In this blog post, we’ll explore how to design an exercise and diet plan that takes your body type and fitness goals into account, and how to create a personalized exercise routine that you can stick to consistently.

Before starting a workout routine, you need to understand your own characteristics

Most people hope to stay healthy throughout their lives, but not everyone consistently makes the effort to do so. When school breaks roll around, students invariably head to the gym with the intention of getting in shape, but because it feels like a hassle—and, more importantly, because they don’t know what to do—they often follow their trainer’s instructions for a few days before getting bored and giving up.
If you understand what exercises you need to do and why, and if you create your own plan—rather than blindly following someone else’s—and implement it step by step, your workout routine will proceed much more smoothly. Furthermore, as you feel your stamina improve day by day, you’ll maintain your interest in exercise and avoid falling into a rut.
When creating an exercise plan, it’s best to start by assessing your body type, current physical condition, exercise experience, and fitness goals. In the past, people’s body types were often categorized into three types: ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. However, this classification is closer to a traditional concept for understanding individual body types and is not a scientific standard for determining actual exercise prescriptions based solely on body type. Since each person’s body fat percentage, muscle mass, exercise experience, lifestyle, and dietary habits are all different, it is important to design an exercise and diet plan that comprehensively considers your individual characteristics.
The body type commonly referred to as “ectomorph” when describing a lean physique has traditionally been characterized by a relative difficulty in gaining weight and muscle mass. In such cases, rather than simply increasing the amount of cardio exercise, it is important to focus on strength training while consuming sufficient energy and protein. While protein intake for exercisers varies depending on exercise volume and goals, a general guideline suggests that approximately 1.4–2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight per day is sufficient for most people who exercise. Rather than overly restricting carbohydrates and fats, it is better to balance them in your diet by considering your overall energy intake and exercise volume. There is also no need to strictly limit meals to five per day; you can adjust your routine to fit your lifestyle by eating regularly and, if necessary, supplementing with protein and energy before and after workouts.
In the past, body types that developed muscle relatively easily with the same level of stimulation were classified as mesomorphs. However, just because you develop muscle easily doesn’t mean you automatically need to exercise a lot. Focusing too much on exercise results can lead to overtraining or accumulated fatigue, so it’s important to balance exercise volume with recovery. It’s crucial to allow sufficient recovery time before intensely stimulating a specific muscle group again and to adjust exercise intensity and volume according to your current condition. Similarly, it is not mandatory to consume 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight; for most people who exercise, an intake of approximately 1.4 to 2.0 grams per kilogram is often sufficient. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all ratio to carbohydrates and fats, it is preferable to adjust them based on your overall diet and fitness goals. There is no need to eat excessively frequently, such as 5–7 times a day; instead, priority should be given to total caloric intake and the quality of meals.
In the past, individuals with a large frame and a tendency to gain weight easily were classified as having an endomorph body type. In such cases, while aerobic exercise can be helpful for reducing body fat, one should not focus solely on aerobic exercise while neglecting strength training. It is important to combine strength training with aerobic exercise and to maintain a balance between energy intake and energy expenditure. This does not mean you must strictly limit fat intake or eat 5 to 7 small meals every day. Instead, it is advisable to reduce the consumption of high-fat foods and sugary beverages, while maintaining a balanced diet rich in protein, vegetables, whole grains, and other varied foods, and adjusting your total caloric intake to align with your goals.

How should you determine the type and intensity of your exercise?

Once you’ve established your diet and exercise goals, you should choose the appropriate type of exercise. Strength training should be structured to properly stimulate each body part according to your goals, while for aerobic exercise, it’s best to select activities you can enjoy over the long term without placing excessive strain on your body. Since consistency is paramount, there’s no need to use specific equipment or follow complicated routines. Recent exercise guidelines also emphasize the importance of choosing exercises that align with your goals, schedule, and preferences and performing them consistently.
For strength training, you can utilize classic compound exercises such as the bench press, military press, deadlift, and squat, and you can combine a variety of exercises—including lateral raises, lat pulldowns, Arnold presses, side bends, cable crossovers, bicep curls, leg extensions, leg curls, crunches, and back extensions—to suit your specific goals. However, specific exercises are not necessarily required for everyone, and you should select appropriate exercises based on your own exercise experience and physical condition. The number of sets, volume, and weight are also important. In the past, various advanced training methods such as supersets, compound sets, trisets, pyramid sets, and giant sets were introduced; however, it is no longer widely believed that using such complex techniques is essential to achieving good results. For healthy adults, it is important to adjust the weight and volume according to their fitness goals and to train consistently. If the goal is to improve strength, relatively heavy weights should be used; to increase muscle size, the weekly volume for each muscle group should be adjusted to ensure sufficient training. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)’s 2026 Resistance Exercise Guidelines suggest a practical benchmark for strength training: exercising with weights at approximately 80% of one-rep maximum (1RM). For muscle hypertrophy, the guidelines recommend performing about 10 sets per week per muscle group. However, these are not absolute standards that apply equally to everyone and should be adjusted based on individual exercise experience and goals.
Another approach is to divide your workouts into multiple sessions. Following the principles of split training, you can train the upper and lower body separately or structure your routine to alternate between different muscle groups. However, for beginners, it is more important to master basic movements correctly and gradually increase training volume within a safe range rather than relying on complex split routines or advanced training methods. While measuring 1RM is one way to determine training intensity, attempting to measure maximum weight directly in the early stages of training may not be appropriate. If you lack training experience, it is best to set your training intensity based on a weight you can safely repeat and gradually increase the weight over time. Strength training generally recommends stimulating major muscle groups at least twice a week, though the frequency can be adjusted to 2–3 times per week or more, depending on your exercise experience and recovery status. Recent guidelines also emphasize consistent resistance training tailored to individual goals and circumstances, rather than focusing on specific exercise types or equipment.
The most important thing is to schedule your workout around your daily routine. If you’re just starting out, it’s best to choose a time of day when you’re most likely to stick with your routine. Morning workouts do not necessarily cause fatigue or lead to injuries, nor are evening workouts necessarily better. Before exercising, be sure to warm up thoroughly and adjust the intensity according to your physical condition. Ultimately, the best time to exercise is not a specific time of day, but rather a time when you can exercise consistently.
Examples of aerobic exercises include jogging, hiking, cycling, aerobic dance, and jumping rope. Rather than judging exercise intensity based solely on maximum heart rate, it is better to consider your breathing, perceived exertion, and heart rate together. In the past, the formula “220 minus your age” was widely used to calculate maximum heart rate, but this formula does not guarantee an accurate maximum heart rate due to significant individual differences. Therefore, rather than relying on a single specific number, it is more appropriate to adjust your exercise intensity according to your own fitness level. For adults, the current standard recommendation for health promotion is to engage in 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week, along with strength training targeting major muscle groups at least two days a week.

Why is it important to combine aerobic exercise with strength training?

People trying to reduce body fat may inadvertently focus only on aerobic exercise and neglect strength training, which is not advisable. The phenomenon where energy expenditure remains elevated for a certain period after exercise is called the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). While strength training can also produce this effect, it should not be simplistically explained as meaning that “fat continues to be burned significantly even after exercise and while sleeping.” Reducing body weight and body fat is influenced not only by the temporary increase in energy expenditure after exercise but also by long-term energy balance, overall exercise volume, and diet. Therefore, rather than assuming that building muscle first to sufficiently increase basal metabolic rate and then losing fat is always the fastest and most efficient method for everyone, it is important to appropriately combine strength training with aerobic exercise and regulate food intake. The reasons why losing weight through starvation is undesirable should not be explained solely in terms of basal metabolic rate; instead, factors such as nutritional imbalance, loss of muscle mass, and the difficulty of maintaining weight over the long term must also be considered.
Many women mistakenly believe that doing a lot of strength training will result in an overly muscular physique, but it is not easy to achieve a physique like that of a professional bodybuilder in a short period through general strength training alone. Strength training can increase muscle mass and strength in women and alter their body shape and function, but the extent of these changes depends on factors such as exercise volume, diet, and genetic characteristics. Just as with men, muscle development in women requires consistent resistance training and adequate nutrition. The physiques of professional bodybuilders seen on TV or at competitions are the result of long-term, highly systematic training and dietary management; therefore, they should not be equated with the results achieved by people who engage in general exercise.
Occasionally, people do nothing but crunches to lose belly fat or neglect lower-body exercises in an effort to build only their arm muscles; however, it is difficult to significantly reduce fat in a specific area through exercise targeting only that area. Abdominal exercises help stimulate and develop the abdominal muscles, but they do not directly eliminate abdominal fat. To reduce body fat, you must consider your overall energy balance along with a combination of aerobic and strength training. Furthermore, rather than focusing intensely on just a few upper-body muscles, it is important for the body’s balance and exercise performance to stimulate major muscle groups—such as the lower body, back, chest, shoulders, arms, and abdomen—evenly. Even without considering the body’s balance or appearance, there are plenty of reasons to exercise the entire body evenly.

What should you do before and after a workout?

When it comes to actual exercise, many people skip warm-ups and cool-downs, which is not advisable. A warm-up helps the body adapt to exercise through light movements and facilitates smoother performance of the main workout. A cool-down also helps the body return to a stable state by gradually reducing intensity rather than stopping abruptly.
While it cannot be said with certainty that warm-ups and cool-downs prevent all exercise-related injuries, moving your body at an appropriate intensity before and after a workout is crucial for safe and efficient exercise.
Consider the first 4 to 6 weeks after starting a workout as an adaptation phase; rather than pushing the intensity too hard, it’s best to focus on mastering basic movements and establishing a consistent exercise routine. Along with stretching to improve flexibility, it’s also helpful to address areas that are relatively weak during your workout. Even if it’s just a short workout of 10–15 minutes a day, it’s best to practice consistently while monitoring how your body responds, and if there are areas where you lack strength or experience discomfort, address them during this phase. Afterward, you can gradually increase your workout volume by adjusting the intensity, duration, and frequency to match your fitness level. In the past, the “developmental stage” was often defined as a period of 16–20 weeks during which participants were expected to handle high-intensity exercise; however, this timeframe does not need to apply to everyone. This is because the rate of progress varies depending on one’s exercise experience and fitness level. Afterward, you should move on to the maintenance phase to sustain your improved health, fitness, and athletic ability. While you may not need as much exercise as during the development phase, it’s important to exercise consistently at an intensity and frequency suited to your situation, as it’s difficult to maintain fitness and athletic ability if you stop exercising entirely.

How can you consistently stick to your exercise plan?

No matter how carefully you plan, it’s meaningless if you don’t follow through. Creating an exercise planner to record the type of exercise, duration, weight, number of repetitions, and other details—and tracking your progress—is a good approach. As you exercise consistently, your fitness will improve, making it easier to perform the same exercises than before. At this point, rather than simply increasing the volume of exercise, it’s better to adjust the intensity and frequency to suit your current condition. While you can regularly check your 1RM or maximum heart rate, there’s no need to measure your maximum values every two weeks to a month. In particular, since directly measuring maximum weight or maximum heart rate involves risks of fatigue and injury, it’s safer to monitor your exercise performance, heart rate, and perceived exertion together. Comparing your exercise performance, fitness level, and physical changes before and after school breaks can also help you stay consistent with your workout routine. It’s often said that once you pass your 20s, exercising no longer improves your fitness but merely slows its decline—but this is not true. Even as an adult, you can improve your cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, muscular endurance, and physical function through regular physical activity and exercise. What matters more than age itself are your current fitness level, exercise experience, exercise volume, and lifestyle habits. I occasionally help friends create exercise plans, and I’ve noticed that even when people I work out with lead irregular lifestyles—such as pulling all-nighters or drinking heavily after exams—they still feel less fatigued than before and notice an improvement in their stamina during daily activities. Of course, exercise doesn’t eliminate the effects of lifestyle habits like sleep deprivation or excessive drinking, but regular physical activity plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and fitness. If you feel your stamina is lacking—to the point where climbing a few flights of stairs leaves you breathless—why not challenge yourself this break to improve your fitness by starting with exercises suited to your current level, rather than setting overly ambitious goals right away?