Is a Program Necessary?

It’s something that gets asked often in the first few months of the year, especially in February and March. As folks tend to get into a fitness routine of some sort and venture into their workouts on their own, some will wonder, do I need to follow a workout program?
 
The short answer is no. A slightly longer answer is, not necessarily. And the much longer answer is below.
 
Do you need to follow a workout program? It depends, yeah everyone’s favorite, most unsatisfactory answer.
 
If you are simply trying to get some movement in, to feel good, maybe let out some energy and get those endorphins working for you, no you don't need a program. Find a exercise modality that makes you feel good and you can do consistently, knock yourself out and go for it.
 
 
If you have some goals in mind you’d like to accomplish for your fitness routine, then yeah you’re going to need a program. Whether you are seeking to just get stronger, change your body composition or relieve that nagging pain in your insert annoying joint here then yes you need a plan. Even if you’re goals are more to do with running a 10k, you’ll need a plan x2, a plan for running and a resistance training plan (trust me).
 
The reason is, all of those things above are going to require some sort of progressive overload. Progressive overload (increase of load to make changes happen) is damn near impossible without a plan. The type of results and the pace at which those results are achieved, depend on what type of plan you adhere to.

Is it a random one you had AI generate, found on the web or your BFF sent to you? It’ll probably work to a point, maybe not as well or a quick as you might think, it’ll work though.
 
Is it a plan written by your old ball coach that hasn’t been updated since 1973? Some of it might work well, some of it might be outdated. It may or work or you may find yourself in unnecessary pain, bit of a crapshoot.
 
Is it a plan written by a proper coach/trainer that you’ve at least had a conversation with, if not done a full eval with? It’ll work well for you and they’ll make sure of it.
 
In summation, no you do not need a plan depending on what your aim is. If you find that you need a plan, you get what you pay for, to an extent at the least.
That’s what I have for you all today fam, thanks for reading and have yourself a day!