1. Frequency of training: The frequency of training should be maintained at a minimum of two days per week and can go up to six days - Though consistency and regularity are the keys, overexertion in some cases lead to counter-productivity. Research shows that most trainees perform exceptionally well if they train three to four days per week. Training frequency is often determined by one's lifestyle. In an ideal situation if someone is not undergoing a lot of stress, has proper nutrition, and gets proper sleep they can train six days a week. It is advisable to reduce the number of days of training when stress levels increase
2. Number of Exercises: Refrain from doing more than three exercises per workout-It is advisable to not do many exercises for a single muscle group. The best thing to do is to perform a compound exercise, focusing on the major group and then moving on to the next muscle group
3. Same muscle group: Stay away from working for the same muscle group more than thrice a week - Exhausting the same muscle group could result in being counterproductive. Rest and recovery play a great role and overtraining causes more harm than good. The focus should be to hone the skill and technique of the exercise and not amping up the intensity. During training, inculcating discipline should be of prime importance
4. Upper body & lower body: If you are training more than thrice per week, do not include upper and lower body exercises in the same workout- People who train frequently should divide their sessions, fifty percent of the days should be dedicated to the upper body and the other fifty percent to the lower body. The idea should be to plan well and always remember less is more
5. Total Body Work out: When total body workout is concerned, select three exercises that target the three largest muscle groups and exercise twice or thrice each week- Exercises concentrating on compound muscles groups are ought to be the best and most productive
6. Variety in exercises: If you are keen on training more than four times a week then your focus should be on selecting six such exercises that work the entire body- It is advisable to bring variety in exercises to promote a balanced development rather than performing the same routine exercise which also sets in boredom
7. Opposing muscle group: Always remember to give equal attention to the opposing muscle group to combat any form of injury -A lot of injuries are caused due to unbalanced training programs. More often we tend to not do certain exercises no matter how much ever beneficial they are, just because we are not fond of them, but we forget that what needs to be done, has to be done
8. Know your limit: Do not exhaust your entire energy on lifting, take it slow; slow, and steady surely makes it big- A training program should make you feel good and increase your overall strength, energy, confidence level and promote a feel-good factor. Effective workouts should boost energy in your life
9. Mental relaxation: Mental relaxation is extremely crucial, most lifters fail to perform due to overtraining- Just as proper training is needed to gain muscles, similarly proper mental relaxation is needed for restoration and better performance. Post-training stretching, GTO(Golgi tendon organ) technique, decompression of the spine, calming of the adrenalin by controlling cortical hormone, and induction of anabolic atmosphere are some major recovery procedures, which are needed to restore the body for the following day’s workout. At Mantra health club we have introduced a dedicated  recharge station for  lifters to recover with the help of an extremely beneficial single procedure
10. Nutrition: Watch your diet –Having a properly balanced diet that is nutrition-rich is of utmost importance. It is advisable to gradually increase calorie consumption rather than increasing the calories in a jiffy. The idea is not to get fat but to get strong. The focus should always be on having nutritious food and not junk. External stimuli like steroids need to be prohibited strictly

Posted By Subhabrata Bhattacharjee, Lifestyle Coach, Founder Director MANTRA