Fierce Fitness: Structure and Exercise

For many of us, structure helps us to stay focused and get things done. However, a lack of structure can make many feel unmotivated and distracted and often leads to everything being done at the last minute. I do understand flexibility is important, but structure is necessary for creating a sense of stability and balance in your life.

This is the same with exercise. Exercise is a life structure that can assist you to maintain health and wellness by reducing your risk of disease. Exercise can also improve your brain function, increase your energy, and enhance your concentration, enabling you to better handle the stress in your life.

As a result of all my years working in the health and fitness industry, I believe the biggest hurdle that my clients deal with is thinking that they are not able to structure exercise into their busy lives. This belief leaves a lot of us in an “all or nothing” mentality, and one which leads to failure simply because we cannot always be our ALL. A bit confused? You do not have to exercise every day for hours on end to see results, but you do need structure and a plan. So, how do you do all of this without being overwhelmed? I’m going to make this simple and easy to follow.

How to Start Off with a Structure

Step 1: Set a goal: Sit down and write down what you want to achieve. This could be to lose a certain amount of weight, compete in an event or race, or simply improve on lifting a certain amount of weight in a deadlift.

Step 2: set a date: Give yourself a deadline to achieve this goal. This makes you accountable.

Step 3: get building: Before you start on your goals, you need to realistically see how many times a week you will be able to train in the gym or studio or on your own. If you are only working out once a week, then your body will require a full-body workout. If you are training three days a week, then the routine needs to be split.

You don’t need a doctor to tell you that exercise is essential for a healthy life. But if you don’t already exercise and have major health issues, please speak to your doctor beforehand.

Workout Sessions

Now let’s talk about how you should structure your workout sessions so you can make the most of your time in the gym or studio. Setting a goal plan is vital, as this ensures you’re not training in a way that will lead to imbalance and, ultimately, injury.

How you structure the exercises you do in each session will also influence the nature of the results you see, and this is something you should pay close attention to. So, how do you reduce injury and optimize results?

Whether you exercise at home or in a gym or studio (not set classes), a three-day split structured plan is an ideal way to target different muscle groups. This program is designed to train muscle groups every day that you exercise so that you can rest and maximise strength gains while you are working out. It can be a great balance between results and being time efficient.

The structured exercise program I will outline runs for 30 minutes and incorporates one day of strength training, one day of cardio, and one day of yoga. It is quite effective, especially for beginners.

Day 1 – Monday

Upper Body – 3 sets of 10 reps, with a 1-minute rest between each set. It’s no secret that strength training is a critical part of any weekly schedule. It is vital to maintain muscle tissue and strength when we age, as this will contribute to better balance and coordination and reduce the risks of falls. You will preserve bone density, reduce the risk of osteoporosis and prevent injury. The key for any strength training is to change it up so that you will see results.

Chest press using dumbbells on a bench: Use free weights on a bench. Lying flat on the bench, grab a pair of dumbbells and push horizontally up to the ceiling.

Bicep curls: Hold one dumbbell in each hand horizontally. Bring the weights up to curl your arm without going all the way to the top.

Diamond push-ups: Place your hands in a diamond or triangle shape below your chest. Keep your back and legs straight in a line and push yourself off the ground. If you struggle doing this in a plank position, you can put your knees to the ground. Start of with 5 push-ups and work your way to 20.

Day 2 – Tuesday: Rest day

Day 3 – Wednesday

HIIT (high-intensity interval training): 3 rounds of work at 40 seconds, with a 20-second rest. Not only do fast-paced workouts provide the same health benefits as endurance workouts, but there is also evidence that if you do HIIT-style workouts, you are more likely to stick to the routine because of the variety of movements.

Jab, cross, front (right side): Stand with the right foot in front of the left, hips facing to your left side. Bring your arms up into a boxing position. Jab (punch) forward with the right arm, then cross punch with the left arm, letting your body rotate as your left arm crosses over your body to the right. Switch over and jab, cross, front (left side).

Star jumps: Start by standing upright with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. Jump your feet out while raising
your arms. Repeat as fast as possible.

Sumo squats: Position your feet a little more than hip-width apart and point your toes out at a 45-degree angle. Keep your weight in your heels, back flat and chest upright, and lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Engage your glutes and quads and push back to the start
position. Repeat.

Day 4 – Thursday: Rest day

Day 5 – Friday: Yoga day

Simple yoga poses give your muscles time to recover before you hit the heavy weights again, but they are still a great way to burn major calories.

Think of fitness as a lifelong experience. When we’re younger, we feel invincible and ignore the warning signs. But giving your body the time it needs to recover means that you can stay in the game longer.

Jo Lastro, Our Expert (Former)

A 1st-Degree Muay Thai Kickboxer and sole owner of Jo’s Fitness Studio. Muay Thai has made Jo stronger, more comfortable in her own skin, and taught her to have faith and trust in herself. She now hopes to inspire, and help others overcome their own obstacles by sharing her expertise in fitness.