4 key aspects of a good training program

When it comes to getting stronger and building muscle, it is so important to follow a structured and intentional program. However, with more and more conflicting information online about the ‘perfect’ training split and what’s optimal or not, it can be hard to know what you should actually be doing. 

But don’t stress, I’m here to help gf! Here are 4 key aspects of a good quality program. If you focus on these 4 things, I promise you’ll see the results you’re chasing! 

Repetition

• A good program will follow a structure
• This means repeating the same sessions for a minimum of 4-6 weeks to allow yourself time to progress 
• It also means repetition between mesocycles (4-6 week blocks) so that you are continually improving over time
• Your program doesn't need to change that much between cycles. In fact, the more repetition, the better!

• Your program should be specific to your individual goals, training level, and lifestyle
• This means including appropriate exercises that are within your skill level and suit your desired goals

• This isn't so much about your program, but about how you actually perform your exercises
• Remember, our muscles grow as a response to training stimulus, so we need to give them a reason to grow by training with sufficient intensity 
• Make sure you are taking your working sets to around 1-3 reps away from failure (and train to failure if it's safe to do so)
• Aim to increase your weights, sets, reps or time under tension from week to week to ensure you are challenging yourself 

• Your program needs to have enough volume to stimulate muscle growth, but not too much volume that you are unable to recover
• Finding this 'Goldilocks zone' might take some trial and error, but for most people this will be between 3-6 sessions per week 
• Ensure you aren’t filling your sessions with unnecessary ‘junk’ volume 
• Focus on 1-2 main compound lifts per session, with 3-4 accessory/isolation exercises 
• Remember, more isn’t always better!

If you need more help designing your training program, that’s what we are here for! Get in touch with our team at hello@trainwithsoph.com to see how we can help you achieve your training goals today! 

Soph x