For anyone who works out or is trying to get in better shape the basic starting point is developing a routine. There are many different ways to develop a routine that works best for you and always ways to improve. To start a routine you decide what you want to work on and what your goals are. There are some common things that people leave out when developing a routine.
1. Goal
2. Check points
3. Progression
4. Follow through
Those 3 are the most basic things you want to consider when starting and developing your workout routine. The first one being a goal. Some people will decide to start without actually determining a set goal. You want to set a goal that is very specific and one that is measurable. The second is to set check points for your routine. These will vary depending on your ultimate goal. Weight lose goals are easy just by having a weigh in every 2 weeks and setting a goal for each weigh in. For strength training you determine what you want to be doing on certain lifts every month or so. For these I recommend using bench press, incline bench press, squats, dead lift, and power cleans. For those just trying to be healthier I would recommend cardio goals and endurance tests. These can range from lap swimming to cycling and even the APFT ( Army Physical Fitness Test) since these tests a range of areas.
The third thing people will sometimes forget about with there routine is setting up progression. This can be from increasing the speed on the treadmill every week to adding more weight to your lifts. With deciding on progression in a workout plan you want to be as specific as possible when first starting to develop your plan. Ultimately you want to consider all 3 aspects because they will play a vital role in your development and progress as you strive to reach your goals. Now the biggest thing about making a routine is actually following through. This is just like New Years resolutions. It doesn't mean anything if you don't stick to it and then you'll be right back at square 1.
What I did for my first 2 routines I made did not work because I didn't put all of these things together. I did one or two but I am in the process of redeveloping my routine. Its not done but will go over what I've got so far. I have health magazines from the past 2 years in a box in our spare room. I took those magazines and cut out all the different exercises I want/ can do from them. Then I used a 3 hole punch and organised them in a binder. Planing on using a 2 week to month rotation with the binder and marked each day. Then on one day during each week put a sheet of my check point goals and left an area to test each on and put the progress in it. So with this binder I have a plan and a great way to track my progress all in one. Best of luck on your journey and hope that you reach your goals.
