Create your own training plan – what sounds absurd at first can actually be done by anyone with a few tips and tricks. We will explain in 5 steps how to create your individual training plan to achieve your training goals. In addition, we will show you what the perfect sports breakfast looks like, with which you can reach your goals even faster and more effectively. Whether training plans for muscle building or fat loss, we have the most important tips for you.
Keep these 5 steps in mind for your training plan
Writing your own training plan can seem overwhelming. For most amateur athletes, it is enough to follow the most important tips and tricks. Only competitive athletes or people with physical limitations are recommended to get a professionally prepared training plan.
Let's take a closer look at what you should consider in your first training plan and which traps to avoid.
1. Don't blindly rely on advertised training plans on the Internet
Training plans by online coaches, most of which still promise individuality, are now in abundance. But only a few of them really make sense. Some of them are now free and thus cause no financial harm.
However, other training plans, which are often touted on social media , look different. There, it can happen that your training plan costs you a few dozen euros. A ready-made training plan is neither necessary nor recommended for most people.
Because only very few of the training plans are really tailored to your body. After all, these plans are a mass-produced product and not personally tailored to you.
Instead, it makes sense to create your own training plan. So you can integrate your everyday life and its special features and create your perfect plan for you and your body.
2. Determine your current level of performance
But what should you start with now? First of all, it makes sense to determine your current level of performance. It is best to consider how much and what sport you have practiced in the recent past.
For example, if you are already used to running 10 to 15 kilometers a week, you can already use this information for your training plan. It 's best to ask yourself the following questions to get the most important information for your training plan:
- How long have you been practicing the sport?
- How much time do you spend on your training each week?
- What weight or distance do you currently cover?
- How strenuous is your training so far?
3. Set clear goals for your training plan
Now, the goals you pursue are crucial for creating your training plan. Do you want to improve your health, get fitter, or lose weight?
Before you start writing your plan, you should clarify this question for yourself.
For weight loss , a combination of strength and endurance training is recommended. Because during endurance training, you burn some calories and improve your cardiovascular system. Strength training, on the other hand, increases your basal metabolic rate and thus your calorie requirements by increasing muscle mass. In order to lose weight without cravings in the long term , you should now supplement your training with a suitable diet – but more on that later!
If, on the other hand, you want to become more powerful and dynamic in your movements, you could rely on speed training. Improved speed can help you with numerous game sports such as tennis or football, for example.
4. Look for suitable methods and exercises for your training
Based on your training goals, you can now start selecting appropriate training methods and exercises.
Basically, it's about what skills you want to improve. A small overview with suggestions for improving conditioning skills can be found in the table below:
| Perseverance | Power | Speed |
| Cycling | Muscle building training | Sprints |
| Running, Nordic walking, hiking | Maximum Strength Training | Jumps |
| Swimming | Stabilisation training | Rolls |
How to improve your stamina
To improve your stamina, you can practice a variety of sports . In summer, this could be cycling, hiking, running, etc. In winter, for example, Nordic walking or cross-country skiing.
You can either rely on continuous loads . So sports activities that you perform with less effort over a longer period of time. Jogging comfortably for about 5 kilometers or even an hour in the forest.
Or you rely on interval training . In doing so, you perform the sporting activity with a higher intensity , for which you allow your body to take breaks in between for relaxation . While swimming, for example, this could look like swimming two lengths, then taking a 30-second break, and then repeating a few more times.
Both methods can strengthen your cardiovascular system, whereby the slightly more comfortable continuous loads are also beneficial for your immune system .
Muscle building – these tips for your training plan will make you stronger
If you want to build muscle mass and become stronger, endurance training can help you as a beginner. However, your training plan will only be truly effective if you rely on strength training, combined with an ideal muscle-building diet .
At the beginning , it can be enough if you do exercises with your own body weight . Squats, planks, or push-ups are suitable for this purpose. Especially with planks, you can do a good stabilization workout by alternatingly stretching one arm or one leg away while trying to keep your core stable.
If you are a bit advanced and want to get yourself in shape for the summer, muscle building training is the way to go. You work specifically with weights that allow you to perform about 6 to 12 repetitions .
Three to five sets per exercise are recommended. Suitable exercises could be bench presses, squats, deadlifts, or exercises on machines in the fitness center. In total, the training session should take about 40 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on your requirements.
However, if you already have a lot of experience with strength training , you can add one more and fall back on maximum strength training . You choose a weight for your exercises that allows you to do just 2 to 5 repetitions . Give your body a little more rest between sets – because the high intensity puts a lot of strain on your central nervous system!
The most important training principles for your training plan
To get the most out of your self-created training plan, you should pay attention to the most important training principles .
On the one hand, there is the principle of "progressive load increase". The aim is to increase the athletic load in a targeted manner with each or every second training session. This could be more kilometers when running or more weight when strength training . However, be careful not to increase your load by more than 10 percent. Otherwise, you run the risk of getting injured.
Speaking of injuries: In order not to overwhelm your body, you should specifically incorporate phases in which you noticeably reduce your training load. In practice, it is customary to take a rest week after three weeks, during which you let your body come to rest. You don't have to do without sports altogether – instead, you could simply take on a little less weight or save a few kilometers while running.
Of course, there are a variety of other training principles that will make your training plan even more professional. However, this would then go into a bit too much detail.
5. Get motivated with a training diary
Last but not least, it is important that you are sufficiently motivated. You can easily do this with a training diary, in which you record your workloads and thus get an overview of your progress.
The right diet for your training plan
Just as important as training, however, is a suitable diet for your training success. Depending on your training goal, you should take different measures.
Basically , if you want to lose weight in a healthy way, you should eat fewer calories than you burn throughout the day.
If, on the other hand, you want to become more competitive or build muscle, you should at least cover your calorie needs – but in some cases, it even makes sense to add 200 to 400 calories to your needs to optimize your training success.
The best breakfast ideas for your training success
Breakfast is known to be the most important meal of the day. This applies twice as much to active athletes. Because it is best to train when your energy stores are well filled .
Complex carbohydrates are particularly suitable for this . These can be found in oat-based porridge , whole grain cereals or even pseudocereals such as quinoa or buckwheat.
Healthy snacks for in-between sports
If you exercise a lot, you may also feel hungry between main meals. To prepare yourself for this and not fall into unhealthy eating patterns, you should buy healthy snacks.
These could be nuts or nut mixes that you can snack on in the afternoon for some healthy energy. The advantage of nuts is that they saturate you effectively and for a long time due to their high content of healthy fatty acids .
But also corn or green protein waffles with some nutmeg and fresh fruit can help your hunger during the day. This combination provides plenty of protein, healthy fatty acids, and plenty of vitamins and minerals to keep your body performing.
Covered green protein waffles with tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 Green Protein Waffle
- 4-5 cocktail tomatoes
- ¼ onion
- Basil
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
Preparation
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Cut the tomatoes and onion into small cubes and mix with a dash of olive oil and sea salt.
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Top the Green Protein Waffle with the mix and add a little basil.
What to keep in mind for lunch and dinner
At lunchtime and in the evening, it makes sense to tailor your meals exactly to your goals. Because these meals are known to be the largest of the day and thus also provide the most calories and nutrients.
If you want to lose weight , you should focus on foods with a high nutrient density . If, on the other hand, you want to gain weight or increase your performance, you should opt for slightly higher-calorie foods that still have plenty of fiber and micronutrients to offer. These are, for example, whole grains or pseudo cereals, oats or even legumes.
What to keep in mind when eating before or after a workout
Basically, the same rules apply to meals before or after a workout. Exceptionally, avoid too much fiber and healthy fatty acids with these meals. Instead, your body needs easily digestible foods that won't stay in your stomach for long.
It's best to only plan small portions for your pre-workout meal, which will provide you with enough energy in the form of carbohydrates and proteins. Especially fruits such as bananas or also swollen oats in the form of porridge or overnight oats can help you to have more energy when exercising.
Gluten-free overnight oats with banana
Ingredients
- 50 g gluten-free Bircher porridge or gluten-free oatmeal
- 120 ml milk or plant drink
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 banana
- 50 g blueberries
- 1 tsp agave syrup (if needed)
Preparation
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Pour the gluten-free Bircher Porridge or gluten-free oatmeal into a mason jar.
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Next, add 120 ml of a liquid of your choice (milk or plant drink) and mix the ingredients together.
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In addition, add a pinch of salt to your overnight oats and if you like your overnight oats sweet, add another teaspoon of agave syrup.
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Place the mason jar or jar in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 3 hours.
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If your overnight oats are nice and creamy, you can take them out of the fridge.
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Now you can refine your overnight oats with fruit of your choice. For this recipe, we used banana and blueberries.
