Last week I got an email from Jon Goodman. I half-expected an invite to Toronto for a weekend of Jean Claude Van Damme movies, but that wasn’t it. Fingers crossed for next time. Instead Jon asked if I’d be interested in him writing an article for my site about his new free program-writing software for coaches. Yes, absolutely.
Jon is well known for giving away things he could charge for, and he’s had a strong positive influence on the industry by lifting others up. He’s worth checking out.
The Ultimate Five-Step Guide to Progressing a Client Workout
Note from TG: It’s not about spotting someone as in the photo above. This is one of my biggest gym pet peeves. There are limits to what images like that should represent, and the message matters more than the pose.
Most workout programs run for about a month, but changing things up for no reason after four weeks isn’t ideal. My programs don’t start and stop; they evolve. Every four weeks I review, assess, and adjust the plan with the aim of keeping things fun while applying progressive overload. Here’s how I think about progressing workouts.
My goal is hypertrophy. I run a four-week cycle with three different workouts, repeated twice a week, for a total of 24 sessions. The split is:
– Legs and shoulders
– Chest and back
– Arms and core
To start, I pull up my completed workouts using my free QuickCoach.Fit software for coaches.
Exercise flow: Did anything not work?
On day one I do barbell Romanian deadlifts, which hit my hamstrings hard. On day two I do barbell bent-over rows. Training with heavy rows when my hamstrings are sore isn’t ideal, since the aim is back work, not core stability. So I’ll switch to a bench-supported dumbbell row from now on. The sets, reps, and overall variables (I use RPE) stay the same. When evolving a program, you might change the exercise selection or grip, but the volume, order, tempo, and other core variables stay put. Otherwise, the flow was solid.
Stalling: Is anything important not progressing?
I monitor progress on 2–3 key exercises, usually large multi-joint moves. Right now the focus is on incline barbell bench press and barbell Romanian deadlift. QuickCoach’s Past Performance tab shows progress on the bench press has stalled, possibly because I started this phase after a layoff and pushed weights up quickly at first. Given that, I’m not changing anything for this phase. The Romanian deadlift is still progressing well, so I’ll keep it. Four weeks isn’t long in fitness, and changing things too soon would be a mistake.
Limitations: Is anything outside of our control affecting programming?
Life is busy: I have a five-month-old and train at a nearby community center. The dumbbells top out at 55 pounds, which isn’t heavy enough for a traditional pressing movement. So I’ll use higher-rep, alternating dumbbell presses to increase time under tension. It isn’t ideal, but it’s the right plan for this moment. The best program for a client is one that fits their life at the time, even if it isn’t the ultimate or “perfect” exercise.
Boredom: Is the client bored or do they hate anything?
A trainer isn’t the boss when it comes to the client’s experience—the client is. It’s fine to change things because a client is bored, as long as the changes still support their goals. If they dislike certain movements, there’s usually a good alternative. For me, cable ab crunches felt odd, so I swapped in ab wheel rollouts. I don’t love Russian twists, so I replaced them with side planks. I also swapped chest flys from cables to dumbbells as noted in an earlier plan.
Moving forward: How should I progress the program for next month?
I follow a four-week undulating periodization plan. Week one is a deload, followed by higher volume, then higher intensity. Week 1: three sets at an RPE of 8. Week 2: four sets. Week 3: RPE 9. Week 4: RPE 9.5, then a deload and repeat. This approach has helped me progress without burning out. If life didn’t include family and a business to run, I might push harder, but the monthly deload helps keep things in check.
Twenty-four workouts ready to go
As a coach, I can reorder and edit everything on the coach side, and it updates in real time for clients. When training, I open the client link on my phone and move to the next plan, and I’m ready to go. The client sees a clean, organized plan and can follow along.
I even recorded myself building this entire phase in real time, exercise by exercise, using QuickCoach. If you’re curious, you can watch the walkthrough and hear my thinking as I go.
About QuickCoach
The software is built by coaches for coaches and works for fitness, nutrition, habits, physiotherapy, chiropractic care, and running—both in person and online. Join thousands of other trainers and start a free account at QuickCoach.Fit to experiment with it yourself.
A few reflections
Sharing my thought process in this way feels a bit wild, and I’m still wondering if this officially makes me an Internet Fitness Pro. For now, I’m glad to offer a window into how I design and evolve programming, and I hope it helps you think about your own approach.
About the author
Jonathan Goodman has 17 years in the fitness industry and is the author of Ignite the Fire. His current project focuses on free software for fitness and nutrition coaches: QuickCoach.Fit. You can follow him on Instagram, where he’s active with a large community of trainers. And yes, kipping pull-ups are a thing.
