the workouts themselves picked out; a group fitness class, weight lifting, cycling, rock climbing, etc.
If you haven’t considered what workouts you want to do, think through that now because we need it for the next question…
QUESTION 2: where do these workouts take place?
Will you need to drive to the gym? Are you lifting at home? Is the group fitness studio down the block? Running at a local state park or through your neighborhood?
Basically: Do you need to account for commute time to/from your workout?
Commutes to & from the gym can seem small on the surface (What’s a 10 minute drive?) but in reality it can stack up & even be cause for cancelling a workout if you don’t plan properly.
Will you need to get to the gym before work because you don’t have enough time between that & your kids’ school pick-up?
Are you taking part of your lunch hour to get in a 20 minute run or 30 minute group fitness class?
If you plan out your frequency & type of exercise along with what days of the week you’ll workout, but fail to consider where these workouts are taking place then you may end up scraping your entire plan altogether.
Throw those to/from addresses into Google Maps & get an estimate for your commute (if you have one) to make sure you have the time built-in not just for your session but for getting you there & back, too.
You’ve taken the time to read through & (hopefully) respond to the questions above. Do you feel like you have a decent plan in place? One that you can execute without feeling frazzled?
Feel like you need or want some more help putting together your plan?
Drop a comment below or email me to ask for help!
Hey, I’m Kirsi!
Certified Personal Trainer & online fitness coach
I help women explore their strength & challenge themselves with simple programming & comprehensive coaching.
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