Sep 194 min read

Exercise Structure in the Gym + Upper and Lower Body Workout Examples

Are you tired of feeling like you're going through the motions at the gym without seeing any real progress? We've all been there, but fear not! With a little bit of structure and strategy, you can take your workouts to the next level and see the results you've been working so hard for.

I will give a full upper body and lower body workout example at the end of this article! PS Check out my latest youtube video where I review the new PowerBlock Power Bench 2.0.

First things first, let's talk about compound exercises. These are the heavy hitters of the workout world, the exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once and give you the most bang for your buck.

Think squats, deadlifts, and bench press. These exercises not only work multiple muscle groups, but they also help to build a strong foundation for other exercises. So, start your workout with these exercises, when you're fresh and have the most energy.

After warming up, I typically start my workout with a compound exercise. On lower body days, I begin with back squats or front squats. On upper body days, bench press, shoulder press, or heavy rows.

Track your weights on your compound lifts and gradually increase over time. More on that below when we discuss progressive overload!

Grab a free 7-day to my daily workout plan to ramp up your workouts. Soon to be rebranded to Gym Gainz Guide.

Let's talk about unilateral exercises. These are exercises that work one side of your body at a time. Examples include single-leg deadlifts, lunges, and single-arm rows. These exercises are great for preventing muscle imbalances and injury.

After completing 2-3 compound lifts, I will move to my unilateral exercises. This is a simple way to ensure you train both sides equally and build a balanced, jacked physique.

Progressive overload is key to continuing to challenge your muscles and promote growth. This means gradually increasing the weight and/ or reps you're lifting. It's easy to get comfortable with the same weight and reps, but trust me, your muscles will thank you for pushing yourself.

Don't get stuck in the rut of doing the same weight and amount of reps on the same exercises for years. This is the benefit of following a program. In a 4-8 week cycle of resistance training, the workouts will look relatively the same.

By slightly adjusting the number of reps and gradually increasing the weights, you progressively increase strength. If nutrition and recovery are on point, you will increase lean muscle mass and decrease unwanted body fat as well.

We all love a good bicep curl, calve raise, and tricep extension. But, saving these assistance exercises for the end of your workout is important.

These exercises target specific muscle groups and it's important to do them after your compound exercises. Most assistance exercises are vanity exercises. We do these because we want to look good in shorts and a tank top. They require less energy and are fun, so we save them for the end of the workout.

Basically:

Compound exercises are difficult and require more energy, so do those first.

Assistance exercises like biceps curls, leg extensions, leg curls, and leg extensions are easier and fun, so save those for the end of your workout.