Note to readers: This is a re-post of a blog I wrote in 2017. It’s still solid. You should read it.
There aren’t many topics harder to write about than program design. In the world of health and fitness and helping people raise their overall level, program design can be a tough topic to explain. It often feels like a rabbit hole full of compliments-to-noise and people getting hung up on the little things.
I don’t know exactly how many sets a client should do, or how many reps. And I don’t know whether back squats or front squats are a better fit. The answer to any programming question will always be, “it depends.”
No, I’m not saying program design is dumb or useless. Of course it matters. Any personal trainer or coach should be competent in that area and have a solid set of skills. A skill set that helps you reduce excess body fat and fix weak lifting technique.
There aren’t many things more rewarding and frustrating than writing training programs for people. Emotions can swing from “I nailed it; this client might go to the Olympics” to “I messed this up.” If we’re honest, writing programs for people is largely hypothetical. It’s mostly a guessing game.
I could think of a few things more hypothetical than writing programs for people: a Sasquatch, a 14-hour orgasm, lightsabers, or a truly great Transformers movie. Sets, reps, which exercises to do, and in what order—all of it feels like, “this will work.” Hopefully your guesses come from some real knowledge tailored to each client’s goals, needs, and experience.
There are many factors to consider when writing a program. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Books exist on this stuff, and people earn advanced degrees in it. One of my all-time favorites is Christian Thibaudeau’s Black Book of Training Secrets.
I’m not going to dive into the nitty-gritty here. I’ll unpack that later. But there are several tenets of program design that most people accept, including periodization.
Periodization is the organization of the training process — basically how training volume and intensity vary over time. It can be organized with microcycles (short), mesocycles (medium), or macrocycles (long).
Mesocycles, typically 2–8 weeks, are the most common. They can be broken into phases:
1) Doing Stuff (general physical preparation): focus on improving range of motion, flexibility, strengthening weak muscle groups, fixing movement quality, and teaching proper technique on certain exercises.
2) Specific Physical Preparation (SPP): many people will stay in this phase. It can focus on accumulation (more volume) or intensification (more intensity), depending on the goals.
3) Specific Training Phase: usually reserved for athletes, honing in on the sport’s specific demands, including exercise choice, movement speed, and energy systems.
4) Competitive Phase: in-season training, which often differs from off-season in frequency and intensity.
Types of periodization
Credit for many of these descriptions goes to Joe Dowdell’s Program Design Manual.
1) Sequential Method (Linear): uses specific time intervals to develop a single goal or quality. This is common for beginners or those recovering from injury. Long linear methods start with higher volume and lower intensity, then progress to higher intensity as volume decreases. Short linear methods use 1–3 weeks to fix weaknesses and prevent de-training. Think of it as Preparation → Hypertrophy → Strength → Power → Competition → Active Rest. It’s not the best fit for more advanced lifters who need to train multiple qualities at once.
2) Undulation Method: popular and useful with many clients. You rotate through different workouts in a cycle, changing rep ranges or exercises. For example:
– Day 1: Heavy—low reps with heavier loads
– Day 2: Medium—classic hypertrophy ranges
– Day 3: Light—higher reps
This can be done daily or weekly. It keeps training fresh and gives variety.
3) Concurrent Method: trains multiple qualities in a given period. Westside Barbell and CrossFit are common examples. Westside uses max effort, repetition, and dynamic effort methods; CrossFit uses moves like wall balls and kipping pull-ups and AMRAP workouts.
4) Conjugate Method: a variant of concurrent programming that still trains several qualities but with a primary focus while maintaining others with lower volume.
5) Block Periodization: a linear sequence of blocks that emphasize several abilities at once. For high-level athletes, one quality is dominant (for example, maximal strength) with a secondary focus on another, all within a series of meso-cycles:
Accumulation (4 weeks) — build basic abilities like general endurance, strength, and movement quality
Transformation/Intensification (4 weeks) — develop more specific abilities like anaerobic endurance and technique
Realization (2 weeks) — pre-competition, focusing on maximum speed and recovery
The Training Hour Pie
If you have a finite amount of time with a client—say 60–90 minutes—structure the session to fit the person’s goals and needs and prioritize a portion of the pie accordingly. That’s the core of good program design.
A common day-to-day breakdown looks like this:
– Soft tissue work: 5–10 minutes
– Mobility and dynamic warm-up: 5–10 minutes
– Central nervous system, reactive, or speed work: 10–15 minutes
– Strength work: 30–40 minutes
– Energy system work: 10 minutes
– Recovery and regeneration: 5–10 minutes
Netflix and chill: optional (but not really)
Time spent on each part will vary from person to person. Some may need more work on tissue quality, others more conditioning. Still, most sessions should follow this flow, with you as the coach filling in the details.
Bottom line
When I’m asked to speak to undergraduates or young fitness professionals, I often hesitate before discussing program design. They want the big idea now. It’s unrealistic to expect a single answer. Mastery doesn’t come from lectures or seminars alone; it comes from doing.
Reading and talking and even debating are useful—part of the process of turning pro. But they don’t replace real-world practice. The guts to break the inertia of inaction, to stop talking and start doing, is what leads to real progress—and, yes, to not sucking as a coach.
That’s how you move from theory to results.
