Designing a Weight Training Program

Caution! This information is only for children 14 years of age and older.

Planning your program can be a tedious task. How many days per week, the length of each workout, and exercise selection are important points to consider because these issues will ultimately affect the outcome of your training. There is no easy formula for deciding what works best, only experience. However, there are some philosophies and ideas that will help make the process a little easier.

Let me suggest a way to plan your regimen. Actually, this method is typical of the way most programs are initially designed. Again, only time and results will be the true determinant of what is correct for your situation.

Steps to determining your program
I. Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced
Begin by evaluating yourself. Determine your fitness level. Once you have chosen your level, it will become easier to fill in days per week, length of workouts and exercise selection.

There are many programs that are printed in fitness magazines. In some instances, these references discuss the level of the profiled athlete or a similar program which is suitable for different levels of training. Understand that some of these athletes have been training for five, ten, fifteen years or longer. Their recovery capabilities, diets, fitness levels and experience are so different from the average weight trainer that a comparison cannot be made.

When you are determining your level of training, be very critical and honest.
Performing an advanced program when you are a beginner or an intermediate lifter will not get you faster results. One thing that will increase is your chance for injury. Training "over your head" can also give your body too much stimulus and cause overtraining, weakness and actually slow your growth as an athlete.

Beginner - less than 12 consecutive months of training in a properly designed and supervised conditioning program which includes flexibility, cardiovascular training and weight training. Must have some free-weight training experience. Proposed training frequency - two to three times per week.

Intermediate - no less than one or more than three consecutive years in a properly designed and supervised conditioning program which includes flexibility, cardiovascular training and weight training. Must have some free-weight training experience. Proposed training frequency - three to five times per week.

Advanced - three consecutive years or more in a properly designed and supervised conditioning program which includes flexibility, cardiovascular conditioning and weight training. Must have full knowledge and skill of free-weight training. Proposed training frequency - up to six times per week.

II. Days per Week
It would be great if you had all the time in the world to train. Since this is unrealistic, you should begin by deciding how much time is available, starting with the number of days per week you can train.

III. Time per Day
From the stretching program to the last exercise, estimate how much time your training session will take or how much time you can commit to attain your results. This includes in-season and off-season.

IV. Goals and Objectives
You must have an objective, and long term and short term goals. Whether it is to increase muscle size, increase power, reduce body weight or increase strength, there has to be a plan that must be developed so there is direction in the training process.

V. Body Parts to Be Trained
Depending on the sport, there will be certain areas of the body that will be emphasized. If there is no particular sport, or in this case baseball, usually there will be a total body approach. The body parts are divided into chest, back, shoulders, arms (biceps, triceps), legs (hamstrings, quadriceps, calves), abdominals.

VI. Injuries and Limitations
Evaluate all injuries and limitations to help you to chose the most effective and safe exercises to achieve your goals.

VII. The Workout
Based on I through V, the menu of exercises can be chosen. Consider that some exercises take longer to perform than others when determining the length of your workouts.

Sample Schedules
Two times per week
Monday/Thursday
Chest, back, shoulders, arms, legs, abdominals

Three times per week
Monday
Chest, shoulders, arms, legs
Wednesday
Chest, back, arms, abdominals
Friday
Shoulders, back, legs, abdominals

Four times per week
Monday/Thursday
Chest, shoulders, triceps, abdominals
Tuesday/Friday
Legs, back, biceps

Monday/Thursday
Chest, shoulders, back
Tuesday/Friday
Legs, arms

Monday
Chest, shoulders
Tuesday
Back
Wednesday
Arms
Thursday
Legs

Five times per week
Monday
Chest
Tuesday
Shoulders, abdominals
Wednesday
Back
Thursday
Arms
Friday
Legs, abdominals

Where does the conditioning program fit in?
You should perform the conditioning portion of the program prior to the heavy leg workouts, either on the same day or the day before. If your legs are tired, then the conditioning session will not be as effective as it should be. Granted, later in the training cycle your legs will not be as fresh as you would like them to be, but this is part of the training process, training tired. It is critical to schedule heavy leg workouts so that they do not compromise high-intensity conditioning sessions. This will also reduce the risk of injury from overtraining.