4 Questions I Ask Myself When Writing a Program

Writing a workout program from scratch can be overwhelming. With dozens of variants for each exercise and unlimited exercise pairings, trainers have no limits when putting together a program for their client. In order to create some structure out of nothing, here are 4 questions I ask myself when selecting exercises for a program.

1.Can this person consistently execute this exercise without a coach present?

My goal with a program is to instill confidence in the gym. I accomplish this by helping to create consistency in the execution of a training program, because if the program I write is not adhered to, it’s worthless. Choosing exercises that a client can execute at a high level will help build confidence and create momentum. I want to pick exercises where the client only has to focus on how hard they are working, not on a dozen technique cues that ultimately result in less effort towards the exercise. 

Along with creating confidence and momentum, most people that have made any significant progress in the gym have had to fly solo for a ton of workouts. If the program feels natural to complete and the client feels capable, it’ll be more likely that they complete workouts on their own when a coach/trainer is not around. Choosing exercises that are too difficult for a client’s current ability creates uncertainty and doubt, which is not the goal of a training plan.

2. What does this person like?

There is more than one way to skin a cat. Outside of competitive powerlifters, most people don’t have to become great at any one exercise. If we were to consider creating strength around the knee; lunges, split squats, high-bar squats, front squats, and leg press could all be great exercises to do that, because they can be trained hard through progressive overload to create the desired outcome. If a client comes into the gym and loves progressing one of those exercises, I’m all for it. They will likely look forward to their gym time which creates more consistency, and they will push themselves harder which drives more progress. They now think their program is awesome, and all I had to do was listen.  

3. What does this person need?

Everyone is strong in different areas/movement patterns, and with that comes not being as strong in others. When I’m programming for someone, I look to include at least a few exercises that target those not-as-strong positions. While this is usually met with some resistance from the client, they always come around after I say that we won’t always like everything that’s good for us. 

4. What is this person’s training age?

Training age is how close to a person’s maximum physical potential they are. Someone who has been training for two decades is going to be closer to their maximum strength/muscularity relative to someone who has been training for two months. Training age can help determine how advanced/technical a program needs to be to drive progress. In most cases, the longer we can keep things simple the better.

I ask myself these 4 questions, and try to answer them from the context of “what is their goal?” If the program is for someone with a low training age whose goal is weight loss, I care a lot about adherence. I would prioritize exercises that the person can do without a coach and ones that they enjoy. If the program was for a highly competitive powerlifter, I would choose exercises entirely from the “what do they need” bucket as this person is likely already adherent, and they see the value in doing the hard stuff. My only concern at that point is what does the individual need to work on to add pounds to their total. With anything fitness related, context matters. While these are only 4 of the many questions I ask myself when selecting exercises for a program, they’re the ones that I ask myself the most.