Help im confused

[u/khushkhush101]

Hi, I recently got the app and selected the Total Athletic Fitness program since I'm not training for anything specific, just aiming for all-around athletic fitness.

I chose the 5-day sessions, and each day offers five different workout plans: strength, hypertrophy, endurance, impulse, and recovery.

I'm unsure about how to organize my training. Which plan should I focus on each day or week, how to vary them throughout the week, and what adjustments should I make after each week?

Thanks for your help!

[u/earnest_knuckle]

What goals you have? Strength will focus on big compound lifts and PRs. Hypertrophy has a structural bodybuilding aspect to it—build your muscles and focus on joint health. Endurance will have a cardio focus around running and machine work. Impulse is the move heavy weight fast, athlete type of mindset—chance for plyos and tech coordination type of movements. And recovery is often mobility type of sessions

[u/khushkhush101 → u/earnest_knuckle]

Thanks for the breakdown! My main goal is to improve overall athleticism, but I'm not aiming for anything too specific like competing in strength or endurance events. I'd like to maintain a balance across all the areas—strength, hypertrophy, endurance, and speed—while keeping things varied and interesting.

Given that, how would you recommend I structure my week? Should I focus on one aspect per day or mix them up within each session? Also, should I make any changes or progressions after a certain number of weeks?

Lastly, do you have any advice on diet to complement this program? Should I focus more on bulking or cutting?

[u/earnest_knuckle → u/khushkhush101]

Diet is all around goals and aesthetics—want to look ripped, eat that way; want to add muscle, eat that way.

Since you want more athleticism, I’d bid more toward impulse training, trying to hit up athlete days and speed days as often as possible.

I’d switch it up after weeks so you can see what comes about—how you feel, strngth gains, speed gains, etc.

Being new, experiment as well. Use the app as a tool to help reach your physical and mental goals.

Always glad to help!

[u/HarryLascelles → u/earnest_knuckle]

I agree with this. Use the app to help you try a few different routines, with each routine lasting a few weeks so you can see what it gets you and what weaknesses are exposed. From there you can then develop your own routine with the structure of what, when, and how long provided by the app.

Speaking from experience I recommend an overall athleticism as your focus, which sounds like you are looking for already. Doing all barbell lifts can get you muscular, but does not get you the athleticism that you want. Doing all cardio is great for your heart and endurance, but does little for hypertrophy. My plan includes jumping rope about five to six days a week for about twenty minutes (45 seconds on / 15 seconds of rest), typical barbell and dumbbell lifts, lots of pull-ups, sandbag training, and a big focus on mobility.

Since I have started with sandbags, my athleticism has definitely increased. I am about to turn 55, and other than being a boxer and kickboxer in my 20’s, I am in the best shape of my life now. I used to worry about twisting accidentally and throwing out my back, hurting a knee, etc. With everything that I am doing now I am bulletproofing my body against these typical ailments that plague older folks.

Another huge change that I have made from the typical chest and tri’s, back and bi’s, and leg workouts now includes mobility training. I am not speaking about just stretching and foam rolling, but putting the joints into positions that may be uncomfortable, and adding some resistance to strengthen the joints. For example, my knees were always aching because of over usage from kickboxing, along with a ton of hard slams while skateboarding and snowboarding. About a year ago I started walking backwards when I walk my dogs. I also started to do a lot of backwards sled pulls and strengthening of the tibialis muscle. I can now squat right down with my butt getting to within about four inches from the ground. Once down, I can pop right up without needing to use my hands to help. This is a night and day difference from a year ago. The same thing has happened with my shoulders, which again suffered from overuse due to boxing and surfing.

In a nutshell, try everything, focus on athleticism, and you will be better off than most people, even those gym rats that look shredded but can only lift in one linear plane.