🧩 How To Structure A Workout For A Specific Goal
A lot of people ask things like:
• how do I get a handstand
• how do I get a muscle-up
• how do I get a planche
• how do I improve mobility
• how do I train for strength and skills at the same time
And that is a really good question.
Because getting a goal is not just about finding the right exercise.
It is also about knowing:
• what to focus on
• how to organize the week
• how long to stay with it
• what trade-offs come with that goal
So let’s break this down into 3 levels:
• the small picture
• the medium picture
• the big picture
🎯 1. The small picture: what exercises and what kind of training?
This is the most basic level.
If you have a goal, you need to ask:
What does this goal actually need?
For example:
If your goal is a handstand
You need:
• upside down time
• body line work
• shoulder strength
• balance practice
• confidence falling out safely
So your training might include:
• chest to wall handstands
• pike handstand holds
• handstand kick-ups
• shoulder shrugs
• hollow body holds
If your goal is a muscle-up
You need:
• pull-up strength
• chest-to-bar pulling
• transition work
• dip strength
• body awareness
So your training might include:
• pull-ups
• chest-to-bar pull-ups
• rows
• assisted transitions
• dips
If your goal is flexibility or mobility
You need to know which one you actually mean.
If your goal is flexibility, maybe you need:
• pike stretch
• pancake stretch
• bridge work
• splits work
If your goal is mobility, maybe you need:
• full range squats
• cossack squats
• active compression
• animal movements
• shoulder control drills
That is the small picture.
Pick exercises that actually match the goal.
⚙️ The medium picture: how to make a weekly plan
This is where most people get stuck.
Because now the question is not just “what exercises help?”
It becomes:
How do I fit them into a week without destroying recovery or making the plan too messy?
A simple way to think about a weekly plan is:
Step 1
Pick the main goal
Example:
• handstand
• planche
• pull-up
• mobility
• press to handstand
Step 2
Ask what type of goal it is
Because not every goal should be trained the same way.
Some are more:
• strength based
• skill based
• mobility based
• mixed
Step 3
Build the week around that goal
If the goal is mostly strength based
Examples:
• planche
• front lever
• one arm push-up
• muscle-up strength work
Then the weekly plan usually wants:
• 2 to 3 focused sessions
• more recovery
• progressive overload
• supporting strength work
If the goal is mostly skill based
Examples:
• handstand
• elbow lever
• cartwheels
• press mechanics
Then the weekly plan usually wants:
• more frequent practice
• shorter sessions
• fresher quality reps
• less fatigue per session
If the goal is mobility / flexibility based
Examples:
• pancake
• pike
• bridge
• splits
Then the weekly plan usually wants:
• frequent exposure
• low to moderate fatigue
• consistency
• some active strength inside the range
📅 Example weekly structures
Example 1: handstand as main goal
• Mon: handstand + push strength
• Tue: mobility + light handstand
• Wed: handstand + pull
• Thu: mobility or rest
• Fri: handstand + push
• Sat: fun skill day
• Sun: rest or light movement
Example 2: muscle-up as main goal
• Mon: pull strength + transition drills
• Tue: mobility or lower body
• Wed: chest-to-bar pull-ups + dips
• Thu: recovery or light skill work
• Fri: muscle-up drills + upper body
• Sat: lower body or fun movement
• Sun: rest
Example 3: flexibility as main goal
• Mon: strength + pike
• Tue: pancake / flexibility session
• Wed: strength + bridge
• Thu: active mobility
• Fri: strength + pike / pancake
• Sat: longer flexibility session
• Sun: light recovery work
🧠 The big picture: 1 to 2 months and beyond
Now we zoom out.
Because a goal is not just one workout.
It is not even just one week.
If you actually want to reach something meaningful, you usually need to think in blocks.
For example:
Month 1
Build the base
This is where you figure out:
• what the real weak points are
• what progressions you should use
• what your schedule can realistically handle
• what recovery feels like
Month 2
Push the main focus
Now you already know the basics of the plan.
This is where you start:
• progressing the exercises
• increasing hold times
• increasing reps or difficulty
• refining technique
• staying consistent
Beyond that
You usually decide whether to:
• keep specializing
• switch goals
• maintain one thing and push another
• deload and then push again
That is where the bigger picture matters.
Because your plan for 6 weeks should make sense with your plan for 6 months.
⚖️ Specialist vs generalist
This is one of the biggest trade-offs.
Specialist
This means you focus heavily on one goal.
For example:
• handstand is the main thing
• everything else is maintenance
Pros
• faster progress on one thing
• easier to track
• easier to feel momentum
• more focused training
Cons
• less energy for other goals
• other areas may only maintain
• can feel repetitive
Generalist
This means you work on multiple things at once.
For example:
• strength
• skill
• mobility
all in the same phase
Pros
• more variety
• more fun for some people
• well-rounded progress
• keeps more abilities alive at once
Cons
• slower progress on each single goal
• harder to program
• easier to feel like nothing is moving fast enough
Neither one is wrong.
It depends on:
• your personality
• your motivation
• your schedule
• how badly you want one specific goal
⏳ Want to reach the goal faster?
Usually the faster path is:
• specialize more
• recover better
• remove extra distractions
• keep the plan simple
• train the exact thing more often
But the cost is:
• less variety
• less room for other goals
• more boredom for some people
🌍 Want to make it slower but more balanced?
Usually that looks like:
• training multiple qualities together
• working on a few goals at once
• rotating emphasis during the week
• keeping one goal main, but not exclusive
This is slower for the main goal.
But often more sustainable for people who need variety.
🔄 How strength, skills, and flexibility affect each other
This part matters a lot.
Because these things can help each other…
Or interfere with each other.
How they help each other
Strength helps skills
If you are stronger, many skills get easier.
Examples:
• stronger shoulders help handstands
• stronger pulling helps muscle-ups
• stronger compression helps press to handstand
Flexibility helps skills
If you have the right flexibility, some skills become much cleaner.
Examples:
• pike helps L-sit
• pancake helps press to handstand
• shoulder opening helps handstand line
Mobility helps strength
If you can move better through range, your strength work often improves too.
Examples:
• deeper squat
• better bottom dip
• cleaner overhead position
How they can negatively affect each other
Too much flexibility before strength work
If you overstretch right before hard strength work, you may feel weaker or looser in a bad way.
Too much skill fatigue before strength work
If you do lots of exhausting skill work first, your strength work quality may drop.
Too much heavy strength work before skill work
If your shoulders, wrists, or pulling muscles are cooked, the skill work may be sloppy.
That is why order matters.
📌 A good general rule for order
For most people:
• main skill first
• main strength second
• supporting work after
• flexibility after training or separate
That usually works well.
Not always, but it is a very good starting point.
🛠 A simple system to build your own plan
If you want to structure a workout for a goal, ask these 5 questions:
1
What is my main goal?
2
Is it mostly strength, skill, flexibility, or mixed?
3
What are the 2 to 4 most important exercises or drills for that goal?
4
How many days a week can I realistically train it?
5
What am I willing to maintain instead of push hard right now?
That last one matters a lot.
Because every real goal has trade-offs.
🚀 Final thought
A good workout plan is not just a list of exercises.
It is a system built around:
• your goal
• your weak points
• your recovery
• your time
• your trade-offs
The small picture is the exercises.
The medium picture is the week.
The big picture is the months.
If those 3 match, your progress gets way more clear.
👇 Question
What goal are you trying to structure your training around right now?
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7 comments
Brandon Beauchesne-Hebert
8
🧩 How To Structure A Workout For A Specific Goal
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