Hypertrophy Programming- Example
Last week, I gave you the basic principles (load/intensity, volume, frequency, exercise choices, and rest) to create your own hypertrophy program. The basic principles are essential to create a program, but it can still be difficult to know where to start. How do you apply the basic principles to your own life? It can be confusing to analyze everything happening in your life, filter out irrelevant things, and then focus on what actually matters to create a program.
My hope is that this article will make it a little clearer. Today, I will first give you an example of a hypothetical person, and then, I will analyze what factors will impact how I would program for them. Lastly, I will show you the result of the analysis with a full hypothetical program.
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Case Study
Our hypothetical 25-year-old client that works a classic 9-5, 40-hour work week from home. Their job keeps them largely sedentary throughout the week, but they alternate between standing and sitting at their desk. Throughout the day, they like to go on occasional walks with their dog or take a bike to run small errands. They enjoy rock climbing and mountain biking but would like to go more often than they currently do (1-2 times per month). They used to weight lift 3 days per week, but after a recent move, they haven’t gone to a gym in the last couple weeks. Before the move, they followed programs that other people told them to do or whatever their gym partner did. In an ideal world, they would like to work out 4 times per week with a few extra cardio sessions (swimming, biking, or walks) a week. They occasionally have small amounts of pain in their right shoulder/neck and left hip.
When it comes to their diet, they are fairly health conscious. They pay attention to the way their body feels after eating certain foods. They try to follow a mainly vegan or plant-based diet. They consciously try to include high protein sources in all their meals. They will occasionally eat fish or eggs to get a little extra protein into their diet. Their diet is very high in fruits and vegetables. They do not track calories or macronutrients. They include a multivitamin and try to drink at least 3L of water a day. They also are not too restrictive. They enjoy a good, sweet snack every now and then and will have a few drinks every week.
Their sleep is controlled with a regular sleeping environment and time. They minimize blue light exposure before bed. They like to drink an herbal tea before they go to sleep. They would like to become more of a morning person.
Overall, they have average stressors to their life. They have occasional things come up with their work, family, and friends. However, they try to not let those stressors impact other parts of their life. Stressors are subject to flex with what is going on in their life and so does their response to their stressors. At this time, they aren’t overwhelmed, and they are open to making a change with their workout routine.
They want to change their habits to improve their long-term health and longevity of life. They realize the importance physical activity has on mental health and more specifically how it impacts Alzheimer’s disease in aging populations. They have a deeper fear of losing control of their mental health when they are older.
Analysis
The first step of my analysis is: Will I write them a program?
Yes, I will. This person is on the right track. They are healthier than the average person but could benefit from some programming. The most important thing for a new client of mine is their mindset. They need to be in it for the right reason (no reason is wrong, just not right for that person), and they need to be actively trying to better themselves. This person has a deep rooted “why” – a reason for wanting to improve their health - and they have somewhat realistic expectations. If they did not have this mindset, I would find it a lot harder to just write them a program. It is difficult to write a program knowing that it won’t be followed and won’t make a permanent change in that person’s life. If they do not have the right mindset, it is not likely that they will stick to a program long-term. However, I believe this individual has the correct mindset, and I am willing to write them a program. If they did not, I want to coach them before writing a program.
The next step of my analysis is: Summarizing their information and note effects of their lifestyle.
Work Activity
· 9-5 schedule: free early mornings and evenings throughout the week and open weekends.
· Sedentary for work: needs more physical activity from non-workouts (hobbies, walks, etc).
Physical Activity
· Enjoys climbing, swimming, and riding their bike: potential modes of extra physical activity.
· Has pain with their right shoulder/neck and left hip: focus on proper warm up and monitor flair ups.
· Their goal is to workout 4 times a week and get more cardio in: A big change from their current activity level.
Diet
· No idea what their protein consumption is: could limit recovery.
· Cooks their own meals: could limit willingness to workout in evenings if they are cooking dinner/evening workouts might make them want to eat out.
Stressors
· Sleep is under control: help them recover.
· Just like most people, is subject to the everyday stresses of life: could impact consistency especially around holidays or other stressful times.
· Wants to become a morning person: could benefit from more consistent habits in the morning.
From the 5 paragraphs that originally described this hypothetical person, I took away 10 bullets. This is similar to what I would do after a conversation with a potential client. These bullets give me my left and rights (the limitations to their programing) of what will help this person. Their goal of working out 4 times per week and cardio is a large jump from their current behavior. Many trainers would just write a program that fits what they want. However, making that extreme change isn’t maintainable. The new program will last as long as their motivation does, but once that runs out, which is inevitable because the change is so extreme, so will their gym attendance. A long-term goal requires a slower change that is maintainable. They need to be able to build a foundation that is flexible to life’s stressors. Here is how I would apply the basic principles of hypertrophy programing to this individual.
Load/Intensity- I would have them workout with 2 repetitions “left in the tank” for all weighted exercises. Target repetition range will be from 8-12 and 15-20 for most exercises. For bodyweight exercises, they can work until failure.
Volume- I would start this person at 8-10 sets per body part, per week. I’d focus on a good warm up for their hips and shoulders before every workout.
Frequency- I’ll start this person with 3 full body workouts per week. No cardio designated workout, but a target of 7,000 steps per day. Add a walk a 5-10 minute walk every morning after breakfast before work to help with their morning routine.
Exercise Choices- I’d like to start someone in this situation with mainly compound movements and isolation movements for weak areas. In this case, their weak areas are their shoulders and hips. With a gym membership, they should have access to free weights and machines.
Rest- For this person, movement is more important than intensity. I would keep rest periods relatively low, making the entire workout shorter and easier to maintain.
I realize that there is a lot that goes into making a program. To make it even simpler, I have some closing tips. If you have a lot of stress in your life, be more conservative with your volume. It is better to slowly increase your training volume than immediately overtrain. Have your training frequency one less than what is “ideal” for you (in this hypothetical it was 4 days per week so I created a 3 day per week program). This is a more conservative start and will keep you from feeling like a failure when you can’t make it to the gym. You can always add an extra day if you have free time. No matter what change you are making to your lifestyle, if you want it be a longer-term change, start small.
