Why You Need A Training Program - Coach Luke
Why You Need A Training Program
Having a training program is probably the simplest and most effective way to get results yet most gym goers don’t have one.
In my experience I have found that most people have an idea about what they’re going to do at the gym, however don’t know the details or variables of their workout. A typical example of this is when a guy comes into the gym on let’s say a Monday and has the idea to train their chest, i.e. ‘Chest Day’ or ‘Chest Mondays’. They will either;
- Continue with the same routine that they’ve been doing for months if not years, lifting the same weights, with the same rep ranges, same total sets, same tempo (or no tempo).
- Change exercises, change rep and set ranges, tempos, rest periods to regularly, e.g. week to week, with the idea of just trying to get a pump
Now you can get results on this type of training, however results are often slow, non sustainable and will often plateau quickly. Why…Because there is no specificity and progressive overload. Specificity and Progressive Overload are the key training principles in order to get the results wanted.
Specificity: Training a specific way to to elicit a targeted outcome. For example strength training for a power lifting competition.
Progressive Overload: A gradual increase in training stress (intensity and/or volume) with adequate rest to allow for adaptation. Overload can be progressed through; the weight lifted (intensity), the number of sets and or reps completed (volume), the tempo of the movements (time under tension), the rest periods or the number of training sessions per day or week (frequency).
So going back to the example of ‘Chest Day’ let’s apply these training principles with the goal to build a stronger and bigger chest.
