Balanced Training Program

By: Brian Carson

Long time trainer Bob Whelan has always been an advocate of what
is known as balanced training and that's what will be designing
a program for in this post.

This type of workout is training the whole body in a balanced
way - which consists of an equal amount of pushing and pulling
movements, coupled with compound lower body movements, with an
emphasis on total body development.

For balanced training, you want to incorporate horizontal and
vertical push movements as well as horizontal and vertical
pulling movements. Examples of vertical pushing would be barbell
or dumbbell presses. Vertical pulling exercises would consist of
chin-ups, pull-ups or pulldowns. Horizontal pushing would be
bench presses with barbell or dumbbells and horizontal pulling
movements would be rows with dumbbells or barbell.

Below is an example balanced training program:

Balanced Training Program

Day One: Bench Press 2 x 6-12 Rows 2 x 6-12 Squats 1 x 12-20 Ab
Work 2 x 12-25

Day Two: Overhead Press 2 x 6-12 Chin-ups or Pulldowns 2 x 6-12
Deadlifts 1 x 12-20 Ab Work 2 x 12-25

Notes: Workout twice a week with horizontal movements on day one
and vertical movements on day two. Leg and ab work will be in
both workouts. You can tailor this to whatever set and rep range
you want. You could also add a finisher like Farmer's Walks or
sandbag carry to complete the routine. You could also do one set
to failure for each exercise if you so choose. Feel free to make
adjustments to suit your needs.

Understand that to be successful in any weight training program
- hard work is a must! Half-hearted effort does nothing for you.
If you're new to weight training or grossly out of shape,
consult a physician first. End of disclaimer.

About the author:
Brian Carson is a writer and workout enthusiast who writes and
edits the Workout Routine blog, the site devoted to workout
routines by bodybuilders, powerlifters, strength trainers and
strongmen from the past to the present.Visit us at
http://workout-routines.blogspot.com/