Long-time coach Bob Whelan has always been an advocate for what is known as balanced training and a program will be designed for that in this article.

This type of training consists of training the whole body in a balanced way, consisting of an equal number of pushing and pulling movements, along with compound movements of the lower body, with an emphasis on total body development.

For a balanced workout, you want to incorporate horizontal and vertical pushing movements, as well as horizontal and vertical pulling movements. Examples of vertical thrust would be barbell or dumbbell presses. Vertical pull exercises would consist of pull-ups, pull-ups, or pull-ups. The horizontal push would be barbell or dumbbell bench presses and the horizontal pulling movements would be dumbbell or barbell rows.

Below is an example of a balanced training program:

Balanced training program

Day one:

Bench press 2 x 6-12

Rows 2 x 6-12

1 x 12-20 squats

Ab work 2 x 12-25

Day two:

Overhead press 2 x 6-12

Pull-up or pull-up 2 x 6-12

1 x 12-20 deadlift

Ab work 2 x 12-25

Notes: Workout twice a week with horizontal movements on the first day and vertical movements on the second day. Leg and abs work will be in both workouts. You can tailor this to any set and rep range you want. You can also add a finisher like Farmer’s Walks or carry a sandbag to complete the routine. You can also do a series to failure for each exercise if you wish. Feel free to make the necessary adjustments to suit your needs.

Understand that to be successful in any weight training program, hard work is a must! Half effort does nothing for you. If you’re new to weight training or seriously out of shape, see a doctor first. End of disclaimer.