One of the tougher ideas for newer clients to grasp is what counts as training effort. A few extreme athletes may think a workout only counts if it leaves them utterly wiped out, but most people underestimate what it really takes to put in meaningful effort during a session. That level of effort is what leads to consistent results. The missing piece for many trainees (and why they don’t make progress) is a clear understanding of what effort is and the different kinds you can use. This guest post from Boston-based strength and conditioning coach Dr. Michelle Boland helps shed light on the topic.
Building your sessions around effort
Are you routinely having to hold clients back from pushing too hard? Probably not. Effort is one of the most important factors for client and athlete success, but it’s also one of the hardest things to elicit from the people you coach. So, how often do you consider it, teach it, and program for it? As coaches, we want to ensure our clients’ effort matches our goals for them. If we want Karen to gain strength, there needs to be a difference between the weights she uses for a 5-rep set and a 15-rep set. Those two repetition schemes require different levels of effort. We need to teach Karen how to choose the right amount of weight, what the different kinds of effort feel like, and why they matter. Progress in the weight room can be guided by four specific types of effort: substantial effort, sustainable effort, sprint effort, and reset effort.
When working with general population clients, prescribing a fixed number of repetitions isn’t always the best way to get results. Instead, cue different efforts and select exercise variations that allow them to express that effort. For example, if you want Karen to row for 10 minutes at a steady pace, she can’t start sprinting and gas out 30 seconds in. She needs to learn how to maintain her pace for the full duration and avoid finishing overly fatigued. Hard work and effort come in different forms and aren’t always about maximum exertion. The more Karen understands this, the better she can perform the exercises you select with the right weights and the right amount of effort, leading to the best results. Now, let’s dive into the four types of effort and how you can cue exercises and choose variations accordingly.
Substantial effort
Think about the effort you’d need to lift a car off your child. It should be challenging and deliberate, and you may need to tell your client to prepare for real work. A practical way to teach substantial effort is to use separated repetitions. This doesn’t mean max weight; it means letting your client prepare for a significant exertion without using a rebound or momentum off the ground. For example, with a deadlift, cue the client to keep their hands on the bar and let it rest on the ground between reps. For unilateral moves, take a brief break between sides. For example, perform a heavy split squat for 5 reps with the right leg forward, set the weights down to regroup, then complete 5 reps with the left leg forward. Keep repetitions low (roughly 2–5), the speed slow, and the weight relatively high. Substantial efforts align with the adaptive fitness quality of max strength.
Sustainable effort
Think about speed walking—harder than regular walking but maintainable for a long time. Sustainable efforts should feel like they can be continued for a long duration and kept steady. A coaching strategy is to cue the client to tap-and-go without resting the bar on the ground. For unilateral moves, don’t take a break between sides: perform 8 reps with the right leg forward, switch legs, and then 8 reps with the left leg forward, keeping the effort continuous. Keep the repetitions moderate to high in the 6–30 range. This broad range helps general population clients build an aerobic base, volume tolerance, and familiarity with weight ranges. Sustainable efforts relate to the fitness qualities of strength endurance and hypertrophy. The speed should be moderate—too slow and you’ll lose engagement; too fast and you won’t last.
Sprint effort
Think about running as fast as you can. Sprint efforts should feel powerful and quick. To program sprint efforts, create challenges like a Cone Stack Drill, use velocity-tracking tools if available, or unload with bands. A coaching strategy is to cue the client to push the ground away and stand tall during the lift’s ascent. With a deadlift, the emphasis is on pulling from the floor, while lowering the bar at a self-selected pace. For unilateral moves, maintain continuity between sides. Keep repetitions low to moderate (2–8) and use lighter weights—the goal is speed, not sheer load. Cue your client to move fast, push the ground away, and get off the ground quickly. Sprint efforts develop speed and power; get your clients moving fast.
Reset effort
Think of a light switch with an on and off mode. A reset effort is about replicating substantial efforts. Why is this separate from substantial efforts? Substantial efforts focus on a single max attempt, while reset efforts focus on a client’s ability to repeat high levels of effort. Use the rest period to regroup and recover. A cluster set is a practical way to teach reset efforts: perform 3 substantial-effort reps, rest for 20–30 seconds, then perform another 3, rest again, and then finish with 3 more. Rest should be a true rest, not another exercise. For unilateral work, complete all repetitions on one side within the cluster before moving to the other side, and definitely take a break between sides. Example: 3 substantial-effort reps with the right leg forward, rest, then repeat on the right again, and finally move to the left side after a longer rest. The goal is to replicate high effort across repeated efforts.
Summary
Teaching and cueing effort helps you get the most from your clients. You’ll be better able to match exercise selection with their output and goals, and you’ll help them understand when and how to express different kinds of effort. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to email mboland@michelleboland-training.com. If you enjoyed the exercise videos in this article, check out the MBT Exercise Database for 1,200 more videos to use in your programming and to expand your exercise options.
