Writing a good programme is an art. Anyone can scribble out some exercises on a piece of paper, but it takes a knowledge of anatomy and physiology, responses to stress, goals and needs, among other things to devise an intelligent training approach.
It’s more than just reps and sets, even though on the surface that’s what most people see, and that’s one of the most common questions you’ll get from people when they think of a plan. "How many sets and reps should I do?"
There isn’t only one way to write a programme that is good. But there are ways to write a bad programme, whether through an improper understanding of training and recovery or how the body works. Far be it the purpose of this article to give the reader a roadmap to writing the next great training programme. But looking at some guiding principles can help to form a more comprehensive understanding of things to look out for.
1. Pick the right exercise for YOU
Let’s take a look at hypertrophy training. This is about a gradual build up of volume (and intensity) over time. If we take something like leg training, most people are still married to the idea that barbell back squats are the king of leg exercises, more specifically great quad builders. For some this can definitely be true. There are a few things to take into account here however. Physiology of the lifter and technical ability being two of the big ones. To generate maximum quad hypertrophy, we need to be able to create a large amount of ROM at the knee joint. A taller lifter or someone with poor dorsiflexion at the ankle may not be able to do so, which ends up putting more emphasis on the lower back - picture a hinge-y squat. Now, while stress on the lower back isn't necessarily a bad thing, it can still rob performance away from other sessions if it isn't accounted for. Perhaps in this case, alternatives to the BB Squat would be a Goblet or Hack Squat, or certain Lunge variations.
Being able to progress both intensity and volume over time means that you need to be able to manage stress and recovery. If a certain exercise feels like a ‘square peg into a round hole’ situation where it leaves you feeling absolutely wrecked, then you may be best served with looking at other options. Sticking to specific exercises can be a good thing if they fulfil the requirement of the task. But if they don’t, individualising exercise selection based on what will best serve the goal is probably going to lead to better outcomes.
2. Rest times matter
Rest times are usually not given a whole lot of importance either by coaches prescribing programmes, or by trainees that follow said programmes. The fact is, however, that rest times can significantly influence the outcome of the session. Two workouts with the same exercises, same sets, same reps and same tempo will provide a very different stimulus depending on rest times.
Here, we need to consider rest times between sets as well as between exercises. If we’re supersetting exercises we need to decide if there will be limited rest between sets until all sets for a particular exercise pairing are completed before we take a longer rest. Or if we want longer rest after A1 before moving onto A2 followed by a longer rest before going back to A1. Gender differences may need to be taken into account. Is the outcome of the session more metabolic in nature? Are we trying to improve our max strength and hypertrophy? The former will probably require less rest. The latter will probably require more rest.
In some cases, it can be beneficial to have incomplete rest between exercises/sets. In others, it may be counterproductive to the outcome we’re striving for, and longer rest is actually going to benefit more. Big exercises like the squat, deadlift, certain back exercises, use more muscle and their energy demand is greater. Therefore, longer rest may be needed to be able to produce consistently high output or increase load in subsequent sets, if this is what we’re after.
Don’t overlook rest times. They should be there for a specific reason and have a sound rationale behind.
3. Periodise your programming
Periodisation refers to structuring training phases with the intent of driving specific adaptations or outcomes. Depending on the individual in question, a training phase may focus first on improving body composition, cardiovascular capacity and general physical preparedness for 4-6 weeks. This could then be followed by a phase of hypertrophy focused training with the intent of increasing muscle mass with strength for 4-8 weeks that would then lead to a strength focused phase of training for another 4-8 weeks with the intent of improving maximum strength.
Above is a very simple example of periodisation of a training programme over 5 months, with each phase of training having a clearly defined outcome. The outcome will inform the methods used in a particular phase of training, and the specific exercises, reps and sets should be decided based on the individual undertaking the training (training age, mobility, work capacity, etc.).
Volume and intensity are two very big variables that are manipulated across training phases. Accumulation phases tend to refer to higher volume blocks and intensification phases to higher intensity blocks. It's important to note that the two are inversely related, and often an increase in one means a reduction in the other, as they will tax the body heavily if both are constantly increasing.
4. Specificity vs Variability
Much like volume and intensity, specificity and variability also lie on a continuum. The more specific training becomes, the less variety it will have and the opposite is also true. A training programme that is very varied will lose out on specific training outcomes. A powerlifter would be an example of someone exhibiting very specific fitness attributes, in this case tremendous strength in squats, presses and deadlifts. By comparison, a CrossFit athlete is a good example of someone exhibiting varied fitness attributes such as endurance, power, speed, strength, etc.
So, how does one decide how much specificity/variability to include in a training programme?
Well, the first thing is to decide if your goals require specificity. If you’re looking to build as much muscle as possible, then specificity will become your friend. But specificit can also rob certain things, which simply means that when you move the needle closer in one direction, you also move it further away from the other direction. For an average Joe (probably 90% of the training population) - someone not looking to step on stage at the Mr Olympia or attempt world records in the deadlift - it’s probably beneficial to periodise some variability into certain training programmes or phases. This is to ensure that certain physical attributes that can contribute to overall training longevity or health aren’t neglected. It often comes down to cost vs reward.
You can get really good at something with specifics. You can get really okay at many things with variability. You can get really good at one thing and pretty good at a fair number of things by mixing specificity and variability in a systematic and clever way.
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