All the rage today is about programing and how a consistent routine with specific weights selected, specific exercises are selected and incorporated into the workout. Movements in the right order, will produce results such as building base level strength with a particular lift, such as a clean or general strength that touches upon the full body or strengthening specific muscle and gets it ready for a more specific program.This means to develop the core fundamental movements that you can kind of test but not too early on, in a program. A program is geared to someone new to training in a gym or just new to lifting with a heavier barbell based style program.
Let’s talk about programs in general and what they can do.First off they are not random and varied.The body moves in certain planes of motion which can vary between each individual. No matter what the plane or range of motion is. The way we use the movement patterns are fundamentally the same. The equipment used can be random such as dumbbells,kettle bells, barbells, sandbags, med balls, bands, but again the all motions will be quite similar to a certain extent, but utilize a specific feel on the body which will allow the muscles to be stimulated in various positions. A key to choreographing all these great tools into a program is to ask yourself are they necessary, convenient, do they help build ultimate strength, are they productive, are they safe for the athlete/client. A program that selects movements that are the best fit for the client/athlete to produce the best results.
Sometimes when starting a program there will be issues such as flexibility/mobility or an old injury which limits range of motion. So instead of doing a full clean from the ground they just utilize a power clean. A full clean requires a squat to pull under the bar for a catching or receiving position. Another example will be using dumbbell’s to do an overhead strict press rather a barbell strict which sometimes can be difficult for a person to get the barbell to rack on the shoulders. This could be tight lats, tight upper back, tight wrist and forearms. These issues can be addresses and the movements will be modified to get the most out of the client/athlete to still gain strength is that movement or position.
Utilizing a program also allows for linear progression with either the movement, skill or weight. If a person doesn’t know to do a movement a coach can plan a movement by movement progression and add in the right mobility exercises to eleveiate any pain, tightness or restrictions. The number one key to a program is to build up quality movement patterns without weights and strengthen the entire body efficiently and effectively, while addressing the number clients/athletes number one goals. Each program will produce specific results for what the goals are which is to get game ready and prepared mentally and physically or to gain fitness which is still the same thing, but at a slightly lower level of performance production. But both client and athlete will become better by sticking to a program for long enough to reap the benefits of hard work.
Programs can last anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 to 4 years if they are a professional or training for the Olympics which can be a life long process for most high level athletes. This touches on a few of the important aspect of a general program. Each phase of a program has different blocks of focus that bring about different qualities in the human body such as Strength, Conditioning, flexibility, cardiovascular function,explosiveness, agility, re-action time and recovery. Each of these components can be addressed with specific movements or different repetition schemes or intervals. Just depends on the sport and or in season or off season. Again this is just a short description on how a program can work and how it can help you improve you abilities.
STRENGTH SESSIONS 