Written by: Gretchen Sims

Ever wondered how to maximize a workout? How to do the most in what little time a college student has? Is the thought of branching out from the cardio machines nerve wracking? 

Going to the gym can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. This is one way of organizing a full week of working out to make things seem more manageable. Keep in mind that this is just one way of splitting a workout — many people do different workout splits and that is perfectly okay. Do whatever works best. 

For an everyday workout, a warm up and cool down is extremely important. Typically, ten minutes of each is recommended. Dynamic, or movement-based, stretching is a great warm up. Static stretching, based upon the amount of time a stretch is held, is a good cool down.

After weight training, one should do around ten to twenty minutes of cardio depending on one’s goals. When working out with the goal of losing weight, try to focus on cardio. When working out with the goal to build more muscle, do less cardio. 

Monday: Shoulders, biceps and triceps.

Tuesday: Chest, back and forearms (optional). 

Wednesday: Rest.

Thursday: Legs.

Friday: Shoulders, biceps and triceps.

Saturday: Chest, back and forearms (optional). 

Sunday: Rest.

When starting the cycle, begin with where one left off in the pattern. This will make it so that the workout cycle is repeated every two weeks. Switching things up can keep things more interesting and less mundane. 

For each muscle group one is focusing on, a good way to organize exercises is to aim between 8 and 12 reps for 3 to 5 sets. Knowing where to begin can be difficult. One way to start is to work each day’s muscle groups on the cable pulls, then on the machines and ending in the free weight section.

In the case of a Monday split for example, one would use the cable pulls for shoulders, biceps and triceps; then move on to machines where, in the same order, one would pick machines that hit these same muscle groups. Finally, one would cycle through these muscle groups one final time on the free weight mats. 

Now, it is important to note the importance of rest days. Remember to rest in order to allow the muscles — which one essentially tears up when working out — time to rebuild themselves. Powering through the gym every day might seem appealing, but this will not yield one’s intended results.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@mail.wou.edu