There are a lot of factors to consider when designing your training program.
Which exercises to include, the set and rep ranges, and the order of said exercises are all important components, for sure.
None of those are the primary reason that I see people fall short in seeing results from their training, though.
The most important piece of the program puzzle is how you do the stuff in there.
4 Coaching and Program Design Digressions by Tony Gentilcore
Whether you coach others or just train yourself, Tony hits on 4 practical components of program design, as well as how to adjust your program when you’re feeling less than stellar and need to back off a bit.
A well executed set of strict chin ups is a thing of beauty.
But like white whales, unicorns, and mermaids, they’re rare to see in the flesh.
The problem most people have is they take every single set of chin ups to absolute failure, then kick, swing, or “walk the imaginary stairs,” to try to squeak one more ugly one out.
You wouldn’t do this on presses, rows, or deadlifts, but for whatever reason, this is how I see most people eek out their chins every time they grab a bar.
And they never get any better at them.
The Two Keys to Permanent Fat Loss by Dr. Jade Teta
Losing fat isn’t easy by any stretch, but it’s not a complicated formula, either. Create a calorie deficit, strength train to maintain your muscle, and get shredded, right?
Unfortunately 90%+ people who lose weight gain it back within a few years. Why? Because they aren’t adhering to these 2 principles.
Most people only train the muscles they can see in the mirror.
Chest, biceps, abs. Maybe quads. That’s a big maybe. Most guys just opt to wear pants instead.
But if you want to look like you actually lift, it’s the muscles you can’t see that matter most.
Lats, upper back, traps. These are the muscles that need to be trained effectively if you want to look and perform at your best.