1 New Exercise Program Tip – How To Ask

The Tip: Don’t ask your professional (trainer/specialist/etc.) to:

1. “Put together a quick program.”
2. “Just tell you what machines to do.”
3. “Just give you the best plan.”

If you ask your trainer to “just give you the exercises real quick,” and they do, then you are not getting the most out of your exercise opportunity.  

While exercise is generally good, the more specific your entire plan is tailored to you, the better. A generic, google workout, is not the most appropriate for you. Neither is your trainer’s workout, a hot celebrity’s, or your friend’s.  

Your workout should be created for you based on:

1. Where YOU are beginning  
2. Your injuries
3. Your capabilities
4. Your limitations
5. Your goals
6. Your adaptation abilities
7. Your joint health
8. Your range of motion opportunities
9. Your likes and dislikes
10. Your structural integrity

Your plan should be specific to you in terms of:

1. Exercises
   1. Ranges of motion
   2. Resistance type
   3. Combinations
   4. Order
2. Movement speed
3. Failure type
4. Rep range or rep time
5. Progression rate

That’s a lot of stuff, right? There’s even more. It takes a lot to create a great plan for you. The professional you’re working with needs to learn your body from multiple perspectives (physiological, neuromuscular, psychological, etc) and that may take a bit of time.  

If you’re a person with no present injuries, zero to few past injuries, no limitations or restrictions, you adapt very quickly to exercise and don’t have any clear, specific goals, then a generic plan may be best. Otherwise, you may need more.