10-Step Approach to Designing a Training Program

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Training Goal Setting

Training Frequency Setting

Training Program Creation

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This system is primarily based on the

Andy Galpin series on the Huberman Lab podcast⁠

, with some of my own experience as a fitness practicioner and student over the past decade mixed in.

The purpose of the system is to guide you through 10 steps to create a training program that optimizes for physical fitness and longevity/healthspan enhancement. The primary focus is resistance training.

Having a program removes the guesswork, indecision, and possible overwhelm you may feel when thinking about health and fitness practices. By following a clear program, you reduce the cognitive load on deciding how to train, so that you merely focus on consistent execution following the program. The aim is to make the fitness practice become a

habit⁠

embedded in your daily rituals. This leads to long-term sustained success.

To familiarize yourself with this system and its principles, watch the video below, and/or read the written essay.

Then, start using the system from

Training Goal Setting⁠

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For any questions and thoughts,

submit this form⁠

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Explanation video

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The 10 steps

Read the full essay

here⁠

Assess and Choose Your Training Goal. Ensure it's specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Focus on one or two goals per

goal cycle⁠

to avoid confusion and mental overwhelm. The goal can be outcome focused (e.g, reduce body fat percentage by 5%, increase lean muscle mass by 12 LBS) or process-oriented (e.g., resistance training following the program 4 times per week & cardio 3 times per week).

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Training Goal Setting⁠

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Identify Your Defender. What is going to stop you from achieving your goal? These are your defenders, and you want to lay them all out in the beginning to shine the light of awareness on them. Know your potential points of failure (e.g., time constraints, recurring injury, travel schedule, limiting beliefs, fear of success/failure), so that you can make peace with them and incorporate flexibility into your regimen.

Goal Timeline. Set a timeline for achieving your goal. This could be a twelve-week cycle for nearer goals, or extend as needed for more distant objectives. Avoid excessive optimism, particularly during the planning phase when fleeting motivation may influence you. Motivation is transient and vague, and it doesn't guarantee steady progress, though you can certainly appreciate its presence when it arises.

Weekly Training Frequency. Determine the number of training sessions you want to have each week. Take the previous three steps into consideration and establish a realistic schedule that you can adhere to over time. At this stage, you can also decide the type of training you'll perform each day. Remember to incorporate zone 2 (long duration, low intensity) cardio at least twice a week, and zone 5 (short, high intensity) cardio once or twice a week. These practices can be added to the end of your resistance training sessions or on separate days.

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Training Frequency Setting⁠

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Exercise Selection Program. After defining your schedule, choose exercises for each weekly session. In resistance training, you can assign each training day to a specific split that targets certain or all body parts. A good practice is to target the same muscle group at least twice per week. This spreads the workload over multiple days, allowing for more volume and intensity, as the muscle group has time to recover. The best split depends on training frequency, your experience level, and preference. For a beginner (less than 2 years of consistent training) training 3 times a week, a

Full Body split⁠

is likely most suitable. After determining the training split, select exercises for each session. Aim for 6-8 movements in resistance training sessions. The movements you choose depend on the training split. In a full-body program, you might select one exercise per muscle group based on main

movement patterns⁠

(e.g., squat, hip hinge, vertical pull, horizontal push, vertical push, and some isolation exercises for smaller muscle groups like calves, biceps, triceps).

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Training Program Creation⁠

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Exercise Order. After selecting exercises based on movement patterns, you can arrange them for each session. Strive to position the most demanding exercises, typically

compound movements⁠

like bench press, squat, deadlift, that engage the most muscle fibers at the beginning of the sessions, followed by the rest.

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Intensity/Load⁠

. At this stage, assign sets and repetitions for each exercise in each session. The intensity (percentage of 1 rep max) of the exercises depends on your training goals, experience level, and rep count. Generally, aim to train near or to failure (high effort, with the last rep feeling very hard, and you could only manage 1 or none more). Rep ranges below 5 allow for heavy loads, skewing the training adaptations towards strength. The 6-15 rep range is most suitable for muscle hypertrophy (developing muscle mass/toning). More than 15 reps enhance muscular endurance.

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Volume⁠

refers to the amount of work done by each muscle group. Distribute this volume throughout the week to promote muscle recovery and growth. For resistance training, strive for 10-20 sets per muscle group each week, incorporating both lower and higher rep ranges to stimulate different training adaptations.

Rest Intervals.

Type

Speed, Power, Strength

Hypertrophy

Endurance

Rest Interval

2 - 5 minutes

1 - 2 minutes

20-60 seconds

10. Chaos Management. Carry out a

negative visualization⁠

practice to identify all potential points of failure that could hinder the successful implementation of a program that encourages more movement in your daily life. Become aware of these potential issues and formulate a plan to address them if they occur.

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Read the full essay

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List of tables

A list of all the base tables in this system for reference.

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Goals⁠

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Training Programs⁠

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Training Sessions⁠

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Exercises⁠

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Exercise Tracking⁠

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Simo⁠

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Explanation video

The 10 steps

List of tables

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