Typical Exercise Regimen for Men

Every man's exercise regimen usually includes the same basic components. What is typical for you depends on many factors, including your age, fitness level and short and long-term goals. Depending on what you are out to achieve, there are many variables that you can manipulate to help realize your goals. What is most important is that you find the regimen that works for you, allowing for consistency and progression. Whether your short-term goal is weight loss, muscle building or increasing endurance, the ultimate destination should be sustainable health and wellness.

  1. Resistance and Cardiovascular Training

    • A typical exercise regimen for men should include both resistance training and cardiovascular exercise. Resistance training offers many health benefits and enables you to gain or, at the very least, maintain muscle. Cardio helps burn extra calories and trains the endurance components of the body. “The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout” authors Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman recommend doing your cardio after your resistance training for the best workout possible.

    Goal Setting

    • The most important and frequently overlooked aspect of an exercise regimen for men is setting realistic goals. Many people fail to set goals, which leads to self-defeating efforts. For example, if the primary goal is gaining cardio fitness and your exercise program is geared toward power and strength, you will likely fail to achieve your goals. Likewise, a program designed to increase strength will probably not give you the best possible fat-loss results. You should always consider your primary and secondary goals when beginning your exercise regimen.

    Training Splits

    • Training splits refers to when and how often you train each muscle group. Establishing your split means taking a hard look at your weekly schedule and being honest about your availability. Some people have time to hit the gym 5 days a week. Others may have to get by with less and use very efficient workouts. If all you can muster is 3 days per week, you might consider doing full-body workouts, training each muscle group from largest to smallest. Another example of a training split might be as follows: Monday – legs, calves and abs; Tuesday – chest and back; Wednesday – rest; Thursday – shoulders and arms; and Friday – repeat the Monday workout. It may take some trial and error to figure out what training split works best for you.

    Strength Training Exercise Selection and Volume

    • Often you will hear "fitness gurus" talk about how you must do this or that exercise to get results. While compound movements like squats, deadlifts and bench presses are useful for many, they are not always right for everyone. Injuries prevent some trainees from properly performing these “go-to” exercises. Veteran trainee Steve Holman recommends that you use the exercise that you “feel” most. The goal is to challenge your muscles with the maximum amount of resistance in the safest way possible. You must also consider your training volume, which refers to the number of exercises and sets you do at each workout.

    Recovery

    • Many trainees overlook the importance of nutrition and rest. The results you seek from your exercise regimen are stimulated in the gym, but they actually occur when your muscles recover. Recovery requires proper nutrition and plenty of sleep. “Man 2.0: Engineering the Alpha” authors Adam Bornstein and John Romaniello recommend at least 30 grams of protein and 30 grams of carbohydrate immediately after your workout. Also, be sure to get plenty of proteins, low-glycemic carbohydrates and healthy fats in your diet.