A Proven Training Template—and How to Stick With It

  •  in Training
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Last week I contrasted some high-level differences in the approach between and results from exercising vs. training.

I also mentioned that this week I’d offer two main ideas: first, a template that you can use to implement a successful training plan and, second, a strategy to reduce boredom and add excitement to the process.

While training plans can be implemented for almost any type of intentional fitness activity, strategies will vary depending on the activity’s general category:

  • Strengthening (weight training for strength, power, work tolerance, muscle-building)
  • Conditioning (running, hiking, biking, swimming)
  • Skill development (individual and team sports and other activities)

The template below is one of many strategies best used for the strengthening category.

Conditioning strategies are an entirely different topic which I’ll save for future tips. For skill development, listen to what your sports coach says. And for weight management/body composition goals, use the template and second idea below along with even minor modifications to your nutrition habits—again, topics for another day!

A proven training template

Making long-term progress on your strength (and, indirectly, body composition) goals boils down to sequentially manipulating one of three variables and then repeating the process. Those three variables are:

  • Volume: the total number of repetitions performed for a given movement during a single session
  • Density: the amount of time in which you complete the total volume
  • Intensity: the amount of weight lifted in relation to the maximum amount of weight you could lift, usually for 1 rep, for the movement

To create a training plan, pick one to a few exercises and, for each exercise, progress through the variables in the following format:

Volume

  1. Choose a weight with which you can perform 5–10 repetitions—your “rep max” or “RM”—for the given exercise.
  2. During your first training session of the week—your “heavy” day—perform sets of half your RM (e.g. 3 sets of 5 reps, or 3×5, with a weight that you could do for 10 reps). Rest 2–3 minutes between sets.
  3. Stop for the day when you think that you’ll be unable to successfully complete the next set; calculate the total number of reps performed (e.g. 5×5 = 25 total reps).
  4. During your second session of the week, do 80% of the total reps from the first session (e.g. 4×5 or 5×4 = 20 total reps, or 80% of 25). If you do a third session, which is completely optional, do 60% of the total reps from the first session.
  5. On subsequent weeks, repeat steps 2–4. When your heavy day’s total reps equal or surpass five times your max reps with the chosen weight, move on to the Density progression. (e.g. You did 10×5 = 50 total reps with a weight that you could do for 10 reps at the beginning of the program.)

Density

  1. Continue to do 100% of the total reps (e.g. 50, in the example above) on your heavy day and 80% and 60% on your subsequent one or two training days each week. Time yourself on your heavy day.
  2. Each subsequent heavy day, aim to beat your time from the previous week.
  3. When you fail to complete the reps in less time than the previous week for two weeks in a row, move on to the Intensity progression.

Intensity

  1. This progression is simple: Choose a heavier weight, test your RM, and start over with the Volume progression!

How to make training more interesting

Following the template above produces fairly consistent, long-term progress because of the sheer amount of repetition that you’ll be doing for a given movement.

The downside is that repetition for repetition’s sake quickly leads to boredom. If you don’t have a strong reason for sticking to the plan when boredom occurs, you probably won’t. (That’s nothing against you; it’s just human nature!)

So the best way to motivate yourself to stick to a repetitive training plan is to have a strong reason for doing so. Based on years of both personal experience and observing when others stick to or abandon training plans, one of the strongest reasons for consistently showing up is this:

Participate in an active hobby that you enjoy, and recognize how the benefits derived from following a training plan make participating in the active hobby easier.

That active hobby can be any of the following:

  • Common sport (golf, basketball, volleyball)
  • Sanctioned event or challenge (5k or adventure race, IronMan)
  • Physical challenge (climbing a mountain, hiking a national park)
  • Recreational activity (pickleball, dancing, gardening, bicycling)
  • Martial art (jiu jitsu, judo, tae kwon do)
  • Or any other activity that requires you to use your physical abilities

You don’t even need to be particularly good at the activity. It simply needs to be something in which you participate regularly (at least weekly) and look forward to doing.

For the record, looking and feeling better seem to be far more temporary motivators than most people imagine. They’re fine goals, but they’re not exactly fun. And fun seems to be the key motivator.

Putting it into practice

While all of this may seem like a big time commitment, it doesn’t need to be. Being physically active to some degree on six or seven days each week is certainly an option (one which you may or may not find yourself implementing at some point in the future).

However, two or three days each week is a great starting point. For example: Monday (training: heavy day), Thursday (training: light day, optional), Saturday (activity: fun day).

The keys to progress, in no particular order, are: fun, consistency, and repetition. Implementing the two ideas above will give you all three keys and produce a surprising amount of progress and enjoyment for years to come.