Use this printable weekly workout plan for men and women to help turn your casual workout routine into a full blown fitness habit!
In one word, how would you describe your relationship with working out? For many of us, the answer is “casual,” or maybe more accurately, “inconsistent.” If you’re one of those “many,” no judgement here. Most days, carving out time to workout is a Herculean feat; however, a printable weekly workout schedule may be able to help!
The key is to turn your casual fitness fling into a long term relationship. It probably won’t be easy, but the benefits you stand to reap will make it totally worth it. Regular exercise has physical benefits as well as mental benefits, such as boosting one’s mood.
Below are some tips, as well as a weekly workout plan for women and men, that will help you develop a weekly workout routine that lasts!
Tips for Building a Weekly Workout Routine
1. Set a SMART fitness goal.
If you don’t have a goal, how do you know where you’re going? Is your weekly workout plan for weight loss, building strength, running a marathon, or something else? Knowing specifically what you want to accomplish will help you create a weekly workout plan that fits. Plus, seeing progress toward achieving that goal will help you stay motivated! 🙂
Tip: Learn more about setting SMART fitness goals. Examples and a printable template are provided.
2. Start slow and build.
One of the most common workout questions is “how many times a week should I workout.” It’s so common that the whole next section of this post is devoted to it. (So keep reading.)
However, especially if you’ve led a pretty sedentary life, it’s important to start slow and build. Working out too much too fast can lead to injury, unnecessary soreness, burnout, and discouragement. Ease into your new weekly workout routine!
3. Check your mindset.
Fitness isn’t just about muscles and lung capacity; your mindset will play a huge role not only in adhering to your weekly workout schedule but also in having a good workout. You want to have a positive mindset but also a growth mindset. (No, they aren’t the same thing.) If you aren’t familiar with the concept of “growth mindset,” check out:
4. Build in rewards.
Some days you’ll feel totally ready to go when it comes to working out. Other days you’ll have to drag yourself into it. Printable inspiring fitness motivation quotes may help but another option is building rewards into your weekly workout plan for women and men.
For example, do you have a TV show that’s a guilty pleasure? If you’re building a weekly workout plan at home, consider doing your cardio, such as running on the treadmill, biking, or rowing, while watching your show.
5. Write it down!
Use a printable weekly workout schedule (like the one in this post) to plan your workouts in advance. Physically writing something down increases the likelihood that you’ll remember it. Plus, according to the Mayo Clinic, “A written plan may encourage you to stay on track.”
Tip: It may be helpful to include your printable weekly workout plan for men or women with whatever planner you’re using to organize the rest of your life. That way you will see your workout as you’re going through your daily or weekly to-do list. Here are some printables you could integrate this with:
6. Allow time for recovery.
This ties back to the question “How many days a week should I workout.” You must allow for adequate time-off so that your body can recover. Not taking any time for rest will increase your chances of injury. How many days off you need will depend on what you’re doing when you workout.
By the way, allowing your body to rest doesn’t mean you have to be totally sedentary on those days. You could incorporate gentle stretching or yoga into your rest days or taking a walk. You’ll see that the printable weekly workout plan for women and men includes a line for “steps” so that you can count steps even on rest days.
7. Track your progress.
Check in on your progress toward achieving your goal. If you aren’t seeing the results you want, you’ll know that you need to make some tweaks. Don’t give up! If you are making progress, these check-ins will keep you motivated.
Tip: You can use these printables to help track your progress:
How Many Days a Week Should I Workout?
Now that you have seven solid tips for creating a weekly workout plan for weight loss, building strength, or any other goal, let’s address the elephant in the room: How many times a week should I workout? Unfortunately, the answer is “It depends.” The answer depends on your current fitness level, any medical conditions you may have, and what your goals are.
According to the Mayo Clinic, you should get “At least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread out this exercise during the course of a week. To provide even greater health benefit and to assist with weight loss or maintaining weight loss, at least 300 minutes a week is recommended.”
According to Kehinde Anjorin, NCSF, CFSC, founder of The Power Method, “For weight loss, working out three to four times per week is optimal. Long-lasting weight loss has no finish line, so you want to be able to maintain and prioritize this lifestyle to keep your results.”
This means that if your weekly workout plan is for weight loss, you’ll want to workout three to four days a week for a cumulative time of 300 minutes. This works out to about an hour and 15 minutes per workout session for four days a week. However, not all of that time has to be a full blown sprint.
Tip: When figuring out “How many days a week should I workout,” remember to start out small and add on! You may need to start with just two to three days a week. You can always consult your physician to see what is safe for you.
Printable Weekly Workout Plan for Men and Women
This printable weekly workout plan for men and women offers space for each day of the week, Monday through Sunday. I recommend that you plan not just your workouts but also your rest days! Being able to look ahead and see that you have a recovery day may motivate you to keep pushing the rest of the week.
It also allows you to plan your workout, the time you’ll spend working out, your goal, your target steps and/or distance. Be specific with your goal! For example, if you’re working on strength training, set a goal for a certain weight or number of reps you’d like to achieve.
One of my favorite things about this printable is that it can be a weekly workout plan at home or for the gym (or both). So regardless of what your day looks like, you can plan for some kind of movement. No excuses! 😉
Health and Fitness Journal
The printable weekly workout plan for men and women is part of the fitness journal template printables, available in the shop. The journal also includes:
- Printable Weekly Workout Schedule for Men and Women Template
- 3 Printable Inspirational Fitness Quotes for Women
- Walking for Weight Loss Plan for Women
- SMART Fitness Goals: Examples & Printable Template
- How to Set a Fitness and Nutrition Plan + Printable Template
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