Notes on Training Program Structure and Prescription

Typical Training Program Structure

Five core elements often considered: warm-up, movement prep, power, maximal strength, and assistance lifts.
On any given training day you may or may not include all five elements. The key is to know the structure and the intended order when those elements are included.
Canonical order (when all elements are used): warm-up → movement prep → power → maximal strength → assistance. If you remove certain blocks (e.g., rotator cuff work or maximal strength), you still preserve the overall flow by sandwiching the remaining components in their logical order, but you should not flip the order just to fit other activities.
Rationale for the structure:
- Warm-up and movement prep are not just prep; they’re an opportunity to improve movement patterns and competency.
- Power work should be done when fresh to maximize velocity and reduce injury risk.
- Fatigue from earlier work (e.g., hypertrophy or strength work) can blunt power output and increase injury risk in highly technical lifts.
- Proper sequencing supports specific adaptations and safety.

Warm-up and Movement Prep: Key Role

Warm-up/movement prep is not merely inactivity to “get hot.” It’s a targeted window to improve movement patterns identified in assessments.
If a client shows weaknesses in certain movements (e.g., walking lunges), use the warm-up and movement prep to practice those patterns with variations (e.g., walking lunge variations) to raise skill and technique before heavier work.
Example: If movement competency is generally strong but three movements are weaker (except walking lunge), emphasize walking lunge variations during warm-up to reduce skill gaps while still allowing time for strength and power work.

Power Work: Why Placement Matters

Power exercises include jumps, Olympic lifts, and any tasks aiming to move loads rapidly.
They should be performed early in the session because:
- They rely on fresh neuromuscular sites and high neural drive.
- Fatigue reduces velocity and quality, diminishing power adaptations.
Common pitfall: placing power after hypertrophy or strength work leads to suboptimal adaptations and higher injury risk due to fatigue.
Example: Box jumps illustrate the principle—success depends on speed off the ground; prior fatiguing work reduces this ability, compromising training quality.
Technical lifts (e.g., Olympic lifts) carry higher injury risk if technique degrades due to fatigue; thus maintaining low fatigue during power work is critical.

Decision Tree for Prescribing Programs (Outline)

Start with the top gray box: identify adaptations you’re seeking from assessments and client/athlete conversations.
Tailor to the individual: adaptation goals drive exercise choice and progression.
Example: Bilateral squat
- If movement competency is great and isometric mid-thigh pull is ~3.5× body weight, prioritize maximal strength with a squat variation (front squat/back squat).
Upper body pulling example
- If the client cannot perform pull-ups yet:
- If technique is the issue: deload and technique work using easier variations (e.g., inverted rows with technique focus).
- If technique is fine but strength is lacking: progress pulling capacity (e.g., start with inverted rows and increase reps: 3×7 → 3×8 → 3×9 → 3×20) and then introduce pull-up progressions (band-assisted, etc.).
Once the adaptation target is defined, select the specific exercises to match that adaptation, then determine sets and reps.
Load prescription options:
- Percent of 1RM (e.g., P\%\text{ of }1\text{RM}) or other standard load plans.
- Self-regulating or autoregulation methods (flexible loading based on daily readiness).
After sets/reps and loading, consider other program variables (rest periods and tempo) to fine-tune adaptations.
Note: These concepts and the decision framework were covered previously (October). If you need a refresher, revisit that content or request it via email.

Exercise Selection: Four Main Justifications

To increase skill or movement competency (movement patterns and control).
To achieve a specific adaptation (targeted capacity like maximal strength, hypertrophy, etc.).
To address muscle balance (anticipate and correct regional strength imbalances; e.g., add direct hamstring work if anterior dominance from squats is evident).
Relevance to sport or activity (exercise selection tied to the athlete’s goal or sport demands).
Practical note: Load tends to reveal weaknesses; ensure balance across the kinetic chain to avoid missing weak points.

Strength Subtypes and Their Target Rep Ranges

Primary strength subtypes:
- Muscular endurance
- Hypertrophy (increase muscle size)
- Maximal strength (maximum force capability)
- Power (speed-strength integration)
Representative rep ranges (how many reps to emphasize for each adaptation):
- Maximal strength: 1 \text{-} 6\ \text{reps}
- Power: 1 \text{-} 5\ \text{reps}
- Hypertrophy: 6 \text{-} 12\ \text{reps}
- Muscular endurance: 12\ +\ \text{reps}
How to interpret the chart:
- The adaptation you’re targeting is strongest in the rep range where the word (range) appears largest on the chart; that’s where you’ll gain the most for that capacity.
Practical takeaway for prescribing loads:
- If the focus is maximal strength, avoid prescribing high-rep sets like 12 or 15; focus on 1 \text{-} 6 reps with heavier loads to maximize neural and force production adaptations.
- For power development, emphasize lower rep ranges (closer to 1 \text{-} 5) with high velocity, while controlling technique and safety.

Common Mistakes and Practical Tips

Common mistake: Calling a session “power work” but prescribing many reps (e.g., 12 reps) for power movements.
- This undermines the adaptation target for power, which is best achieved with a low-rep, high-velocity approach.
Do not assume a one-size-fits-all order; adjust for the day’s goals and the athlete’s readiness, but maintain the core logic of warm-up → movement prep → power → strength → assistance when all elements are used.
Always consider movement quality and injury risk with highly technical lifts; fatigue can degrade technique and increase injury risk.
Progressions should be logical and based on the adaptation you’re pursuing (e.g., in the inverted row example, move from technique/deloading to higher reps and then to band-assisted pull-ups as needed).

Example Progressions and Scenarios

Inverted row progression (upper body pulling):
- Start: 3×7 → 3×8 → 3×9 → 3×20, then introduce pull-up variations (band-assisted, etc.)
Pull-up progressions: band-assisted pull-ups or negative reps as technique and strength improve.
Leg press/front squat/back squat progression would be chosen based on the bilateral squat adaptation outcome (e.g., if maximal strength is the target and movement competency is solid, move toward a front squat or back squat with appropriate loading).
Walking lunge variations during warm-up to address movement pattern deficiencies observed in assessments.

Safety, Implementation, and Real-World Relevance

The order and emphasis described are designed to maximize performance adaptations while minimizing injury risk and inefficient training time.
Practical relevance: This structure aligns with how programs are commonly organized in real-world coaching to balance skill, strength, power, and sport-specific demands.
Ethical and practical considerations: Ensure proper supervision and technique when introducing high-load or high-velocity lifts; adjust for individual readiness and any medical or biomechanical constraints.

Quick Reference: Key Formulas and Guidelines

Load prescription options:
- Percent of 1RM: \%\ of\ 1\,\mathrm{RM}
- Self-regulating methods (autoregulatory) for day-to-day readiness.
Core rep-range mapping for adaptations:
- Maximal strength: 1 \le n \le 6\,\text{reps}
- Power: 1 \le n \le 5\,\text{reps}
- Hypertrophy: 6 \le n \le 12\,\text{reps}
- Muscular endurance: n \ge 12\,\text{reps}
Example statement to remember: If you want to improve maximal strength, you need heavier loads and lower reps (around 1 \text{-} 6) rather than high-rep sets (e.g., 12-15 reps).