When you design your workout program, there are a number of things you need to consider.
First, are the core lifts included? If not, then that is mistake number one that has to be changed immediately.
After that, it’s a good idea to assess whether or not you’re allowing yourself enough rest between sessions. Are you getting 48 hours of rest between weight lifting sessions? Are you allowing for at least one day off from all forms of intense exercise each week? Are you building in lighter weeks or off weeks altogether to make sure you’re not overtrained?
Rest is just as important as the actual exercises you’re doing themselves, so this is again something you cannot afford to be neglecting.
One thing that some people overlook however, especially those that are fairly new to weight lifting and don’t quite understand the various muscle groups that any given exercise works, is how the assistance muscles might be working overtime in the program they have developed.
For instance, if you’re doing a chest workout on Monday and then doing shoulders on Tuesday, your triceps are going to be working two days in a row, which is something you’ll want to try and avoid (since they will be called into play on the bench press as well as the shoulder press).
Likewise, if you’re doing a bent over row on one day, you should try and avoid working the biceps directly the next day since the biceps are worked on most rowing exercises as well.
So, be sure you don’t over look this factor when figuring out your workout program. Generally this problem can easily be avoided by simply opting for an upper/lower body split or a full body workout program since then you know you’ll be having full days of rest between any given upper or lower body workout.
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