How I write Programs: Episode 1 - The Overview

I'm sure I've done something like this before. This process is evolving all the time. Not a lot has changed, but there's always a new "twist" as I try to improve what I do. My latest "improvement" is due to an intern that actually wants to be a strength coach. She's not just in here because she wants an easy grade. She's a Cheerleader and asked if she could run the Cheer workouts for the groups that she isn't in. She killed that, so I decided to teach her how to program. Here's what I came up with. Things to Cover

1. Warm-up (General/Body Awareness/Jumping)
2. Strength (Squat/Hinge/Push/Pull/Brace)
3. Mobility

The template I gave her is my basic Main Lift/Supplemental Lift/Circuit set-up. I kept the exercise choices very limited. Main Lift Choices

• Power (Hang Clean, Push Press)
• Lower Strength (Squat, Trap Bar)
• Upper Strength (Bench/Incline)

Supplemental Lift Choices

• Lower Strength (Front Squat, SSB, Trap Bar)
• Upper Strength - Push (Close-grip Bench, Close-grip Incline, Press)
• Upper Strength - Pull (Pull-ups, DB Row)

Circuit: 3 Rounds

• Lower Opposite (RFESS, Lateral Squat, RDL)
• Upper Push (DB Bench, DB Incline, DB Press, Push-ups, Dips)
• Upper Pull (DB Row, Pull-ups, Fat Man Rows)

Abs (Weighted Sit-ups, Rollouts, Hanging Leg Raise) This is an overly simplified exercise selection, but I wanted her to learn how to put a workout together as well as learn how to coach a few lifts. My thought is, if she only has a few lifts to coach she can learn what to look for as far as making corrections to technique goes. These are also lifts that she has done consistently for 4 years, so she knows how to do them, herself. If there are a ton of exercises it's hard to learn the nuances of each lift and how to correct them. Once she shows she can watch lifters and find flaws we can add a few more exercises to the pool. As far as what type of cycle it is will be based on time of year and proximity to competition season. Cheer doesn't have their Nationals until May. This is going to be a Strength/Hypertrophy type cycle. Basically, powerbuilding at its finest. In Episode 2 I'll go into sets and reps and some of those ideas.