How to build your workout programs

I am currently being asked to teach a class that focuses on developing strength and conditioning programs for athletes. After you learn the intricate nuances of all the exercises ,then you have to learn how to put it together in some way that works at accomplishing the goals of the athlete. Many consider program design to be the hardest and most confusing part of the whole training biz. When I write a program, there are a few rules that govern its design. The first rules let me know the frame work, pre-work I will do before we really get into the program and whether or not I should take on the client at all.

1) What is the goal of this athlete/individual?
2) Are they able to accomplish this goal in the time they have given me?
3) Can they handle the program? (this covers physical limitations and dysfunction)

If an athlete lacks a lot of hip mobility, has tons of back or shoulder pain etc; they should really fix their problems before trying to achieve athlete greatness. Can I help with it? To a degree but, I will be honest, don’t hire a strength coach to build you into a warrior only to tell the coach that you want him to help you not feel pain in your shoulder anymore. It usually means you are jumping the gun and not training smart. Fix yourself; you will be better for it.

You now are going to write a program. Again, I go to my guidelines:

1) What is the goal that needs to be achieved?
If your goal is to run a marathon and there is no running in your program, you are doing something wrong. Make sure you outline the purpose behind the program. Make that goal attainable and if you feel that something is hindering that goal, you get rid of it. If something can help that goal, you add it in.

2) “The best way to get better at throwing is to throw.”
With the constant babble of functional training we here that this or that exercise has excellent carry over to the sport. Yes, certain exercises do carry over to a sport and help to build a more efficient athlete. If this wasn’t true then I wouldn’t have a job. However, never forget that if you want to get better at throwing, you should throw. All that matters is the sport. If you throw a 75 foot shot but, the coach says your max deadlift should be higher than 500; stop listening to that coach. You just threw a near world record shot that would easily place you as one of the best of the best, who cares what you deadlift when your sport is throwing. Training is complementary. We care about the lift numbers when your throwing is lacking because lifting can help but, lifting is never the focus.

3) “If it is important do it everyday, if it is not important, don’t do it at all.” – Dan Gable
Ah the great Dan Gable. My favorite coach of all time. This little gem is always a great thing to remember. If leg strength is really important to your sport, train leg strength. If the clean is going to really help get more power and power is what you need, do it. This really helps eliminate the necessary from the unnecessary. Too often when I ask people why they are doing this or that exercise in the program, they can’t give me a good reason.

Example:
Bench Press
Decline Bench Press
Flies
Squat

Why bench press? “It helps me get more drive when I throw.” Good keep it. I ask why they have decline as well as bench. “I don’t know. Doesn’t it isolate the lower pec more?” Isolation doesn’t exist and you don’t really know why? Gone. “Why flies?” Oh I like the pump feeling I get.” Will it help make you better at throwing…Gone. Squat? “Leg strength, size and power.” Keep it. So, our new program is Bench Press and Squat. Simple, effective and we can spend more time on what IS important and less time on what IS NOT.

4) Prioritize
We know if something is important we should do it everyday but, what about in that day? What do we do first? Well, what is most important? Power? Do your Snatches. Size and strength? Do your squats. Your 5k time? Run first. Then go in descending order of importance. Whatever is first in your workout, you will get better at faster. This is why core (meaning main; deadlifts, squats, cleans etc) lifts are first in the program as opposed to accessory lifts like curls and Calf Raises. They deliver much more as far as results and there is always a core lift that will help with your goals.

5) Time limitations.
This goes back to the importance issue. Don’t write a 2-3 hour workout for an athlete that only has 45 minutes. You need to know what you can accomplish and while there are tons of exercises that have benefit; remember quality over quantity and complex over isolation. The body functions as a unit so, train it as one. Don’t break the body down into parts to train. If you are ever running over the time and need to know how to write a workout look back to guidelines 3 and 4.

6) Balance.
Focusing on your goals is great but, you can’t over specify your goals. That’s how you get imbalance which leads to over use and injury. This is where various warm-up routines come from; as well as accessory exercises. You need to make sure that if you spend your whole workout doing extension work (cleans, snatches etc) you do some flexion work (knees 2 elbows, full situps). If you do a lot of pressing (bench, overhead) you do a lot of pulling too (rows, pullups). The pulling work WILL help your pressing and the flexion work WILL help your extension. The body works together to where one side balances the other. The scales of muscular justice if you will.

I think these guidelines can help anyone make a great program. Now we always debate over what hand position or rack position is better but, if you have a purposeful program that is training your goals, you are not wrong. You are right. Try the program for at least 3-6 weeks and see what happens; maybe the there is some other exercise that you found can help. Maybe leg press wasn’t as good as the squat like you thought it would be. Trial and error but, follow the guidelines and you will have an effective program.