First XV Performance
  • Home
  • Get Started
  • Strength Camp
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Ways to Start Training
  • FAQ
  • About First XV
  • Get Your Badge On (Store)
  • Blog
  • SimpleMovestoStronger
  • SignUpNextSteps

4/28/2016

Programming...It's Pretty Basic

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
We've all done it, I'm certainly no exception to this here. We see this really cool shiny new exercise or drill and just have to use it. No matter what the cost is we have to take it and use it so we can make things "fun". It's worse when a client sees it and says why can't I be doing this?

When we see a fun new exercise, it tends to be someone's new favorite thing. Immediately it has to be either in their program or worse a coach applies it to clients that have no business doing that exercise.

Programming is never as complicated as it seems to be. I'm confident many of my clients could lay down a decent program if they were put to the task. Don't get me wrong they would more than likely throw something in there they saw on an infomercial, but for the most part it wouldn't be detrimental to them.

Here's a few do's an don'ts that have helped me along the way:

1. Basics win out most of the time when programming for someone the first time. No ridiculous looking exercise off of a certain home workout program will ever beat out the basics of push, pull, squat, hinge and carry. Throw in some unilateral exercise for both upper and lower, a few solid core exercises and you are set.

2. Progress exercise variations slowly (appropriately). The next phase of a program doesn't need to have drastic changes. You can keep the same big money exercise(s) for more than 4 weeks at a time, it will only help in mastering the movements. 4 weeks is the bare minimum it MIGHT take to master a movement, I'd say 8 is the standard. Having someone stay on trap bar deadlift for 2-3 phases in a row will not slow their progress. Even reverting back to a regression a couple months in a row is perfectly OK, it won't end the world, go ahead try it....SEE.

3. Stemming off of number 2. When you see a new exercise/drill; whether it's off an infomercial, random youtube channel or off a popular strength coach's blog. Do yourself a favor and make sure it's applied to the right people and places (if at all). Not EVERYONE needs to do this shiny new movement, especially if they haven't mastered the basics, or worse they have pain in some of the basics. At the very least try the exercise yourself first and then you can start to figure out who it is appropriate for.

4. Sometimes it's necessary to swallow your pride and put an exercise or two in the program a client would like, even if you don't like it yourself. After all if the client absolutely hates their program and has 0 desire to ever do it, what kind of results are they going to get from 0 workouts? Then who do you think they point the finger at? It's certainly not going to be themselves, it's our job to make sure they have a doable and effective program. Even if it means letting them have their cake and eat it too, so to speak. As long as it's something appropriate for them and won't cause injury, go for it and have a blast.

Recap of do's and don'ts; keep it simple, master movement before progressing, stifle your urge to try the shiny new object on clients, and let the clients have a little fun.

​That's what I got for today everyone, go out there and get after it!

Share

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

Details

    Author

    Jarrod Dyke, CSCS

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    July 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016

    Pre-FirstXV blog posts

    Categories

    All
    Fitness
    Food

    RSS Feed

© COPYRIGHT 2017. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Get Started
  • Strength Camp
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Ways to Start Training
  • FAQ
  • About First XV
  • Get Your Badge On (Store)
  • Blog
  • SimpleMovestoStronger
  • SignUpNextSteps