The Importance of the Plan

I never go into the gym without a game plan. Ever. It just doesn't happen. My training may be a bit random right now, but I always decide before I set foot in the gym what body parts I'm going to train and what exercises I am going to do. If time allows and I feel like it I might throw in something I wasn't planning on...like last night, my 10 sets of 10 curls. I've noticed lately that most average gym folks and even the ones that appear to be relatively serious, do not have a plan.

Here's an example: I was on the step mill one day last week and had a bird's eye view of the weight room floor. My good friend (who shall remain nameless) was lifting while I was doing cardio. He would do a set and then I'd watch him walk up to the front desk, get some water, do something on the computer, chat with a few people and maybe 5 or so minutes later he'd go back and do another set. The funniest thing to me was that said friend was on a "time crunch." He's not the only person that does this. More people workout like this than don't.

If your desire is to change your physique and take yourself to the next level, you have to be 100% focused. You have to have a plan that works and you have to work the plan. Bottom line. You have to be prepared going into the gym...know what exercises you're going to perform and how many sets and reps you're going to do. I have found that keeping my rest intervals short not only jacks up the intensity of my workouts, but it keeps people from talking to me while I'm training. While I do enjoy talking to my friends in the gym, I'm there to train, not socialize. If I'm working fast, breathing hard and sweating, they usually leave me alone. And the people that know me, know that I'm intense and that I'll engage when I'm finished with my work. I'm pretty good with the "do not disturb" facial expression.

I'm alternating metabolic interval training workouts with my regular body part splits. I haven't trained heavy legs in several weeks but am giving them plenty of work throughout the week, training to lean them out while keeping them strong and muscular. Tonight's workout was a 35 minute interval workout, followed by 30 minutes on the eliptical....finished off with the sauna...ahhhhhhh...

Tonight's Interval workout:
Each set starts at the top of the minute...rest the remainder of the remainder of the minute, then start again at the top of the next minute

Olympic Bar Squat & Press: 10 sets of 10
Plate Swings (35#): 10 sets of 15
Single Arm Dumbbell Swings (30#): 10 sets of 15
RDLs (95#): 5 sets of 10

Max heart rate was 174, average 156...love getting in a cardio workout with the weights!! I was dripping with sweat at the end of this workout!