Exactly how to work out, depending on your goals and time

For those who just want someone to tell you what TF to do every week (same!)

Photo by Alesia Kozik

I almost called this post “How to How to Move” but worried that might be a little brain-breaking — I’m just so excited that I’m not thinking SUPER straight, lol, because…

The How to Move Workout Index is finally here!

In all its glory:

This beautiful gal includes every Workout of the Week ever published here on How to Move, categorized by things like equipment, body area, type of workout, and more. If you just want a list of all the split-training workouts, it’s there! If you want all the mobility workouts, they’re there! Nearly everything we could think of is there, and it’s all so much easier to navigate than before. For the record, it’ll now and always be pinned to the homepage of How to Move as well as the Workouts tab.

Huge, huge thanks to HTM subscriber and general wonderful lady Kim Baldwin (who also writes a kickass, very funny books and culture newsletter called The Blonde Mule which you should subscribe to) for doing an enormous amount of production legwork on this. You should see our spreadsheet — it’s terrifying.

We’ll be updating the index regularly moving forward, probably something like once a month. (So the most recent workouts may take a couple of weeks to appear there.) My hope is that this makes your subscription even more valuable, with the entire archive being much easier to use to hit your movement goals.

So, with that in mind, I want to use this gorgeous new tool to help answer a frequent reader question, which is basically some version of…

“Can you please tell me exactly how to structure a week or month of workouts using your videos?”

I often kinda evade this question because I don’t like to get too prescriptive or perfectionistic about what you should be doing and also, ugh, it’s a little complicated. It depends on so many things! Like… your goals. Your schedule. How quickly your body usually recovers after a workout. What kind of equipment you have available!

But this index is giving me the inspiration to at least TRY: So let’s explore a little movement menu for a few different goals and a few different frequencies. Each approach will include a little shorthand equation-y thing so you can get the jist of my recommendations without reading all the thoughts.

IMPORTANT THING: If you already have a workout routine that works for you, that’s wonderful. You don’t have to change anything because of my recommendations below. There are a million ways to approach this! (And if you don’t necessarily have a whole routine but you do have a beloved Saturday morning yoga class or whatever, keep it! Work around the thing that keeps you active even if it doesn’t fit perfectly in the plans ahead.) Also, I know a lot of you just really enjoy doing the new workouts when they arrive in your inbox each Sunday. I love that and there’s no need to stop it!

One more thing before we jump in. I do want to acknowledge that no, not all of these menus technically hit the American Heart Association and CDC’s recommendations for 150 minutes of moderate (or 75 minutes of vigorous) exercise plus two strength training sessions per week. But we all have to do what we can with the actual time we have available in our actual lives. So please don’t let those numbers make you feel defeated before you even start! Any amount of exercise you do is so much better than the ambitious amount of exercise you feel like you should do but can’t. (Also, a lot of strength training can kiiiinda double up as cardio, tbh.)

2 days a week

Goal: Build muscle

Two possible approaches here:

1. Strength x 2: Perform the official strength training workout (it’s the first workout I send each month — which I’m now realizing we don’t have a category for on the index, oops, but we will add it!) on both days, with at least one or two days of rest in between. Slowly work your way up to heavier weights or more challenging versions of each exercise. Then switch it up with a new strength workout after a month or six weeks.

2. Split training (1 + 1): Pick two complementary split training workouts (think an upper and a lower; a push/squat and a pull/hinge) to do each week, and repeat for a month or six weeks. Slowly work your way up to heavier weights or more challenging versions of each exercise. Then pick two new complementary split workouts.

Goal: Improve cardiovascular fitness

1 strength + 1 cardio: I still want you strength training! So I’d like you to do the strength training workout once a week, again with a progressive overload approach. For one other workout each week, select a cardio and conditioning workout of your choice. (Can be a new one each time.) Note: Not every workout at that link is 100% cardio-focused; if you really want that, pick one with an AMRAP, EMOM, or HIIT setup.)

Goal: Explore and see what feels good

1 choice + 1 other choice: Exploration is a VERY IMPORTANT GOAL! On the one hand, it’s a super helpful step on the path toward more intentionally programmed, goal-oriented habits. On the other hand, if you’re just doing a variety of workouts without any longer-term programming in mind but you find it motivating and your body feels good and it all helps you stick with it long-term, THAT IS GREAT. You want to be thoughtful about not overdoing it too much in one body area, but don’t stress yourself out about optimization if it’s not what’s doing it for you right now. I’m a big fan of intentional, evidence-based programming, but I’m also a big fan of exercise that (again!) you will actually do. And for many of us — especially those who are new — just trying a bunch of stuff is a great way to get there.

So: I’d click around the index and pick a few categories you want to hit over the course of the month. Maybe you do want to do a strength-focused workout once a week, but on the other day each week you’ll try either a cardio workout, a Pilates workout, or a mobility routine.

3 days a week

Goal: Build muscle

We’ll take the two approaches from the 2 days/wk category above and add on just a bit:

1. (Strength x 2) + (supplementary x 1): Perform the official strength training workout (it’s the first workout I send each month) on two days, with at least one day of rest in between. Slowly work your way up to heavier weights or more challenging versions of each exercise. Then switch it up with a new strength workout after a month or six weeks. For the third day, pick a Pilates, mobility, or cardio workout (doesn’t have to be the same thing each week).

2. (Split training 1 + 1) + (supplementary x 1): Pick two complementary split training workouts (think an upper and a lower; a push/squat and a pull/hinge) to do each week, and repeat for a month or six weeks. Slowly work your way up to heavier weights or more challenging versions of each exercise. Then pick two new complementary split workouts. For the third day each week, pick a Pilates, mobility, or cardio workout (doesn’t have to be the same thing week to week).

Goal: Improve cardiovascular fitness

(Strength x 1) + (cardio x 1) + (self-guided cardio OR supplementary x 1): Again, taking the approach from above and adding on: Do the strength training workout once a week, again with a progressive overload approach. For one other workout each week, select a cardio and conditioning workout of your choice. (Can be a new one each time.) Note: Not every workout at that link is 100% cardio-focused; if you really want that, pick one with an AMRAP, EMOM, or HIIT setup.) For your third workout each week, you can choose to do a cardio-focused workout on your own — consider a walk, jog, bike ride, or dance cardio class — or another cardio workout from the index, OR supplement with Pilates or mobility.

Goal: Explore and see what feels good

(Strength x 1) + 1 choice + 1 other choice: Let’s take the above and add the strength training program to it! One day a week, do the monthly strength workout with a progressive overload focus. For the other days, click around the index and pick a few categories you want to hit over the course of the month. Maybe you do want to do another strength-focused workout once a week, but on the third day each week you’ll try either a cardio workout, a Pilates workout, or a mobility routine.

4 days a week

Goal: Build muscle

Again, building on the above with two possible approaches!

1. (Strength x 2) + (Pilates or mobility x 1) + (Cardio x 1): Perform the official strength training workout (it’s the first workout I send each month) on two days, with at least one day of rest in between. Slowly work your way up to heavier weights or more challenging versions of each exercise. Then switch it up with a new strength workout after a month or six weeks. For the third day, pick a Pilates or mobility workout. For the fourth day, pick a cardio workout.

2. (Split training 1 + 1) + (Pilates or mobility x 1) + (Cardio x 1): Pick two complementary split training workouts (think an upper and a lower; a push/squat and a pull/hinge) to do each week, and repeat for a month or six weeks. Slowly work your way up to heavier weights or more challenging versions of each exercise. Then pick two new complementary split workouts. For the third day, pick a Pilates or mobility workout. For the fourth day, pick a cardio workout.

Goal: Improve cardiovascular fitness

(Strength x 1) + (Cardio x 1) + (Self-guided cardio x 1) + (Pilates or mobility x 1): Do the strength training workout once a week, again with a progressive overload approach. For one other workout each week, select a cardio and conditioning workout of your choice. (Can be a new one each time.) Note: Not every workout at that link is 100% cardio-focused; if you really want that, pick one with an AMRAP, EMOM, or HIIT setup.) For your third workout each week, do a cardio-focused workout on your own — consider a walk, jog, bike ride, or dance cardio class — or another cardio workout from the index. For the fourth workout, choose a second strength workout or Pilates or mobility.

Goal: Explore and see what feels good

(Strength x 1) + 1 choice + 1 other choice + (self-exploration x 1): One day a week, do the monthly strength workout with a progressive overload focus. For two other days, click around the index and pick a few categories you want to hit over the course of the month. Think cardio, a Pilates, or a mobility. For your fourth day, take a group class in person if you can, go for a walk/bike/jog on your own, or pick another workout from the index to try.

5 days a week

Goal: Build muscle

1. (Strength x 2) + (Pilates or mobility x 1) + (Cardio x 2): Perform the official strength training workout (it’s the first workout I send each month) on two days, with at least one day of rest in between. Slowly work your way up to heavier weights or more challenging versions of each exercise. Then switch it up with a new strength workout after a month or six weeks. For the third day, pick a Pilates or mobility workout. For the fourth and fifth days, pick a cardio workout (either from the index or self-guided!).

2. (Split training 1 + 1) + (Pilates or mobility x 1) + (Cardio x 2): Pick two complementary split training workouts (think an upper and a lower; a push/squat and a pull/hinge) to do each week, and repeat for a month or six weeks. Slowly work your way up to heavier weights or more challenging versions of each exercise. Then pick two new complementary split workouts. For the third day, pick a Pilates or mobility workout. For the fourth and fifth days, pick a cardio workout (either from the index or self-guided!).

Goal: Improve cardiovascular fitness

(Strength x 1) + (Cardio x 1) + (Self-guided cardio x 2) + (Pilates or mobility x 1): Do the strength training workout once a week, again with a progressive overload approach. For one other workout each week, select a cardio and conditioning workout of your choice. (Can be a new one each time.) Note: Not every workout at that link is 100% cardio-focused; if you really want that, pick one with an AMRAP, EMOM, or HIIT setup.) For your third and fourth workouts each week, do a cardio-focused workout on your own — consider a walk, jog, bike ride, or dance cardio class — or another cardio workout from the index. For the fourth workout, choose a second strength workout or Pilates or mobility.

Goal: Explore and see what feels good

(Strength x 1) + 2 choices + 1 cardio + (self-exploration x 1): One day a week, do the monthly strength workout with a progressive overload focus. For two other days, click around the index and pick a few categories you want to hit over the course of the month. Think Pilates or mobility. For your fourth day, choose either a cardio workout from the index or a self-directed cardio session. For the fifth day, take a group class in person if you can, go for a walk/bike/jog on your own, or pick another workout from the index to try.

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If you have more than five days to exercise, WOW, go off, queen. Add on as desired! You can definitely do a third strength workout of your choice, tack on an additional cardio, or take a class you like that doesn’t fit neatly into these categories. Just do please make time for rest as well. Rest days are so important for building muscle, preventing injury, and making sure our workout routine is actually leaving us feeling great and not totally wiped out.

Let me know your thoughts, and if you’d like more guidance like this (and, if so, what additional questions and scenarios would be most helpful!).

Can’t wait to hear what you think of the index!

xo
Anna