The Best Workout Program to Kickstart the New Year

Start 2024 off right with the best workout program to hit your goals

When it comes to the month of January, this is the most popular time of year that people will look to start their fitness journeys. Whether they are looking to lose weight and get shredded, or maybe they want to bulk up and put on some serious size and strength, or just be in shape and maintain that, January is the time that most people will start. Why is that? New Year’s Resolutions, which are the promises that people make to themselves and sometimes others, when going into the New Year. 

The problem with New Year’s Resolutioners, particularly beginners, in the gym is that they might not have the biggest knowledge base going into it. This can lead to crowded gyms where the equipment is being taken up by people who may not know how to use it, and this can lead to frustration and even injuries. That being said, as a New Year’s Resolutioner, following a good workout program is almost essential.

Let’s break down what a New Year’s Resolution is, and how to properly find a workout program and stick to it to make sure you are getting your gains.

Fitness New Year’s Resolutions

You’ve heard it a million times, “New Year, New Me”, meaning someone is promising to reinvent themselves. The New Year is the perfect time to do it, as it is the start of the calendar year and gives you a decent amount of time to transform yourself, whether you are getting ready for the summer, training for a competition, or something else. The unfortunate truth is that many people will have unrealistic expectations and go in without the proper knowledge to really reinvent themselves. This leads to people giving up on their New Year’s Resolutions far sooner than expected, and going right back to where they were.

Let’s look at how to properly create a New Year’s Resolution that you can sustain. 

Set Realistic Goals

The first part of a resolution is setting a realistic goal, or goals. If you have never picked up a dumbbell or a barbell in your entire life before January 1st, then the chances are you will not be Mr. Olympia by the end of the month, even with copious amounts of steroids, a proper diet, and sleep schedule that is 100% on point. The same goes with powerlifting, if you have never bench pressed in your life, then you might not be benching 405 by February. Although, that does not mean to not try.

Instead, set realistic goals that are attainable and act more as checkpoints. For example, if you start your journey to a summer body on January 1st, then maybe set a goal weight for February 1st. The same goes for strength training, if you start training those major compound lifts on the first of January, then set some realistic goals for the 1st of February. You can set these goals for each week, every other week, whatever you’d like, but just keep in mind that progress does not happen overnight.

Find and Follow a Program

A large issue with New Year’s Resolutioners in the gym is that they have never worked out before and go into the gym with little knowledge and no set plan, meaning they take up equipment and do not know how to use it, just do cardio, or even worse, injure themselves. That being said, finding a workout program to follow and stick to is absolutely essential for anyone looking to go through a fitness transformation in the New Year.

The Best Workout Program for New Year’s Resolutioners

The team over at Boostcamp has tried and tested countless programs, and we have hand-picked just the one for you to use when it comes to your New Year’s Resolution. 

PHUL by Brandon Campbell

The Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower (PHUL) workout, also known as the PHUL workout routine, is our top choice for someone looking to stick to a New Year’s Resolution. This program is designed for those who are at the novice or intermediate skill set, and was created by fitness expert Brandon Campbell as a way to integrate the principles of bodybuilding and powerlifting, so you can get the benefits of strength and hypertrophy. In the end, the result was a 4 workout split that is systematic and easy to follow. 

The PHUL Program utilizes a variety of exercises that include compounds such as squats and deadlifts, and even movements that are machine based, making PHUL a great program for those New Year’s Resolutioners who aspire to be weightlifters, bodybuilders, or powerlifters and want to incorporate power training into their routine. This program, known as the PHUL workout program, was first introduced by Brandon Campbell, and is based around 4 major principles of lifting, including compound exercises and an upper body power workout. Let’s break it down.

Frequency - Given research that shows muscle protein synthesis is elevated for typically around 48 hours after targeted training, returning to training the same muscle group soon after that 2-day window would yield maximal results for size and strength gains. As such, the PHUL  Program does away with the typical split of working each muscle group only once each week, and designates 2 days for upper and lower body respectively. 

Compounds - As is the case with many of the programs that we have curated here at Boostcamp, PHUL places emphasis on compound lifts like the squat and the bench press, including heavy weights that will push you to your limits. The reason is simple: compound movements engage a large ensemble of muscles, often across different muscle groups, giving you greater bang-per-buck in terms of quickly progressing in terms of strength and size. Without dispensing with the importance of isolation exercise in preventing imbalance and maximizing hypertrophy, anchoring a workout program on compound lifts is an efficient, challenging, and tried-and-tested approach.

Power - Half of the weekly program is dedicated to progressive overload, maximizing time under tension and the weight you are able to lift. 

Hypertrophy - The other half of the weekly split are dedicated hypertrophy days, focusing on increasing rep range to maximize muscle growth.

The bottom line is that the PHUL program will give you the best of both worlds, size and strength, and allows for enough time to recover in between training sessions to really make some progress. It also is perfect for those who are looking to make some gains going into the New Year, as it is designed for novice and intermediate lifters.

Boostcamp: The Last Lifting App You’ll Ever Need

To help you find some new programs and maximize your strength and muscle gains going into the New Year, consider using the Boostcamp App. The Boostcamp app is a top of the line workout app, that offers free science-based workout routines, advanced custom program builder, and a workout tracker to help you stay on top of your progress, and make sure that you are hitting your goals and getting where you need to go, so there is no reason to give up on your New Year’s Resolutions.

By using the Boostcamp App for your training routine, you'll have all the tools you need to develop a strong mind-muscle connection and break through plateaus, continuing to make progress. Download the Boostcamp App today and take your workouts to the next level!

Wrap Up

Overall, the New Year is upon us, and now is the time that you may be looking to craft a new physique that is stronger and just better than you were in 2023. Don’t get caught making no gains, follow a workout program that keeps you making progress.

Let us know your thoughts! And be sure to follow Boostcamp on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube!