Basic guidelines:
Heavy weight training and/or explosive movements should be avoided with beginners. With beginning clients, performing more sets of lower reps is better because it increases motor skill development while encouraging less fatigue. Teaching form is of utmost importance no matter how experienced your client, because you can actually create faulty motor patterns if the form is not disciplined. Also, it is important to provide a thorough explanation of how and where cardio training fits into a resistance-training program.
Minimize the amount of exercises to be performed in each session. You are teaching proper mechanics, and repetition and practice is paramount -- if you do one to two sets of 15 different exercises, they will never master the form of any of them. There are no fixed guidelines on how many exercises you should include, because it will be established on the individual’s performance on that particular day. However, a good baseline is as follows: include full body movements as they progress from floor exercises and focus on mastering body weight before adding resistance.
Once a person has demonstrated they are ready to do more difficult exercises, start to incorporate multi-tasking exercises. Don’t do the same program for more than 4-6 weeks. You need to vary repetition ranges as well as the amount of sets, tempos and rest periods. Include super sets and tri-sets. While diversity is important, don’t change the workout every time. Basic structure and consistency is necessary and it will be impossible to track progressions if you do something off the top of your head every time you see them. The majority of the workouts should be uniform so that progress can be measured, and variety can be added so that the client is consistently challenged.
We wish to emphasize that the guidelines suggested here are simple in theory and presented as a starting point basis. This is not an all-inclusive approach to program design; in fact, our intent is to offer the fitness professional a foundation upon which to build. We offer more comprehensive, in-depth program design courses and provide suggestion reading/educational materials on our website (http://fitandfunctional.com)
Athlete program design guidelines
When designing a conditioning program for athletes, it is important to take into consideration the time of year it is for the athlete. Periods to take into account include off-season, pre-season, in-season, and post-season, with cycles or phases incorporated within each period. Workouts must accommodate the primary sport(s) in order to avoid over-training. Program design for athletes is similar to that for other individuals in that initial and on-going evaluations will determine the structure of the workouts and adjustments must be made accordingly.
Despite such similarities, all sports have different demands and training programs must take into account the dominant energy system utilized. Coaches frequently have athletes running long distances, which in many cases is counterproductive. Instructing a squash player to run five miles makes little sense when you consider the no squash course covers that distance! Cardio work should be done in intervals related to the sports demands and rest periods. Sport-specific drills should be a big part of the program and be based on athletic movements during game play. Below is a sample program for squash players who are new to weight training:
Off-season
Rep ranges: 6-10
Tempos: 4/0/1 and 3/0/x
Rest periods: 60-120 sec
How many days in the weight room per week? 4-5
Phase 1: Concentrate on gross movements and form with slower tempo.
Duration: 3-4 weeks
Phase 2: Gross movements at an explosive tempo – the focus is on power and explosion.
Exercises should increase in difficulty as time progresses.
Duration: Until pre season
Pre- season
Rep ranges: 6-8
Tempos: 3/1/1
Rest periods: 45-60 sec
How many days in the weight room per week? 3-4
Phase 1: Focus on power and building endurance strength. Variety can be implemented
with incorporation of bi-sets.
Duration: 3-4 weeks
Pre-season
Phase 2: Perfecting and getting ready to play. Drills will increase in intensity; heavy lifting will still be involved, but changes will be incorporated. Higher reps will be used with the power exercises, e.g., one gross exercise performed slightly heavy for 6 repetitions, followed by a 15-repetition of easier exercise.
Duration: 2 weeks
Rep ranges: 8-10
Tempos: 3/0/1
Rest periods: 60-90 sec
How many days in the weight room per week? 3
In-season
Rep ranges: 6-8
Tempos: 3/0/x or 3/0/1
Rest periods: 10- 45 sec
How many days in the weight room per week? 3 or from whatever the athlete can recover.
Phase 1: Adjusting to playing and training together. Continue explosive lifts but
decrease frequency and avoid high risk exercises. Shorten workouts slightly and avoid a
lot of aerobic activity.
Duration: 4-6 weeks
Phase 3: Usually occurs around crunch time or making it to postseason play. As a general rule it is prudent to keep the workouts to a moderate intensity and eliminate explosive weight training. Focus more on drills and explosive on-court movements. Increase time passively stretching the athlete.
Duration: until end of regular season
Post season
Rep ranges: 12-20
Tempos: 5/0/1
Rest periods: 30-120 sec depending on weaknesses
How many days in the gym per week? 3-4
Phase 1: Higher reps and low weights for recover, do not overdo it keep intensity around 65%. Do mostly stretching, dynamic on court movements and tons of foam rolling. The athlete is playing their hardest at this point the goal is recovery and remaining pain free.
Duration: until the end of the season. After their final match give the athlete a week or two to recover. Don’t do any weights just stretches and really basic simple movements.
