Your Echelon Split: A guide to effectively plan your week and schedule your classes to fit your goals

By Marc Penna

A workout split is a way of dividing your workouts into different body regions and focuses based on the number of days you are looking to train. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to a workout plan. You must take into consideration that we are all coming from different starting points, have different end goals, different ages, body types, exercise and mobility restrictions, and schedules. For these reasons, it’s important to find the best routine that works for YOU! On top of that, we throw the entire Echelon platform into the mix, which includes different modalities, class types, instructors, and intensity levels. It can be overwhelming to know where to begin and how to manage a successful plan. So let’s dive in together to help create your Echelon Split.

Two great starting points are listing the cardio modalities you own (Connect, Row, Stride) and the amount of days you are looking to train. Use the chart below to find how many days work for you. All of our splits will focus on a balance of cardio and conditioning, as well resistance training which is an integral part of increasing muscle muscle mass while simultaneously burning fat. 

Let’s break down the meaning behind each type of day we are seeing above.

Hybrid Day (Upper/Lower/Total) - A hybrid day consists of a day that includes both cardio training as well as strength training. Your cardio training can be done on any modality (Connect, Stride, or Row) and your strength training can consist of FitPass or Reflect classes designated as strength training. The focus of Upper, Lower, or Total refers to the suggested muscle groups you should target, and this can usually be found in the class title. Another great option for Hybrid Days are Bootcamps as they check both boxes in one class!

Open Cardio - Open Cardio days give our muscles a break from resistance training and allow us to just sweat it out and work on cardiovascular health. This can be done on any modality such as Connect, Stride, Row and any format of your choice (choose your favorite, or have some fun and try something new!) You can even use an open cardio day to explore the HIIT section of FitPass and Reflect to change up your movement patterns.

Low Impact Cardio - Every modality on the Echelon App has so much variety. Use this opportunity to explore some of the lower impact options on Connect and Row, or a walk or hike class on Stride. Overtraining is a real thing and can hinder our recovery and growth. So this day is a great time to take it down a notch while still moving and getting your heart rate up. 

Strength (Upper/Lower/Total) - You’ve been crushing it on the cardio side of things but it’s time to conserve all your energy for your resistance training today! Take a break from the bike, rower, or treadmill and lets keep our feet on the ground as you focus on resistance training on FitPass or Reflect. This is a great day to do a longer strength training session as that is the main focus of this day!

+Core - Let’s be honest, our core is always working on all our modalities and in our strength training, but adding a quick core class on the end of your workout is a great way to isolate and strengthen arguably our most essential muscles in our body. There are so many core options in your app, and you can even find a Bootcamp Core Class to conquer on a Cardio + Core day.

+Mobility - Probably the most overlooked part of our training is mobility. And improving our mobility can lead to higher performance in all aspects of your Echelon Fitness journey. The app is loaded with Mobility options under the Stretch or Yoga sections of FitPass. There are even active recovery classes and restorative yoga. Enjoy the extra TLC!

Let’s chat about timing. It is recommended that we exercise for a minimum of around 150 minutes per week so keep that in mind when choosing your classes. 3 or 4 day splits may require 45-60 minutes total of class time, while 5-7 day splits will allow for shorter periods of exercise to reach the 150 minutes total.  As 150 is a good lower limit for exercise minutes, it’s important to remember too much exercise can lead to overtraining and have a negative impact on your progress. Space your days out and take rest days when needed and always listen to your body. 

I will give a detailed example of a 3, 5, and 7 day plan considering all the information we’ve gone over so we can see how it all comes together.While this is only an example you can always use this as a jumping off point and adjust accordingly!

3 Day Split: “I own a Connect Bike and want to work out 3 days per week”

Day 1: Hybrid - Upper

Day 2:  Hybrid - Lower

Day 3: Hybrid- Total Body + Mobility

5 Day Split: “I own a Connect Bike, a Stride and want to work out 5 days per week”

Day 1: Hybrid - Upper

Day 2:  Hybrid - Lower

Day 3: Open Cardio + Core

Day 4: Strength -Total

Class 1: FP Swing and Shred 45 - Total

Day 5: Hybrid - Total Body + Mobility

7 Day Split: “I own a Connect Bike, a Rower, a Reflect and want to work out 7 days per week”

Day 1: Hybrid - Upper

Day 2:  Strength - Lower

Day 3: Low Impact Cardio + Mobility

Day 5: Hybrid - Lower

Day 6: Open Cardio + Core

Day 7: Mobility 

Class 1: FP Yoga 45 - Restorative

As you can tell just from these three examples, the options are truly endless when it comes to building your schedule. So many factors can contribute to your plan but what is most important is that you make a PLAN. Grab your pen and paper and begin to work out what YOUR Echelon Split looks like for you. What gets scheduled, gets done! So, set the intention that you’re going to show up, hold yourself accountable and stay consistent, and I have no doubt you’ll see the results you’re looking to achieve, and most importantly, have fun doing it!