Fitness goals are personal and unique to each individual. What you want to achieve from your workout can be completely different from someone else’s desired outcomes. This is why a one-size-fits-all approach to exercise rarely works. The key is customizing your workouts to match your specific goals.
Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, improve for a sport, or work on your overall health and fitness, your training program should be tailored to those goals. The exercises you do, how often you do them, the intensity, duration, and other variables in your plan need to align with the results you are aiming for.
This guide will cover how to structure a customized workout schedule to help you:
- Lose weight
- Build muscle
- Improve sports performance
- Increase endurance
- Maintain overall fitness
We’ll also provide examples and templates you can use to plan your strength training, cardio, and flexibility workouts based on your unique objectives.
Benefits of Customized Workout Plans
Here are some of the major advantages you can expect from following a workout program designed specifically for your goals:
Faster Progress
With a generic, one-size-fits-all workout, you may make some progress but likely not as efficiently or quickly as you could. Tailored plans apply the right stimulus for the exact adaptations you are striving for, leading to better results in less time.
Prevents Injuries
A misaligned workout is more likely to cause overuse injuries or muscle imbalances. For example, suddenly increasing running mileage too quickly can lead to preventable leg and hip injuries. A tailored running plan ramps volume appropriately.
Optimizes Motivation
Seeing tangible results, achievements, and progress because your workouts are properly aligned with your goals is extremely motivating. It is easier to stick to a program when it is working.
Promotes Proper Recovery
The right recovery for each person depends on many factors like training intensity, age, fitness level, and goals. A tailored program accounts for your unique recovery needs so that every workout can be maximized to its full potential.
Now that you understand the significance of customizing your training rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach, let’s cover how to structure your program for specific objectives.
Setting Your Workout Fitness Goals
First, you need clearly defined goals for what you want to accomplish through exercise. Setting SMART fitness goals can help with this:
Specific – Do you want to run a marathon? Fit into smaller pants size? Lift a certain amount of weight? Your goals should have concrete results to strive for.
Measurable – Include specific quantities related to your goals so you can track progress. Examples: Lose 25 pounds, run 5K under 30 minutes, deadlift 1.5x bodyweight.
Attainable – Goals should push you but also be realistic within a certain timeframe. Set both short-term benchmarks and bigger end goals.
Relevant – Your goals must align with your interests, schedule, resources, and abilities or else sustainability will be a challenge.
Time-bound – Attach specific deadlines for when you intend your goals to be achieved.
Here are some examples of effective SMART fitness goals:
- “I will lose 1 pound per week for the next 3 months by watching my nutrition and working out 5 days a week.”
- “I will gain 10 pounds of muscle in the next year through a consistent strength training program.”
- “I will improve my 5K personal record by 2 minutes over the next 2 months through higher mileage and speed work.”
Make sure to be as specific as possible with the metrics that define your goals, not just the result. Quantities related to weight, distances, times, reps/loads, and other trackable data points are key.
Custom Programs Based on Goals
With clearly defined objectives set, you can now craft workout plans aligned with those targets.
While every plan will be unique to the individual based on your distinct goals, here are some overarching templates and examples you can use as a starting point.
Losing Weight
Shedding pounds requires being in an energy deficit, meaning you burn more calories than you consume. Optimizing workouts and nutrition appropriately facilitates weight loss.
Here is an effective structured approach:
Focus: Mix of strength training, cardio, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
Frequency: 5-6 workout days per week. At least 3 days of cardio and 2-3 days of resistance training.
Weekly Schedule Example:
| Day | Workout #1 | Workout #2 |
| Monday | 30 minutes of moderate cardio | Full body strength training |
| Tuesday | 30-45 min HIIT class | |
| Wednesday | 30 minutes of moderate cardio | Lower body strength training |
| Thursday | 30-45 min HIIT class | |
| Friday | 30 minutes of moderate cardio | Full body strength training |
| Saturday | Long hike, bike, swim etc. | |
| Sunday | Rest day |
Length: 45-90 minutes per workout
Intensity: Moderate pace for steady-state cardio. Challenging weights – heavy enough to fail between 8-12 reps. High intensity during intervals.
Progression: Slowly increase the duration of cardio workouts first, then frequency, then intensity. Increase weight used when sets become too easy.
Nutrition: Meet protein needs to retain muscle. Stay in ~500 calories per day deficit through diet and exercise. The majority should come from reducing calories rather than drastically increasing training duration. Too large of a deficit can cause muscle loss. Track progress weekly.
Building Muscle
Hypertrophy requires a caloric surplus, high protein intake, and appropriate resistance training that provides sufficient muscle damage and metabolic stress.
Here is an effective structured approach:
Focus: Heavy compound lifts with moderate reps, isolation exercises, and progressive overload.
Frequency: 4-5 strength training sessions per week (e.g. upper lower split, push/pull split, full body)
Weekly Schedule Example:
| Day | Workout |
| Monday | Lower body |
| Tuesday | Upper body |
| Wednesday | Rest |
| Thursday | Lower body |
| Friday | Upper body |
| Saturday | Rest |
| Sunday | Rest / optional light cardio |
Length: 45-90 minutes per workout
Intensity: Challenging enough to fail between 6-12 reps (go heavier over time). 1-2 minutes rest between sets.
Progression: Increase weight used when you surpass the higher rep range. Reduce reps when increasing weight.
Nutrition: High protein – 0.7-1g per pound body weight daily. Slight caloric surplus of 10-15%. Gain 0.25-0.5 pounds per week. Track progress.
Improving Sports Performance
Enhancing performance in a specific sport requires mimicking the movement patterns and energy systems crucial to that activity.
Here is an effective structured approach:
Focus: Sport-specific drills, strength/power exercises involving major muscle groups used in the sport, and cardio training that matches the sport’s intensity and duration demands.
Frequency: 4-6 days per week.
Weekly Schedule Example:
| Day | Workout #1 | Workout #2 |
| Monday | Sport-specific skills practice | Strength training |
| Tuesday | High-intensity intervals | |
| Wednesday | Moderate steady-state cardio | |
| Thursday | Sport-specific skills practice | Strength training |
| Friday | High-intensity intervals | |
| Saturday | Play full game | |
| Sunday | Rest |
Length: 30-120 minutes per session depending on time allotment for sport
Intensity: Challenging skill drills. Weights are heavy enough to fail between 6-10 reps. High heart rate and perceived effort during metabolic conditioning.
Progression: Increase the duration of cardio workouts first, then frequency, then intensity. Increase weight used when strength sets become too easy. Raise the difficulty of sports skill drills over time.
Nutrition: Meet protein needs for muscle repair and recovery. Time carbohydrate and fluid intake appropriately around training sessions.
Improving Endurance
Boosting cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle efficiency, and athletic performance in endurance activities like running, cycling, and swimming requires volume and specificity.
Here is an effective structured approach:
Focus: Long slow distance training, tempo/threshold training, interval training, form work, muscular endurance exercises.
Frequency: 4-7 days per week depending on recovery needs and time for the sport.
Weekly Schedule Example:
| Day | Workout #1 | Workout #2 |
| Monday | Long run | Strength training |
| Tuesday | Tempo run | Form drills |
| Wednesday | Swim intervals | |
| Thursday | Track workout | Core training |
| Friday | Long ride | |
| Saturday | Open water swim | |
| Sunday | Rest |
Length: 30-120 minutes per cardio session depending on phase; 30-60 minutes for strength workouts
Intensity: Easy to moderate for long-distance training, approaching uncomfortable for threshold sessions, high heart rate/effort intervals, challenging weights – 12+ reps.
Progression: Increase the duration of main endurance sessions first, then frequency, and add intensity via speed or interval workouts. Increase weight used when strength sets become too easy.
Nutrition: Meet protein needs for muscle repair and glycogen restoration. Time carbohydrate and fluid intake appropriately around longer training sessions.
Maintaining Overall Fitness
Preserving a baseline level of health, strength, endurance and body composition requires a multifaceted approach with variety.
Here is an effective structured approach:
Focus: Mix of strength training, steady-state cardio, high-intensity intervals, and flexibility training.
Frequency: 3-5 days per week.
Weekly Schedule Example:
| Day | Workout #1 | Workout #2 |
| Monday | 30 minutes of moderate cardio | Full body strength training |
| Tuesday | 30 min HIIT workout | Stretching/foam rolling |
| Wednesday | Rest | |
| Thursday | 30 minutes of moderate cardio | Lower body strength training |
| Friday | 30-45 min HIIT workout | Stretching/foam rolling |
| Saturday | Rest | |
| Sunday | Long hike, bike, swim etc. | Light yoga |
Length: 30-90 minutes per workout
Intensity: Moderate steady-state cardio. Challenging weights – heavy enough to fail between 8-12 reps. High intensity during intervals. Stretching produces light discomfort held for 30 sec.
Progression: Increase duration, frequency, and intensity of sessions minimally over time as tolerated. Add light resistance to bodyweight movements before increasing weight substantially.
Nutrition: Meet macronutrient needs with a balanced diet for health and activity levels. Avoid drastic energy deficits or surpluses over the long term.
While these templates provide rough guidelines, you still must carefully design your program around your precise objectives, current ability levels, schedule and recovery capacity. Seek help from a certified trainer if needed.
Recording detailed notes in your workout journal is also critical for tailoring your workouts over time to continually drive progress as your fitness improves.
Tracking Metrics and Progress Over Time
You likely identified some specific quantifiable indicators to measure for your goals. Monitoring these metrics is key for assessing progress and knowing if your workouts need adjustment.
Potential metrics to track for different goals include:
Fat Loss: Body weight, body fat percentage, waist/hip measurements, body part girths
Muscle Gain: Body weight, lean mass measurements, muscle diameter/thickness (via ultrasound), lifting maxes
Sports Performance: Sport-specific stats (i.e times, distances), vertical jump height, sprint speed, max strength
Endurance: Race times, distances covered over time, heart rate/pace at lactate threshold
General Fitness: Body composition, resting heart rate, max push-ups/sit-ups/pull-ups completed, 5K or 3 miles run time, flexibility (sit-and-reach test)
Based on your objectives, record one or more relevant metrics frequently under consistent conditions (same time of day, same attire, using the same measuring techniques). Apps like Fitbod, Macrofactor, and TrainHero are useful for tracking this data over time.
Review your numbers every 2-6 weeks. If your goal metrics are consistently improving at an expected rate, your program is effectively tailored. If progress stalls, alter your plan based on which components may need adjustment:
- Reduce Volume: Overtraining can cause plateaus, so cut back duration, frequency, or number of sets if needed.
- Increase/Decrease Intensity: Try raising or lowering the difficulty of intervals, weights used, sport drill complexity etc.
- Improve Recovery: Reassess nutrition, sleep, and stress management. Add more restoration like massage, sauna use, or meditation.
- Modify Exercises: Swap out movements that may not produce the desired training stimulus for your goals.
Ongoing customization based on your progress against key metrics ensures your program continues providing the right training dosage for your changing fitness.
Exercise Equipment Guide Based on Workout Goals
Having access to the appropriate gym equipment for your tailored training plan maximizes results.
Here is an overview of the most essential equipment types based on common fitness goals:
| Goal | Required Equipment | Optional Useful Equipment |
| Fat Loss | Cardio machines, free weights, resistance bands | TRX bands, sandbags, kettlebells, bosu ball |
| Muscle Gain | Barbells, dumbbells, squat rack/power cage, bench, resistance bands | Glute ham developer, speciality bars, lever machines |
| Sports Performance | Equipment for skill practice (balls, sticks, bats, etc.), sleds, plyo boxes, cones | Sport-specific machines (e.g. treadmills, bikes, rowers), parachutes, resistance bands |
| Endurance | Cardio equipment for sport (treadmill, bike, rower etc.) | Sleds, lateral trainers, elliptical trainer |
| General Fitness | Dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, cardio equipment | Resistance bands, TRX, foam rollers,bosu balls, cardio machines |
Prioritize items from the required column first when building a home gym or choosing a fitness facility. The optional items provide variety but may not be essential depending on your exact goals and custom plan.
Comparison of Popular Commercial Fitness Programs
Wondering how major commercial training programs are stacked up? Here is an overview comparison:
| Program | Equipment Required | Goal Focus | Program Customization Options | Price |
| Orange Theory | Various cardio machines, free weights, TRX bands | General Fitness, Fat Loss if Nutrition aligned | Limited – choose between 2-3 class templates offered each day | $159-259 per month membership |
| CrossFit | Barbells, racks, Olympic lifting platforms, gymnastic rings, rowers, bikes, dumbbells, medicine balls | General Fitness, Muscle Gain, Fat Loss | Pre-designed Workouts of the Day (WODs), limited individual customization | $100-250 per month membership |
| SoulCycle | Stationary bikes, light hand weights | General fitness, Fat Loss if nutrition aligned | Classes follow the instructor template, with no customization | $900-$2,100 per year membership |
| Barry’s Bootcamp | Treadmills, stair steppers, bikes, bands, dumbbells | Fat Loss, General Fitness | Choose between different class templates based on focus (arms, legs etc.) | $325-$530 per month membership |
| Equinox 360 Program | Full array of cardio/machine weights, personal trainer | General Fitness or customized hybrid focus | 1-on-1 personal training fully tailored to goals | $500-$1300 per month 1 person |
| Online coaching programs | Varies based on program and goals | Weight loss, Bodybuilding, Endurance, Strength | Customized individual plans with progression guidelines | $100-$300 per month |
While boutique gym programs provide terrific accountability, structure, and social support, the workouts generally offer limited customization. 1-on-1 personal trainers and online coaching deliver fully customized plans catered to your exact objectives.
Final Takeaways for Achieving Your Goals
Here are some key tips to reiterate as you structure your workout plan:
- Clearly define your SMART fitness goals
- Pick the right training focus, frequency, intensity level, and progression plan for your objectives
- Properly equip your home gym or choose a fitness facility with the required equipment
- Track quantitative metrics aligned with your goals frequently
- Review progress monthly and tweak components of your program as needed
- Tailor nutrition appropriately to fuel your workouts and fitness objectives
While putting together an appropriately tailored workout regimen takes effort upfront, you’ll prevent wasted time and experience faster gains. Invest in crafting a custom fitness plan designed explicitly for your unique goals.
Consistency and customization over time can help you meet nearly any realistic fitness aim you desire. Stick with the process, leverage fitness technology apps to track data, and be patient for the compelling results to come.
You’ve got this! Now go tackle those fitness goals with a program personalized just for you.