Workout programs

What it is: A low-impact day plan that incorporates elements of Pilates and yoga, done at a quicker pace for cardio benefits. Created by Chalene Johnson, what sets PiYo apart from other workout programs is that it's low-impact, so it can be a good choice for people with joint issues. Also, the no-jumping thing is great if you have downstairs neighbors. Plus, there's no equipment required. The workouts combine the strengthening elements of Pilates with the flexibility-enhancing benefits of yoga, and the moves are done at a nonstop, fluid pace to get your heart rate up.

So there's no holding yoga poses for long periods of time. The program includes seven workouts, a day workout calendar, and an eating plan. What it is: An intense day fitness program done for one hour a day, six days a week. P90X is something of a "cult classic" workout program, and it's got a hard-core reputation—after all, the X stands for "extreme. The workouts are varied, incorporating resistance training, cardio, plyometrics, abs work, martial arts, and yoga.

There are a few pieces of equipment required: Namely, a set of dumbbells or lightweight resistance bands, plus a chin-up bar that you can put in a doorway. The program comes with 12 workouts, as well as a nutrition plan and a workout calendar. What it is: A fitness community offering a variety of free and paid workouts, plus a paid nutrition plan. Tone It Up, created by Katrina Scott and Karena Dawn, is more of a fitness community than a program, per se—the website is full of free workouts and offers daily moves.

The brand also runs regularly rotating challenges throughout the year, which you can catch on its Instagram and website. And there's no shortage of variety. Types of workouts include HIIT, total-body strength, cardio, and routines geared toward certain areas, like arms, abs, or glutes. There are also workouts inspired by boxing, barre, yoga, and more.

The workouts range in length, and while some are bodyweight only, others require equipment such as an exercise ball, sliders, resistance bands, and dumbbells. Try it: toneitup. There's no getting bored with Autumn Calabrese's Day Obsession—there are 80 different workouts, so you'll have something new every day.

There are cardio classes and strength sessions geared toward different muscle groups, including legs, arms, abs, glutes, as well as total-body strength workouts, and each workout lasts 30 to 60 minutes.

As for equipment, you'll need light, medium, and heavy dumbbells, looped resistance bands, and sliders. The program is available with a Beachbody On Demand subscription, and in addition to the workouts themselves, you'll also get an Day Obsession workout calendar, tracker sheets, and an eating plan. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.

Alo Moves What it is: Fresh workouts every week, from yoga to Pilates to meditation. Volve What it is: The P. Alexa Tucker is a freelance writer and editor based in Denver, Colorado.

She covers all things health and wellness including fitness, nutrition, and general health, as well as travel, beauty, and lifestyle. Alexa received her bachelor's degree in journalism from the renowned Missouri School of Journalism, and her digital work Read more. Sign up for our SELF Motivate newsletter Get exclusive workouts, fitness tips, gear and apparel recommendations, and tons of motivation with our weekly fitness newsletter.

He understands the challenges of eating quality food on a college budget, the hectic schedules, and tackling the general demands of college life. Living Large with Jay Cutler is a complete muscle-building program that combines Jay's brutal workouts with his personal nutrition plan and supplementation schedule.

Step into the life of four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler and build your best body. The title says it all: If you want to Get Swole, this is for you. This week program will show you the Swole ways without eating junk and piling on unnecessary fat. It's the perfect cure for hardgainers. Rewired focuses not only on the physical aspect of fitness, but also on the mental aspect. By understanding what makes your brain tick, you can avoid pitfalls and make leaps toward progress—and ultimately, results.

Rewired helps you discover who you are and teaches you the ways to be fit—not just for nine weeks, but for the rest of your life. View all articles by this author. Hey, you! Here's a question for you: Do you have a plan? This iconic program has shown millions of men and women the transformative power of lifting weights and eating right.

It's hard work, but the rewards are life-changing! Jim Stoppani's Shortcut to Size. From the labs of Yale University to the most hardcore gyms in America, Jim Stoppani has devoted his entire career to the science of building muscle and burning fat. He's helped millions transform their lives, and now it's your turn! Kris Gethin's Hardcore Daily Trainer. Build muscle, cut fat, and get ripped with Gethin as your guide. Lee Labrada's Lean Body Trainer.

Since you will stimulate so many muscle fibers every other day, you will see a very high release of testosterone, promoting a good degree of muscle mass growth. Most individuals also find that they become hungrier while following this program, which is representative of the intense nature of it.

The drawback to this program is that it's one that a beginner likely shouldn't jump into as it will be intense and could lead to overtraining if you're not careful. It's best to have a month lifting history behind you so you can be sure your body is ready for this stress load. The second con to this set-up is due to the fact that you'll be lifting heavy three times a week - it doesn't lend so well for a lot of other activity, such as heavy sports training.

If you're involved in high-level athletics, it may be better to choose a slightly less demanding program so you don't become overly fatigued. You'll want to aim to perform the 5 X 5 protocol for the core exercises as described above and then cut back on the volume for the accessory lifts. If you know going in you're someone who tends to have difficulty recovering, then you may want to attempt a 3 X 5 set-up first and see how you do.

It can be easy to overtrain on this program if you're not careful. Alternate between workout A and workout B three times a week with at least one day off between sessions.

Aim to rest for to seconds between sets of the core exercises and to seconds between sets for the accessory exercises. The next higher volume muscle-building program is German Volume Training. This one is quite similar to the 5 x 5 program in that it too is going to call for a higher set number, but it differs in that it takes the rep ranges much higher to ten reps for each set.

The design of this program is to focus on two main muscle groups per day, alternating between them over the course of three days a week. For someone who has some training behind them, this type of workout can allow you to build muscle mass at an incredibly high pace provided you're following a proper nutritional protocol with it as well.

Some individuals will make the mistake of not looking after their nutrition on this program and it's those people who are at a much higher risk of burning out after a short period of time passes. If you want to get good results with this program, eating a higher calorie diet will be a must to support the volume. Similar to the 5 x 5, if you're planning on doing a lot of additional activity with this program - sports training, cardio , or otherwise, you may run into some problems.

Typically you will need to reduce everything else you're doing so the body can have enough time to recover and progress The other con of this program is that if you are interested in maximum strength development, it may not be the absolute best idea either. The reason for this is that pure strength gains typically require you to lift in a lower rep range, while this program pushes it a bit further.

There are advanced variations with German Volume Training that bring the rep range lower to allow for more weight.

If this is an important issue for you, think about looking into that. For this workout protocol, you are to select one compound exercise for each muscle group and hit it hard with ten sets of ten reps. Once those have been completed, then you can add a few isolation exercises if you wish but bring them down to only sets of reps. Aim to keep up the pace of the workout by keeping your rest to seconds. Remember that since you are shooting for the higher rep range of 10 reps, you will not be using as high of a weight as you would on a rep protocol, so be sure you adjust your load accordingly.

The workout is broken up into three different days: chest and back, legs and abs, and then shoulders and arms. Take one day off between workouts and have the full weekend for solid recuperation. The third type of volume training program that's catching on rather rapidly is the FST-7 Training Program.

The FST-7 name stands for Fascial Stretch Training, which indicates that one of the primary objectives this program attempts to achieve is to stretch the fascia tissue, which is the soft connective tissue that is found surrounding your muscles as well as throughout the rest of the body. It is primarily responsible for helping to maintain the structural integrity of the body, provide support and protection, as well as work as a shock absorber when you perform activity throughout the day, both in the gym and out.

When this tissue is stretched you will see increases in muscle growth. There will be a higher deliverance of minerals, amino acids and oxygen to the tissues. With this set-up, perform seven sets of 15 reps for the last exercise you do for each muscle group. It's important to keep your rest periods between these sets shorter - right around 30 seconds total. Note: it will be common to adjust the weight downward from what you'd normally use for this particular exercise due to the fact that you are using a much higher total number of sets and the longer rep range will demand that you're not lifting as heavy.

The pros to this program beside the obvious better fascia health are that it still allows for a great deal of flexibility on your part with overall structural design. If you want to specialize in certain body parts you can definitely do so or if you prefer to keep the rest of the program lower in total volume because you don't have the best of recovery rate, you can certainly do that as well.

Another pro to this approach is that the higher rep and set range for that one exercise will stimulate the metabolic rate considerably, so whether your goal is muscle building or fat loss, provided you're eating the correct accompanying diet, you can see a boost in results through that manner as well. Potentially the one con you may see with this approach is, if you struggle with recovery, you may not be able to work out as frequently as you're accustomed after performing this protocol.

After time you will likely find that your body adapts, so try not to abandon the program too quickly if this is in fact what you find. Stick with it and make sure you eat properly and stretching in between sessions without adding too much cardio training to the week overall and you'll likely start seeing results and improvements with the level of fatigue you feel.

This is another extremely intense training program so you must always monitor recovery between sessions. Some people may choose to only employ the FST-7 principle in one of their workouts for a particularly lagging muscle group, while others may try it through all workouts during the week. Do expect more soreness from this program than you may have experienced before and be prepared to adjust and adapt your own schedule based on this. Here's a sample FST-7 program that you could use that applies the principle to all muscle groups.

Note that you're best off doing an isolated exercise for your set of 7, which is why the exercises are chosen as such.