How to Create the Perfect Workout Routine

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Orestes Gonzalez

Partnered yoga variation (Reverse Warrior Pose) – strengthens legs and helps with weight loss

Mariam Ahumada, Lifestyle Editor

Tired of the same workout routine? Wish you could upgrade to a more effective workout that is created just for you? If yes, you are in luck because you can create a new routine right now using these four tips to an effective workout routine!

Length of workouts is incredibly influential! There is no magic or perfect time to workout for; however, our bodies pull energy first from glycogen and then grab a little bit of fat and then start to eat away at your muscles, because our bodies value fat over muscle for survival. Therefore, prolonged workouts do end up hindering muscle growth.

— senior Shawn Torres

Tip #1: Ask yourself : “How much time can I devote to exercise?”

It is very important to decide on a time commitment and stick to it. It’s important to remember that as high school students, not everyone can devote the same amount of time to a workout. If you can devote one hour, that is awesome! However, if you have a job, participate in clubs and community service, or simply have way too much homework, a 30-minute workout is what will work for you.

I don’t think longer workouts are neccessarily better. I think if you work out really hard for a shoter period of time and exhaust your muscles, it is just as good as a long workout.

— junior Brianna de la Osa

Tip #2: Choose an Exercise Type.

No matter what, a complete workout routine includes cardio, strength training and felxibility. However, the amount of cardio, strength and flexibility targeted in a workout routine should depend on your workout goal. Do you want to lose weight, build muscle, or just relieve stress?

-First things first, exercises that target flexibility: they are the most important part of every workout. No matter what your focus, you should always stretch before and after each workout.

junior Brianna de la Osa

— junior Brianna de la Osa

-Losing weight: On average, cardio burns 10-12 calories per minute. So if you want to lose weight it is recommended that you do cardio three to four times a week. However, it is always a good idea to add in some strength training, since it continues to burn fat even after you have finished with your workout.

-Increase strength and gain muscle: For those looking to bulk up, it is recommended that you include strength training three to six times a week or less-depending on your recovery time. As for cardio, minimize it from one to two times a week. This is because cardio could actually prevent muscle gain because when overdone, it will hinder muscle growth.

A person looking to gain muscle should avoid cardio, only because cardio burns calories. When you are trying to gain muscle or weight you have to be eating over your calorie maintenance and cardio makes that task more difficult.

— senior Shawn Torres

Tip #3: Change Reps Every Few Weeks

Repetitions, or reps, might just be the most important part of any workout routine. The amount of times that you repeat an exercise determines whether the exercise targets strength, size gains, or endurance. Below are the general guidelines of what each rep range does:

  • 1-3 reps: maximal strength
  • 4-6 reps: strength
  • 8-12 reps: size gains
  • 15+ reps: endurance

It is also very important that you alternate between rep ranges, or you will be overlooking the other possible targeted effects of a workout.

A workout routine depends on the person’s individual goal. For example, for someone that wants to get their body aesthetically better, targeting a particular area is the way to go. However, someone that just wants all around fitness could go full body.

— senior Shawn Torres

Tip #4: Do the More Difficult Exercises First

 The more areas that an exercise targets, the earlier it should be done in your workout. This is because a workout were to increase in difficulty with each exercise, by the the end of the workout you might not have enough energy to correctly complete the rest of your exercises- which may compromise form.

Although there are a couple rules to follow when creating your individualized workout routine, it is important to remember that your workout routine should be just that: YOURS. Feel free to try, change, and re-create your workout routine all you want; what matters is that you have chosen to live a more active and healthy life.