One of the most common requests that I receive from friends and family members is if I can design a workout program for them. Now obviously I am a Personal Trainer and I do design customized training programs for clients all the time. In fact I work with dozens of clients throughout North America through my online training and nutritional plans. However this is a service that I provide and therefore one that I charge a rate for. I have not and never will create a complimentary training program for anyone as it takes a lot of time and effort for me to do this.

I don’t just put a few random exercises together and add on a set number of sets and reps and send it to a client. Nor do I create generic training plans that can easily be found online yet are not personalized for each individual’s level of fitness, specific training goals and physical limitations. When I create a program for a client, I start from scratch each and every time. I don’t do cookie cutter plans and I don’t copy and paste workout routines to multiply clients. As much time as this may save, quite frankly it does not work. We are all individuals with different genetics, different health issues, different goals and different abilities and therefore we all need to have different training programs in my opinion.

Without giving away too many of my secrets, I’m going to tell you what I look for when designing a safe and effective training program for a client and how I use this information to help my clients continue to achieve results with their physiques and excel in the gym.

Rule #1 – Assess Your Weaknesses

We all have lagging body parts or muscle groups that are weaker then others. We in the fitness industry call these muscular imbalances. I’ve yet to meet a person on this planet who is completely happy with the way they look. Whether it be a classic case of “thunder thighs” a “bulging belly”, “bingo arms” or the popular “flat ass” syndrome that’s a national epidemic for women in gyms across the world, nobody is perfect. It’s important to be able to assess your weak areas on your body as well as your strengths. This does not necessarily mean that you have to work your weaker areas more and neglect your stronger areas, it just means that you need to prioritize them more into your training split.

Rule #2 – Be Realistic

If you know for a fact that you will be unable to commit to training in the gym 6 days a week then don’t design or have your trainer design a 6 day training split for you. Although your intentions might be good, you are only setting yourself up for failure. I always tell new clients to start with the “less is best” approach with regards to designing a new exercise program. If after 2-3 weeks of following the program consistently and with relative ease, then by all means bump up the volume.

Rule #3 – Perfect the Art of Symmetry

I’m so tired of seeing guys walking around with massive arms and huge chests but when you look down all you see are scrawny little legs. And many women are no different. I constantly see women working on their lower bodies with squats, hip thrusts, and a billion other ass and thigh exercises but rarely if ever do I see them working their upper bodies with the same type of volume and intensity. Men, start working your damn legs! And ladies, stop working your damn legs so much! I’ve always believed that training is an art and the body is the canvas. What you choose to put on your canvas is up to you. But do you really want to go half ass on your artwork?

Rule #4 – Have Fun

Life is serious enough, transforming your physique and improving your health shouldn’t have to be. I always like to find out what activities my clients enjoy to do outside of the gym and then find ways to incorporate some of these activities into their training programs. Keep your workouts interesting and fresh. You don’t have to follow the exact same arm routine every time you set foot in the gym. You also don’t have to only use the treadmill to get in a good cardio workout. Change up your routine from time to time. Learn a wide variety of exercises for each muscle group so that you have an abundance of ideas as to how and what you will train when you set foot in the gym. Life is also routine enough at times, so why should your training program be?

Rule #5 – Read, Research, Listen & Learn

You don’t have to be a fitness expert to design a safe and effective training program. Although I do strongly recommend that if you are new to working out and/or have suffered from injuries in the past that you do enlist in the services of a good Personal Trainer for at least a few sessions. Regardless, should you decide to create your own training split make sure you fully understand how the human body operates and functions or at least have a good grasp on basic human anatomy and physiology. I find myself cringing when I see someone rounding their back when they do a deadlift or swinging like a monkey from a tree while doing a set of basic dumbbell curls. Always be aware of your form and if you ever need a spot don’t be shy to ask someone.

Putting it all Together

Common sense is not so common when it comes to exercise. Many people are not in tune with their bodies or have not developed a proper mind to muscle connection and therefore their coordination may be off which can easily lead to a severe injury. The gym can be a dangerous place. And if you don’t know what you’re doing the consequences can be life threatening. So yes, you can download the latest workout routine from your Fitpal app on your Iphone or follow a random training split that you find in a fitness magazine, or even take the time to design a plan for yourself. Just remember that your workouts should be tailored to fit your lifestyle and help you achieve your goals. Take some of my own rules from above into consideration when creating your program and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Working out is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Being able to exercise is something that you want to be able to do for life, not just for a few short weeks. If you want the results then you have to put in the work and you have to have patience. And remember, when it comes to your health and wellbeing there is little to no room for error. So be smart and never take a good, solid, well constructed training program for granted.

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove