There has never been more free training advice. Apps, videos and online plans will give you a workout for every day of the year. So why would anyone pay for a programme written just for them?
Generic plans are not bad. Plenty of people get started with one. But there are a few things they simply cannot do.
A generic plan does not know you
An app does not know that your left knee grumbles on lunges, that you have only got Tuesday and Thursday evenings plus Saturday morning, or that you have never done a deadlift. It gives everyone the same sessions and hopes for the best.
A tailored programme starts with a conversation. Your goals, your training history, your injuries, the equipment you can use and the time you really have. Then the plan is built around those things, not the other way round.
It starts at the right level
The most common mistake I see is starting too hard. A plan written for someone who has trained for years will leave a beginner sore, discouraged and back on the sofa by week three. Starting slightly easier than you could manage, and building from there, is far more likely to stick.
It changes as you do
Getting stronger depends on gradually asking a little more of your body. That might be a bit more weight, an extra rep or a harder version of an exercise. A tailored programme is reviewed and updated as you progress, so it keeps working. Repeat the same workouts for months and progress stalls.
And when life gets in the way
A busy week at work, a holiday, a cold or a sore shoulder. A good programme bends rather than breaks: a shorter session, a swap of exercise, a lighter week. That flexibility is a big part of what keeps people training for the long run.
Someone checks your technique
Videos are useful, but they cannot watch you. Small things like where your weight sits on your feet, how deep you squat or what your back does at the bottom of a lift make a big difference to how effective and comfortable an exercise is. That is where coaching sessions and a written plan work best together.
What goes into one of my programmes
- Every session written out: exercises, sets, reps, weights and rest
- Technique notes in plain English
- Space to record what you lift
- Changes as you get stronger, or when life gets busy
If you are not sure whether you need one, bring the question to your free first session. Sometimes the answer is a programme, sometimes it is a few coached sessions to get the basics right first.