May 25

May 25 Is Your Exercise Prescription Right or All Wrong?

Healthy Strength Training, Healthy Lifestyle

Somebody asked me if I use a similar plan with all my clients. In theory yes but in implementation NO way! Would the same plan work for a 60 year old with scoliosis and a 25 year old stressed out finance student and an 82 year old diabetic with 4 toe amputations and a 58 year old with the genetics of a Viking warrior goddess?

I think you can see from these real client examples, that would not be actual personal training and it would also be fairly impossible to train those clients the same way. Every single client I work with has their own unique blueprint and workout plan.

Sure some exercises are needed by 80% of the population and those you will see in virtually every workout I do and that many fitness professionals do…

The band pull-apart is a great example of that. So are the glute bridge, the bird dog, dying bug, rows, presses, squats, lunges, cardio intervals and basic stretches too. In essence there are only 7 basic movement patterns and every type of movement available to condition the body originates from those. But it’s how you program movement for each individual that matters.

So while every person should probably be doing some form of hip hinge movement like the deadlift [considering it’s necessary for sitting] should every person be doing a basic dumbbell lunge? Some people struggle to stabilize themselves while stepping onto a curb while others can race up a rocky hill without losing their balance or their pace. These are both lunge patterns and can be improved in a multitude of ways!

So it’s not about the workout, it’s not even about the movement patterns, it's about knowing exactly how to prescribe exercise to a person and…

when to alter that exercise prescription so a client continues to get healthy, fit and happy. This level of exercise programming isn’t just a learned skill, it’s a science and an art and for some of us it’s also a gift.

We aren’t just in fitness because it’s a fun rock star job. We’re not just in fitness to collect a bunch of before and after pics that we can showcase on our social media. We’re in this career to transform people: mind, body and soul! Maybe this is not how you have experienced personal training before but it should be.

Just ask yourself if your doctor was constantly prescribing the wrong meds and you were not getting better, would you keep seeing them or seek out a better doctor?

It’s the same with fitness pros. Not all trainers program for the individual client believe it or not! Yet the entire point of personal training is to personalize your entire health and fitness journey. So if you’re in a situation where that isn’t happening be sure to level up your mindset and explore your options. It will not be like what you’ve experienced before and the abundance of results will amaze you.