5 Ways to Make a Workout Schedule that WORKS
By Justin Dickey
May 14, 2015 • Fact checked by Dumb Little Man
Starting a workout routine can be a hassle for a lot of reasons, for those of us that enjoy working out youโll be pleased to know that working out has never been easier but for the REST of us there are a lot of โhurdlesโ that come with starting a workout routine and MAKING it work.

I think this is something thatโs been true of working out for many decades but one thing that I can tell you right now is that majority of people working out FAIL because theyโre probably not following these five tips Iโm about to share with you. This is because without this โlensโ to view your workouts and diet youโre just not going to get the type of traction that turns into something long-term and thatโs ultimately what I want for everyone here thatโs reading this.
I think a long, lifestyle-based workout system is really the best way to move forward with sustaining lifelong health but thatโs besides the point let me just get into the FIVE ways to make a workout program that works.
1. Start with the end in mind:
This is usually the best way to go about doing ANYTHING and is something that Iโm always harping to my readers and students. Whatโs your end goal? Are you just trying to cut a few pounds or do you want to start something thatโs going to last throughout your life? These are important things to determine before starting a workout plan and will help you get a better idea of what youโre getting into before you actually start at all.
This is wise for many reasons but is definitely one of the first things I recommend to anyone thatโs curious about how to benefit the most from their workout programs. Always ask yourself what steps are going to needed to be taken before you can get to where you want to go. You donโt have to know every step along the way you just need to know where youโre going so you can always be learning along the way. Starting with the end in mind will always remind you why youโre doing this and will better focus your activities throughout the week to allocate for needs to be done for your exercise plan.
2. Have an exercise program:
This is another really smart thing to do for a number of reasons, an exercise program might limit some people that are looking for longer, lifelong health but I think that for everybody starting out will benefit from adopting some kind of workout routine like P90x or Insanity. If youโre looking for either you can check them out for free here and here.
Having an exercise program at your disposal is going to take all the guess-work out of what youโre going to need to do to get to the results that you want but is something that you might shy from later down the line when youโre trying to better express yourself with working out. Some people like to focus more on cardio than muscle building and vice versa so in this case you might have to โcreateโ your own exercise program but as long as this is something thatโs standardized youโre good to go. This will be your โroad mapโ for getting in shape and first of course starts with beginning with the end in mind.
3. Pace Yourself
Pacing yourself is the next big tip I could give you and is going to ensure that youโre prepared for the long-haul. This is going to put you at pace with yourself and give you a good gauge of your progress as you begin working out. Pacing yourself is important because in the first few critical week itโs important to prime the fire but not overdue it. Doing so can overburden the athlete and put them off for their next workout. Instead, find a nice flexible routine that is moderately paced but not too hard.
You want this to work you out but not kick your butt if you catch my drift. Thereโs a lot of different paces that youโre going to have to set for yourself but make sure that youโre not going too hard in the beginning. This is something I see a lot and is a big mistake for anyone thatโs trying to achieve consistent, long-term results.
Ultimately I believe the goal of any fitness program is to achieve long-term sustainable results and this is why pacing yourself is so important, there might seem like it but thereโs really no rush to get in shape and the slower you get it the harder it will be to lose so keep that in mind if you arenโt immediately seeing the results that youโd like to in your workout routine.
4. Stay Patient
Patience is a big one and is going to be the most important thing to be during this whole process. Not only are you going to be working harder than youโve ever worked before youโre also going to be going long periods of time straining your body and this can be bothersome to some people. The best virtue to have throughout all of this is patience as this is going to really help you ensure that you get to where you want to be. Itโs going to take time my friends, we get itโฆthis is where patience is really going to come in and help you stay on the path to fitness. Youโve got to dig deep for these ones guys and oftentimes that means being patient. If you can have this virtue while working out keeping the goal of yours in mind youโll get it probably quicker than expected.
5. Watch Your Intake
The last thing that youโre going to want to do is watch your food intake. This is going to be an important one and although youโre going to want to be eating five or six times a day youโll want to monitor the actual foods that youโre eating and keep any refined sugars and pastas out of your diet completely. Youโre really going to want to load up on the leafy greens, proteins, and other muscle building cornerstones and make sure youโre eating at the right TIMES too. You should have a pre and post workout meal in order to accumulate enough protein and calories in your diet for your new routines. This is going to be important for a number of reasons and will really get the most out of your expenditures if taken into account.
Eat foods high in protein and low in fat and take into account your genetics and body type as well. Mesomorphs need less protein than ectomorphs so if youโre unsure about what youโre body type is check it out online.
All in all I think this is a good place to call it quits for todayโs article. I think this will give you an adequate amount of information when it comes to STAYING on the path to success and I really think this will help you out a lot. If you can stay with these guidelines throughout your workout I can tell you right now that youโre going to see great things in time and thatโs something I want for ALL my readers.

