Is Making Your Own Bodybuilding Program Worth It?
Table of Contents
Introduction
Or should you tailor a specific program yourself to suit your needs? This article will explore this topic in detail. It may help you to inform your own decision if you are contemplating making your own program.
Is Making Your Own Bodybuilding Program Worth It?
The same could be said for any program. Even sub par programs can yield good results. Consistency is crucial to maximise the effectiveness of a program.
In addition, by creating your own program you can tailor it to suit your needs. You can focus more on areas where you have muscle imbalances and can pick exercises that you enjoy.
It is recommended to do this if you already have sufficient experience lifting weights. If you are a novice with very little training experience, it would be best to consult with more knowledgeable people to help you with programming.
You could also just follow a reputable starting program such as Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5×5.
Focus On What You Want To Improve
If you are weak on the shoulder press, you can put more attention to this movement into your training. Maybe have a volume day and intensity day geared around the shoulder press.
This would work well to realise good gains in strength and size of the deltoids. You can also focus on the exercises that work well for you and that you enjoy.
A big part of being consistent with a program pertains to enjoying the exercises and of it being sustainable. If you have a program that calls for you to train four days a week, but you only have two days available to train, it is a non starter.
Some programs will have you doing exercises that may not suit you. For instance, some people find the hack squat machine to be hard on the knees. If you are following another program that has you doing hack squats, if this exercise doesn’t suit you then the program won’t work.
Experiment With Different Training Methods
One of the great things about designing your own program is the freedom that it offers you to experiment with new training methods and rep schemes.
Experimentation is important to see what works better for you. You many find that a new program you design for yourself works better than others you have followed previously.
If you have been following a low rep program for a while, then formulating your own program with a higher volume approach could well help to spur on new muscle growth. You may also find that it will help you to break past plateaus in your training.
Knowledge And Experience Level
If you are a complete beginner or have limited experience, it won’t be the best idea to plan your own starting program. You are better off gaining training experience and focus on making strength gains.
You could follow a proven strength training program like starting strength to maximise your newbie gains and make the long transition to intermediate lifter and beyond.
Once you have more training experience and acquired more knowledge, then you can think about customising existing programs or making your own program from scratch.
You will be in a better place to experiment once you have gained more experience. If you have lagging body parts you could build a specialised program to focus a lot more on that specific area.
If you really want to go ahead and build your own program when you are a beginner, you should consult with people who have more experience. Talk to a bodybuilder with a lot more experience and gain some insights from them.
Consistency Is Always Key
The most important factor when it comes to success in training is consistency. Even with a program that is sub par, you can still make great gains if you are consistent and follow the course.
Unfortunately there are many impatient people who hop between systems and don’t give anything time to work for them. If you start a program and are immediately looking to change after three weeks, you are short changing yourself.
When you design a program you should always ensure that it is suited to your psychology. This will go hand in hand in ensuring that you stay the course. If a program is not suited for you then it is likely you will not make proper progress.
When a program is perfectly suited to your psychology and you stick to it over the long term, you will find that you will reap what you sow. The consistent effort that you put in will pay off for you in a big way.
Once you have milked a program for all it is worth you can consider changing. You can use the training feedback that you received from your current program to make the necessary changes for your next program.
Previously on this site I have discussed how long you should stick to a workout program.
Final Thoughts
Is making your own bodybuilding program worth it? I would say that it is. It is incredibly rewarding to use your knowledge and experience to formulate your own program.
When you follow your program and stay committed, it is great to see the progress that you make and you can be proud of your efforts. If you have limited training experience then you should consult with people who are more experienced.
It may be better for you to follow an existing tried and tested strength training program to build a solid foundation for your future training.
If you have any comments on this topic please leave them below. As always, stay safe and enjoy your training!
