Programming
The world of fitness programming is endless, as there are endless different ways to get better when it comes to the human body. In my many years doing it, I’ve seen many “programs” that new clients showed me, as they were wondering how is it that they train so hard and don’t get any significant results. The main problem with those “programs” was that they looked more like a grocery list than a fitness program. I believe that the fitness field has many misconceptions, mostly because any progress requires many elements (nutrition, mental state, rest, training routine, etc), so if someone doesn’t make progress- it’s almost impossible for him to figure out what is the main reason for it, which can many times be a lousy program that lacks a progression method in it. I will put some lines here with a wide general explanation of what I believe should be the approach when customizing a new program, and after that, I will add some general tools that can assist when programming. The first step would be to figure out who is this program for, and what is the purpose of the program. After finalizing that, it’s easier to determine if the program should be customized “From micro to macro”, which means the program is customized from a certain moment to the future, or would it be a program “From macro to micro” which will be changed constantly during progress according to the current needs (sometimes this decision can be changed during process, due to external life events). In addition, customizing the right progression method is highly important. There is a large variety of different tools and methods that can assist with achieving progression during a program, it’s important to fit the right ones at the right time. I will give a brief explanation about some general tools and methods regarding progression in programming; At the beginning, trainees can have significant results weekly, and they can get stronger linearly. A beginner can most likely increase intensity (upload weights. shorten rest) increase volume (add reps/sets/exercises/training days) regularly, but after time and progress, the body won’t adjust and recover so quickly and progression starts to come slowly. At this stage, the program will probably change from a linear program to a periodization program, that takes into consideration different goals for different times, so results may take longer to come. Programs that are customized in the periodization method, will most likely be categorized with “Mesocycles, Microcycles, and Macrocycles) which are mostly fancy names for different time periods in a program. Each time period in the program gives it’s focusing on a different element (hypertrophy, strength, endurance, explosive power, technique, etc) so in each stage, the athlete is better at the current focus. It’s a great way to build new strengths and abilities, as every stage is built on the previous stage. Another great way to program in advanced stages is the DUP (Daily Undulating Periodization) in which the program will change the volume and intensity daily for each main exercise, so the trainee can work on many different aspects at the same week, without losing strength or other abilities that would probably decrease in a normal periodization program.
Tools
In the next part of the page, I added some examples for tools that can be used in fitness programming, just to give a slight taste of the programming world. I added a few basic tools which I find handy many times when customizing a program to the individual. After years of programming, I many times combine many tools together in the same program, according to what I find as best at any given situation. Most famous programs (Starting strength, Texas method, Mad cow, The cube, 5,3,1, etc) were customized with the same charts and percentages, exactly because of it’s effectiveness.
Terms
First of all, I share a list of important basic terms that are used in the fitness world. The next list contains some common terms and their meanings. The terms I published here appear in many programs and training session, and are probably the most famous and used today. The explanations and comments I added are highly general and do not cover the idea of each term, but only their overall general idea.
1RM Calculator
The RM (Repetition Maximum) is one of the best ways to indicate someone got stronger. Let’s assume someone started a program when he could Deadlift 220Kg for 3 reps, his 3RM was 220KG, he finished his program and went to a 3RM test and found out he can  Deadlift 230KG for 3 reps, his new 3RM is now 230- 10KG more than before. Another benefit of knowing the RM is that it’s a useful tool to calculate working weights in a working session or program. It works mostly well at the lower percentages (70%-90%+-) mostly because it’s hard to predict how someone will feel (physically, mentally) in a given day,  in which he is supposed to maximize effort with a lifting more than 90% of his 1RM; this can be not productive and even dangerous. When reaching advanced stages in a program, in which the working weights are around 90% of the 1RM, I mostly suggest to replace the percentages scale to an RPE scale, due to its individualization and flexibility. I shared here a 1RM calculator, which I find as a great tool to figure out a trainee’s 1RM without attempting an actual risky 1 rep with maximum weight. The 1RM calculator can predict with good accuracy the 1RM from a given amount of weight which was lifted for a given number of reps. The output of a 1RM can assist a trainee with understanding the working weights in lower percentages, according to his needs. It’s important to say that I would decrease 5%-10% of the 1RM given, to be on the safe side (always better) and that the output of the calculator is less accurate with each additional rep added to the equation. The calculation is more accurate as lower the reps are, 2,3,4 reps would have the best accuracy, and as reps go up-accuracy goes down. I wouldn’t count too much on the output of more the 6 or 7 reps.
1RM Calculator
The RM (Repetition Maximum) is one of the best ways to indicate someone got stronger. Let’s assume someone started a program when he could Deadlift 220Kg for 3 reps, his 3RM was 220KG, he finished his program and went to a 3RM test and found out he can  Deadlift 230KG for 3 reps, his new 3RM is now 230- 10KG more than before. Another benefit of knowing the RM is that it’s a useful tool to calculate working weights in a working session or program. It works mostly well at the lower percentages (70%-90%+-) mostly because it’s hard to predict how someone will feel (physically, mentally) in a given day,  in which he is supposed to maximize effort with a lifting more than 90% of his 1RM; this can be not productive and even dangerous. When reaching advanced stages in a program, in which the working weights are around 90% of the 1RM, I mostly suggest to replace the percentages scale to an RPE scale, due to its individualization and flexibility. I shared here a 1RM calculator, which I find as a great tool to figure out a trainee’s 1RM without attempting an actual risky 1 rep with maximum weight. The 1RM calculator can predict with good accuracy the 1RM from a given amount of weight which was lifted for a given number of reps. The output of a 1RM can assist a trainee with understanding the working weights in lower percentages, according to his needs. It’s important to say that I would decrease 5%-10% of the 1RM given, to be on the safe side (always better) and that the output of the calculator is less accurate with each additional rep added to the equation. The calculation is more accurate as lower the reps are, 2,3,4 reps would have the best accuracy, and as reps go up-accuracy goes down. I wouldn’t count too much on the output of more the 6 or 7 reps.
1RM Calculator
The RM chart is a great tool to determine working weights in a workout. Let’s say someone wants to know the amount of weight which he can use for a 5RM lift- He can input his estimated 1RM (I.E 120KG) and multiply it with the percentages that fit 5 reps (87%) so he can probably max out with 105 KG (120 * 0.87 = 104.4) for 5 reps. This chart can assist in many different ways, I.E- Someone who wants to keep his 1RM intensity at a given workout but doesn’t want to work on low reps range, or someone who wants to find the rep range in a given weight, or for someone who wants to test his strength, and the list goes on and on. This chart can be handy when combined in almost any situation when training and I see it essential tool for any trainee and trainer. It’s important to understand that this chart, is the high end (maximum weight) a trainee can lift in a given rep range, it doesn’t leave any spare weight/reps and it’s mostly not a smart idea to work on the edge.
1RM Calculator
The Prilepin’s chart is a well known chart that claims to have the optimal volume and intensity a weightlifting program has to include. Alexander Sergeyvitch Prilepin was the legendary Soviet union weightlifting coach, he came with this chart from studying Olympic weightlifters training sessions, and until today it’s a great guiding to find the right balance between volume and intensity. When looking into the basics of many weightlifting, powerlifting and even bodybuilding programs, the Prilepin’s chart is somewhere in the infrastructure of it (I.E the known program 5×5 which uses around 70-80% of the 1RM for 5 reps, and 5 sets. When looking at the second like at the Prilepin’s chart, it’s exactly the same- 70%-80% from 1RM, for 3-6 reps, for a total rep range of 20-24 reps). The Prilepine’s chart isn’t perfect and it has it’s downsides. Some examples for downsides I noticed- it doesn’t mention how many times a week to do each workout, how much rest between sets, or why would someone work with 60% of his 1RM for 3-6 reps when researches show that it doesn’t stimulate the muscles enough for progression, in which level should a trainee be to use the chart? Can a trainee do all the lifts at the same workout?  and the list of unanswered questions goes on. Despite it’s downsides, it does has it’s benefits and I see the Prilepine’s chart as a nice and handy tool to have, which can be nicely combined with other tools.
1RM Calculator
The RPE (Rated Perceived Exertion) is the subjective effort scale that translates the effort feel of the trainee to the amount of weight and reps. The chart came from the endurance training world, as the subjective effort feeling from endurance athletes were measured on a scale 0-200 (somewhere between the BPM of the heart). The RPE hart can help a trainee find the number of reps or the working weight according to his subjective effort feeling. Let’s say a trainee wants to lift at an effort scale of 9, he can either increase weight until the point in which he feels he has one more rep (it’s written in a program as @9) or he can use a certain amount of weight and do reps until he reaches and effort level of RPE 9. The RPE chart is quiet similar to the RM chart (I.E 2 reps in RPE 10, are the maximum someone can lift for two reps, so in the RPE chart the percentage would be 95.5% and in the RM chart 95%) I find the RPE really useful due to it’s flexibility and that it can determine a specific workout without predetermine the working weights. It’s a great tool to work with especially with advanced trainees (which can really understand their own effort feeling) In advanced stages of a program, when working weights become subjectively heavy (90%+-) I will most likely use the RPE method, as it assists with maximizing opportunities to progress while decreasing risk dramatically.
1RM Calculator
The tools I demonstrated can be adjusted to any progress desired in the fitness world. But there are endless other ways to make progress. I want to show another great way to increase overload, especially for assistance exercises like RDL, Lunges, Incline press, Australian rows, etc. Instead of increasing intensity or volume by adding weight or reps/sets from week to week, sometimes I find it beneficial to maintain the familiar intensity and volume and to increase overload by “Rest interval manipulation.” I do that by shortening rests between sets from week to week, with the same intensity/volume.