How much & how often you need to train
Once you understand the fundamentals of programming, it’s time to get more specific.
(Starting from scratch? Check out our previous article on programming fundamentals, workout volume and frequency, and exercise selection.
Here is a 6-point framework to further break down all the moving parts of program design.
1. Session frequency
This is the number of workouts done in a week.
Is there an optimal training frequency?
Yes and no. It's more about your goal and your ability to follow your program.
For body composition specific outcomes, a workout frequency of 4-5 times per week is best, but you could achieve decent results on three if necessary (or start there and build up). The lower the frequency, the more carefully you need to consider what work you do in each session.
For hypertrophy or hybrid phases, you could have a workout frequency of 4-5 days per week.
For strength specific outcomes, a frequency of 3-5 sessions can be used but this is influenced by the phase of training.
Strength accumulation phases - you could have a workout frequency of 3-4 days and for a peak phase, you could also have a workout frequency of 3-4 days.
2. The goal of programming
This is where you decide the objective of your program.
Are you trying to achieve strength or are you working on body composition?
The goal of the program will influence the amount of total work you do and details like rep ranges and rest periods.
Examples:
Body composition specific goal: Rep ranges of 6-15 reps will be most effective, with a frequency of 4 or 5 sessions per week.
Strength specific goal (Accumulation or strength building): Reps will be more in the range of 3-8, even 3-10 reps, with a frequency of 3 to 4 days per week.
3. Total work allocation and distribution
This is where you decide how much total work (sets and reps) will be done across the week and where the work will be distributed.
Example:
Beginner trainee, body composition goal (glutes, shoulder development): 80 sets per week, split over 5 sessions. Roughly 16 sets per session (each session doesn’t have to be the same). 24 of those 80 sets might be used for glutes and shoulders, for example. This will leave 44 sets to distribute across the rest of your body.
4. Weekly session plan
You now need to decide how your workouts are going to be distributed across the week. This is vital because you have to consider recovery from session to session, to ensure optimal performance.
5. Exercise order and selection
Now it’s time to consider how the session is going to play out, remembering the goal of the program and the objective of the workout.
Examples:
Strength accumulation phase, squat session: You may have a warm-up and preparation phase then squat immediately after so fatigue is low and performance is high. Alternating the primary lift with another movement pattern, as shown below, is a common strategy to increase performance across the session.
Body comp, glutes / shoulder focused program: You may want glute and shoulder work done at the beginning of the session to maximise effort and performance.
6. Effort / Fatigue management / Program length
There is a direct relationship between effort and fatigue. When effort is increased, fatigue will rise and when effort decreases, fatigue will not be as noticeable.
It’s important to consider the appropriate level of effort to induce the desired adaptation. It is also important to consider how to manage fatigue, especially in the early stages of a program.
Use the RIR scale to set appropriate levels of effort depending on movements, reps, and stage of the mesocycle.
(For body composition clients, train close to or at failure point for the majority of your time.)
For more on how to take your training and results to the next level, check out episode 39 of the STCfit Podcast.
