Whether you’re a coach planning workouts for clients or a trainee looking to feel a bit more dialed in with selecting exercises, this post should be helpful.

For context, the information I’ll provide today is based on a scenario where you are creating a workout on the fly, or show up to the gym and everything you need is being taken – you know, it’s 5:30pm on a Monday and literally every rack and bench is taken. What are you to do? What exercises should you choose?

Maybe you’re traveling and have limited access to equipment at a hotel. Today’s post applies.

My *mostly* signature process is: Either choose a main pattern you’re training that day (see below) or choose one of each of these patterns for a big circuit if you’re looking for a full body bang for your buck workout:

👉Squat

👉Hinge

👉Horizontal push and/or pull

👉Vertical push and/or pull

👉+ carry/core can be added to any of these

THEN if you chose ONE of the above as your main focus for the day, within your lift, choose:

👊Bilateral variation(s)- both limbs working together – ie: squat, deadlift, hip thrust, push ups, pull up.

👊Unilateral variations – single arm/single leg work complimenting the main movement pattern or muscles used – ie: split squats for squatting day, B stance RDL for hingeing day, single arm seated row or horizontal puling etc.

👊Some isolation/single joint work if needed – Y raises for shoulders on vertical press/pull day, bicep curls for biceps on any upper day, quad lean backs for quads on squat day, hamstring curls for hinge day.

DONE. Get those bilateral and unilateral exercises in, and hit full range of motion at some point. This is oversimplified, of course, but in broad scope, it really IS this simple to start…make sense?!

Lower the barrier. Refer to this process to choose exercises. Get it done.

If you want to get strong, enjoy your workouts and make #educatedgains, then get on the Built by Annie waitlist. 

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