Program Planning

Program design main goal

Create a safe, effective, individualized plan by matching exercise mode, frequency, intensity, duration, volume, rest, order, progression, and variation to the client’s goals and abilities.

Basic program design principles

Specificity, overload, variation, progression, and sequencing.

Specificity

Training adaptations are specific to the muscles, movements, energy systems, speeds, and modes trained.

Overload

The training stress must be greater than what the client is used to in order to cause adaptation.

Progression

Training stress is gradually increased or modified as the client adapts.

Variation

Planned changes in variables like volume, intensity, frequency, exercise selection, rest, and speed to prevent plateaus and overtraining.

Sequencing

Ordering training phases so one phase prepares the client for the next.

Periodization

Planned manipulation of training variables across time to improve outcomes and manage fatigue.

Macrocycle

The longest training cycle, usually the full program plan, often lasting several months to a year.

Mesocycle

A medium-length training block within the macrocycle, usually lasting several weeks and focused on a specific goal.

Microcycle

The shortest training cycle, usually one week or several training sessions.

How cycles impact periodization

Microcycles build mesocycles, mesocycles build the macrocycle, and each level controls planned variation and progression.

Information before resistance program design

Goals, health history, medical status, injury history, fitness assessment, resistance training status, technique skill, schedule, equipment, and recovery ability.

Information before aerobic program design

Goals, current fitness, exercise history, medical status, preferred activities, orthopedic limitations, available equipment, and current aerobic ability.

Resistance training status questions

Current participation, length of regular training, weekly frequency, workout intensity, and exercises performed with proper technique.

Primary resistance training goals

Muscular endurance, hypertrophy, muscular strength, and muscular power.

Primary aerobic training goals

Improve aerobic capacity, health, fat loss, endurance performance, or maintain current cardiovascular fitness.

Workout format

Can be one-on-one, small group, or group training depending on goals, supervision needs, safety, cost, and motivation.

Session length

Determined by goals, client fitness level, schedule, exercise type, warm-up, main work, rest intervals, and cool-down.

Warm-up purpose

Increases blood flow, raises heart rate gradually, reduces oxygen debt, prepares the nervous system, and increases muscle temperature.

Resistance warm-up

General warm-up plus specific lighter sets or movements that prepare the muscles and joints for the lifts.

Aerobic warm-up

Gradual progression from easy movement to the workout mode, such as walking to jogging to running.

Plyometric and speed warm-up

General warm-up plus low-intensity dynamic movements similar to the planned drills.

Cool-down purpose

Gradually lowers intensity and heart rate while helping the body transition out of exercise.

Aerobic cool-down

Reverse the warm-up progression, such as running to jogging to walking.

Resistance cool-down

Low-intensity movement and stretching can be used after the resistance session to restore ROM and reduce stiffness.

Flexibility timing

Stretch after a warm-up or after training when tissue temperature is elevated.

Flexibility exercise types

Static stretching, dynamic stretching, and PNF stretching.

Static stretching

Slow stretch held at mild discomfort, usually around 30 seconds.

Dynamic stretching

Controlled movement through ROM using activity-specific patterns without bouncing.

PNF stretching

Partner-assisted method combining passive stretching with active muscle actions, often hold-relax.

Ballistic stretching

Rapid bouncing stretch that is generally not recommended because it increases injury risk and stretch reflex activation.

Resistance exercise types

Core exercises, assistance exercises, structural exercises, and power or explosive exercises.

Core resistance exercise

Multijoint large-muscle exercise that should make up most of many programs.

Assistance resistance exercise

Single-joint smaller-muscle exercise used to isolate muscles, maintain balance, prevent injury, or support rehab.

Structural exercise

Core exercise that loads the spine, such as squat, deadlift, shoulder press, or power clean.

Power exercise

Fast structural exercise used to develop explosive force, such as power clean, power snatch, push press, or high pull.

Aerobic exercise modes

Machine modes and nonmachine modes.

Machine aerobic examples

Treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, stationary bike, rowing ergometer, semirecumbent bike, and upper body ergometer.

Nonmachine aerobic examples

Walking, running, swimming, cycling, water walking, skating, cardio kickboxing, step classes, and aerobic dance.

Mode selection rule

Choose exercise modes based on goals, specificity, preference, ability, injury history, equipment, and adherence.

Low-impact aerobic modes

Elliptical, stationary bike, semirecumbent bike, swimming, and aquatic exercise.

When low-impact modes are appropriate

For clients with obesity, arthritis, low back pain, or foot, knee, hip, ankle, or orthopedic limitations.

Sport-specific mode selection

Choose the mode that most closely matches the client’s sport or event.

Fat-loss mode selection

Multiple modes can work because total calorie expenditure and adherence matter more than one specific movement.

Exercise order in resistance training

Arrange exercises based on goals, fatigue, exercise type, complexity, and safety.

Resistance order method 1

Power exercises first, core exercises second, assistance exercises last.

Resistance order method 2

Multijoint exercises before single-joint exercises.

Resistance order method 3

Large-muscle exercises before small-muscle exercises.

Push-pull order

Alternate pushing and pulling exercises to manage fatigue and reduce repeated stress on the same muscles.

Upper-lower order

Alternate upper-body and lower-body exercises, often used in circuits or machine-based programs.

Compound set

Two exercises for the same muscle group performed consecutively without rest.

Super set

Two exercises for opposing muscle groups performed consecutively without rest.

Exercise component order in one session

High-skill or high-power work usually comes before fatiguing resistance or aerobic work.

Plyometric order

Plyometrics should usually be performed before other exercise because quality and technique matter most.

Speed training order

Speed drills should be performed when fresh so the client can move fast with good mechanics.

Aerobic after plyometrics

Longer aerobic endurance work should generally come after plyometrics if performed in the same session.

Resistance training frequency

Determined by training status, goal, volume, intensity, exercise selection, muscle groups trained, recovery, and schedule.

Beginner resistance frequency

Usually 2–3 sessions per week on nonconsecutive days.

Intermediate resistance frequency

Usually 3 sessions per week total-body or 4 sessions per week with a split routine.

Advanced resistance frequency

Usually 4–6 sessions per week, sometimes with multiple sessions in one day.

Same muscle recovery rule

Allow at least 1 day but no more than 3 days between workouts stressing the same muscle group.

Aerobic training frequency

Usually 2–5 sessions per week, with ACSM commonly recommending 3–5 days per week.

Too little aerobic frequency

Fewer than 2 days per week is usually not enough to develop and maintain fitness.

Beginner aerobic frequency

Start with the minimum realistic number of sessions and space them evenly.

Advanced aerobic frequency

More than 5 days per week may be possible if recovery and overuse risk are managed.

Plyometric frequency

Usually 1–3 sessions per week depending on intensity and training status.

Moderate plyometric frequency

Often 2 sessions per week is effective.

Speed training frequency

Athletes often use 2–4 sessions per week; nonathletes usually use 1–2 sessions per week.

Aerobic intensity

The difficulty of the aerobic session, commonly monitored by HRR, APMHR, RPE, METs, or talk test.

General aerobic HRR range

About 50–85% of heart rate reserve for healthy adults.

Deconditioned aerobic starting intensity

May start as low as about 30% HRR or 55–65% APMHR.

Percent APMHR method

Target HR = age-predicted max HR × desired intensity percentage.

Age-predicted max HR

220 minus age.

Karvonen formula

Target HR = [(max HR − resting HR) × intensity] + resting HR.

Heart rate reserve

Maximal heart rate minus resting heart rate.

RPE

Subjective rating of how hard exercise feels, used with HR to individualize intensity.

MET

Metabolic equivalent; 1 MET equals about 3.5 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption.

Resistance intensity

The load used, often expressed as percentage of 1RM or based on repetition maximum testing.

1RM

The maximum load a client can lift one time with proper technique.

Training to failure caution

Constant RM-to-failure loading can reduce adaptations and increase overtraining or injury risk.

Better resistance loading method

Use percentages of 1RM with planned variation instead of always training to failure.

Muscular endurance loading

Usually lighter loads with higher repetitions.

Hypertrophy loading

Moderate-to-high volume with moderate-to-heavy loads, commonly 6–12 reps.

Strength loading

Heavier loads with lower repetitions, usually 6 or fewer reps for core exercises.

Power loading

Moderate loads moved explosively, usually after a strength base is developed.

Aerobic duration guideline

Usually 20–60 minutes of continuous or accumulated intermittent exercise.

Intermittent aerobic bout minimum

At least 10 minutes when intensity is moderate to high.

Deconditioned duration strategy

Use several shorter bouts with rest until continuous exercise is tolerated.

Resistance session duration

Depends on number of exercises, sets, reps, rest intervals, goals, and supervision needs.

Aerobic duration-intensity relationship

Higher intensity can be sustained for less time, while lower intensity can be sustained longer.

Tempo

Speed of each phase of a resistance exercise repetition.

Tempo importance

Affects time under tension, control, technique, fatigue, and training outcome.

Time under tension

Total time a muscle is under load during eccentric, isometric, and concentric phases.

Volume load

Sets × reps × load.

Why volume load matters

It better represents total work than reps alone because it includes the resistance lifted.

Volume assignment factors

Goal, training status, exercise type, intensity, sets, reps, recovery, and total workload.

Single-set limitation

May work early for beginners but is usually inferior to multiple sets for long-term progress.

Rest interval

Time between sets, exercises, reps, or training bouts.

Endurance resistance rest

Usually short, often ≤30 seconds for circuit-based dissimilar muscle groups.