If you are a casual reader of training and fitness information on the Internet, you could easily be confused about what exactly the training terminologies like intensity, volume or frequency are.
These definitions apply to any type of training you do, be it weights or cardio.

Intensity, in weight training refers to how difficult it is to perform each repetition and set; that is, how heavy you lift to achieve total muscle failure. For cardio, it refers to the speed at which you’re run or walk on the treadmill or how quickly you pedal on the cycle or cross-trainer.

Intensity, in weight training, must be adapted to such levels that when you choose the range of repetitions and estimate the poundage, it must barely be able to achieve that. However, by the end of the set you must achieve total positive failure such that a consecutive set of the same exercise after three minutes of rest should still result in lesser number of repetitions even for the same poundage.

Intensity, in cardiovascular training however, must be varied. Interval Training shall call for alternating sets of high and moderate or low intensities. But you’d still need to put in some plain moderate intensity running, cycling or cross training to ensure the body is capable of performing its requisite activities optimally.

Volume is how much of any exercise or how many exercises you do in a session or over time. For example: the number of sets that you perform for a said muscle group or the number of machines you utilize per cardiovascular session one after the other.

Unless you’re a really good gainer, high training volumes, in weight training are inadvisable. Assuming that the intensity is right, and then the number of sets needs to be curtailed to 5-8 for major muscle groups and 3-5 for minor muscle groups.

Volume, in cardiovascular training, is something to be looked at more carefully as it is not been thought of or spoken about much. I have often seen a lot of people hitting the cardiovascular section at a gym with a vengeance, like they aren’t going to step out of the gym without shedding of every bit of that extra pound. But you don’t really to need to do all the machines and become one instead. 9-16 minutes of interval training or 20 minutes of constant heart rate cardiovascular training is more than enough, which means, one machine per session and you’re cardiovascular training is done.

Frequency is how many sessions are performed in a week, month or year that you complete at the intensity and volume you choose. This is best explained with an example:

Day 1. Weights
•    Chest (total 6-8 sets, compound exercises and one isolation set)
•    Shoulders (4 sets presses and lateral raises)
•    Triceps (4 sets close grip presses and dips)
•    Steady state cardiovascular training, running or cycle, preferably moderate intensity training – 20 minutes.

Day 2. Cardio
•    Interval Training 12- 16 minutes
•    Full body Stretching

Day 3. Weights
•    Legs (total 8 sets, 3 for quads, 3 for hams and 2 for calves)
•    Abs
•    Steady state cardiovascular training, running or cycle, preferably low intensity – 20 minutes.

Day 4. Cardio
•    Interval Training – 12-16 minutes
•    Full body stretching

Day 5. Weights
•    Back (total 6 sets, compound exercises)
•    Biceps
•    Stretching

Day 6. OFF

Day 7. OFF

The frequency here of each discipline is as follows:

Weights – Thrice a week, each body part once a week.
Cardio – Four days a week, interval training twice a week.
Stretching – Though not really a workout, but essential none the less, thrice a week.

Keep it neat and keep it clean. Train only as much a required and don’t push too hard. Provide enough time to facilitate rest and recovery so that body adapts and grows. It’s the rest period that results in our improvements or developments.

Once in 12- 16 weeks take a few days, maybe a week, off and then hit the gym again, thoroughly invigorated and rejuvenated.