Author: Eric Moss
When is it “ok” to change training programs?
About a week ago I was having a conversation with one of my personal training clients. She had wanted to know when I plan on switching up the exercises involved in her program even though in her words her abs are the strongest they’ve ever been. She enjoys training just for the sake of training and adding fitness into her life, and there are no hard deadlines or anything specific (like a wedding, class reunion or big game) to peak for.
Like many answers when it comes to fitness, strength, health and all that fun stuff the answer is “it depends”
Depends on what? Well, a number of things really. If you wanted to be truly great at something it might take a lifetime of dedication to a single thing. If you just wanted to be generally healthy and fit, you have a bit more flexibility with that one.
If I accept someone into the Amazing 12 Body Transformation programs, the program (as in the exercises involved) doesn’t change until after the 12-week time frame is over. No, it’s not the same thing day after day, and actually, in Amazing 12 classic there are segments left to the coach’s discretion, but that was also a program that wasn’t designed by me.
The program does progress, just like the ones I write. You see when it comes to writing programs there are a number of different things that can be configured and progressed. Exercise selection is actually the last thing the body adapts to, and some of my personal training clients thrive on the same exercises day after day.
What I usually like to change first are the sets, the reps, the load, and in some cases the cadence or time under tension. Unless I’m using a spreadsheet or something the prescribed load and total rep happens based on what I’m predicting my client can handle on a given day and where they are in their progression.
What I used to say a while back is when people would say they were getting bored, was that the training programs are intended to bring them to their goals, not to entertain them.
Nowadays and maybe I’m getting soft, or maybe I’ve wisened up a little bit but I’ll change it up for them. I mean are they going to be more or less likely to achieve their goal if they lose their love of training? The fact of the matter is that there are more ways up the mountain than just one. And yes, some routes are faster and more direct than others, but that doesn’t mean the others won’t get you there eventually as well.
Sticking to the basics is important, but so is enthusiasm for training. One shouldn’t come at the complete expense of the other.
Now one of the things, is progress can be a terrific motivator. According to Tony Robbins, people are actually more happy when making progress towards a goal than they are actually achieving it. So an appropriate time to change programs is when you stop reaping the benefits of the program.
Another would be when the program would no longer be appropriate. As an example, I have a high school athlete as a personal training client. When he came to me, it was in the middle of the season so the program had to provide quick non-exhaustive gains in strength. I put a laser focus on hex bar deadlifting and loaded carries since I knew they could progress quickly and have a high carry over.
When in-between seasons I had seen that there was a gap in his pushing strength. So I switched his program (we stopped getting gains in his overhead pressing strength) and put him on a progression that could make him more tired, but would produce rapid and dramatic progress before the season started again.
How rapid and how dramatic? Well at the end of approximately 13 weeks of training he put up an easy 8 reps with 125% of his one repetition max in the military press. As in he did 8 reps with a weight 25% heavier than what he could do for one at the beginning.
His single-hand kettlebell overhead press went to doing 19 consecutive reps with his previous 1 rep max and he still had some left in the tank. That is dramatic progress, especially if you compare it to a standard periodization program which might see a 25% increase if it’s a good program that is.
Now that the season is getting close, we’ll dial it back and put him on a program more appropriate to his situation. Yes, he was still gaining with the first one just not as fast or dramatic, but the situation itself is changing and I wanted to give his body a chance to adapt to the new program.
Also sometimes your goals change. Sometimes a goal that once excited you no longer does. It’s ok. You can either achieve your goal, or you can lose interest. There was at one point when I would have done anything to win my ex back. Nowadays knowing her true character and being married to someone better, I’d rather make out with a toilet seat.
Now I appreciate you sticking with me this long, especially given the attention span these days. So I’ll just provide a quick list of instances when it’s ok to change programs. There may be more but this is what I have for now.
- when you achieve your goals
- if you lose interest in your goals
- if the program you are on stops giving you reasonable levels of progress
- if the situation no longer fits the program
- if it kills your love of training
- if your body screams that you need to (ie something hurts)
- if I tell you to (it helps to have a coach that can objectively look at the situation)
I hope that helps you out. If you have any questions or are in the Boonton area and are looking to take charge of your health, transform your body and achieve your goals, I offer a free trial membership of my personal training program. Just text me at 973 476 5328 and introduce yourself.
Eric Moss is a personal trainer in Boonton and doubles as a world-record-holding modern-day professional performing strongman, author, and motivational speaker. In the tradition of the strongmen more common during the turn of the century, he performs feats of strength such as bending steel and breaking chains as part of a show and speaks on goal achievement for corporations, nonprofits, government as well as for schools and universities. His exclusive personal training studio is located on Main Street in Boonton New Jersey, is close to Mountain Lakes, Denville, Montville and Parsippany New Jersey.
Power Breathing for Safety and Strength
I have a chiropractor I go to simply because bending steel is hard on the body, and can put things out of alignment. My chiropractor regularly sees a spike in business after a snowstorm, many times because people throw their backs out while shoveling snow.
Since it’s snowing right now and is expected to keep snowing throughout the day, I figured I could give you this quick tip now and save your back when shoveling snow later, and possibly keep you out of the chiropractor’s office unnecessarily (sorry doc!)
First, the information in this post is for informational purposes only. And it is given under the assumption that you don’t have any blood pressure or cardiovascular issues.
So when you dig your shovel into the snow, there is going to be a couple things to keep in mind. One is your spinal alignment which I can try to explain as keep your spine long, and try to get the movement from your hips and legs.
When it comes time to fling the snow sip in air like you are drinking a cup of coffee (coffee is my pre-workout of choice). Imagine as if you are filling a vase from the bottom up. Then trap the air in your stomach like you are trying to squish a bubble as you fling the snow to the side of the driveway.
What this does is provide support for the spine using your abs like a safety belt. This technique is something I teach as part of optimal technique training in my personal training studio in Boonton for things like kettlebell swings, deadlifts, overhead pressing, etc. Safety shouldn’t come at the expense of strength, and strength shouldn’t come at the expense of safety either. They work together simultaneously as part of optimal technique.
Many times also people get a rude awakening when they go to shovel their driveway when they realize they got out of shape. If this is you, and you want to sample my program, I offer a free trial membership. Just text me at 973 476 5328 and let me know when you’d like to get started.
Eric Moss is a personal trainer in Boonton and doubles as a world-record-holding modern-day professional performing strongman, author, and motivational speaker. In the tradition of the strongmen more common during the turn of the century, he performs feats of strength such as bending steel and breaking chains as part of a show and speaks on goal achievement for corporations, nonprofits, government as well as for schools and universities. His exclusive personal training studio is located on Main Street in Boonton New Jersey, is close to Mountain Lakes, Denville, Montville and Parsippany New Jersey.
Personal Trainer in Boonton Success Story Spotlight – Ken
One of the things I tell people when they ask about my personal training program and approach is “forget any marketing pitch or whatever and just look at the success I bring people. That should tell you everything you need to know.” I wanted to start this series of posts by highlighting some of my Boonton personal training success stories as they come in.
When Ken first came to me, it was because he had gone to a seminar about healthy living as we get older. He was recommended to find a Functional Movement Systems (FMS), certified instructor. FMS helps me to make sure it’s safe to load them, and if it isn’t provide corrective exercise strategies to get them to a point where we can strength train safely.
So once we got to a point where I could safely strength train him I put him on some progressions for exercises that would have a high transfer to the physical challenges that come from life.
Ken’s career keeps him consistently busy throughout the week so we set up a plan where he would do exercise “homework” and trains with me in person once a week.
Training with me he went from zero to 7 legit pull-ups (most adults can’t even do 1), he can lift over 200 lbs off the floor, and take it for a short walk across the room. Not bad for a man 68 years young who never trained with weights in any of the years before me.
One of the things I like most about Ken is he’s knowledgeable, wise and has a unique perspective on a variety of topics. Each personal training session, I look forward to being able to ask him questions because I never really know what his answer will be.
Ken even helped me perform one of my feats of strength shows. Both by smashing a paving stone on my abs with a sledgehammer and “volunteering” for a version of a feat involving nail driving by hand that I like to call “DIY vasectomy”.
In this case, what prompted me to capture his success story recently was because he came into my personal training studio that morning and told me his chiropractor had noticed the changes in his body (better balanced) and said that he’s in the best shape in all the years he’s known him. In addition to that, we consistently bump up his strength. As of updating this on April 16th 2021 he’s able to do 7 chin ups (see how many 68 year old men you know that just started training 2 years ago that can do that many) his hex bar deadlift to loaded carry is currently projected to be over 230lbs. I have full confidence I’ll get him to do it with double bodyweight.
It is always an honor for me when people choose me to help them on their journey to strength, health, and becoming harder to kill. It is tremendously rewarding for me personally when I see them make progress and improve their lives as a result.
You can see more of my personal training success stories here.
If you want to try me out, I have a free trial membership so you can see if you like it. I’m now allowing up to 2 people at a time in the studio on a case by case scenario, so availability is still limited, but I have a bit more room now. Just make sure to wear your mask. Text 973 476 5328 to get started.
Eric Moss is a personal trainer in Boonton and doubles as a world-record-holding modern-day professional performing strongman, author, and motivational speaker. In the tradition of the strongmen more common during the turn of the century, he performs feats of strength such as bending steel and breaking chains as part of a show and speaks on goal achievement for corporations, nonprofits, government as well as for schools and universities. His exclusive personal training studio is located on Main Street in Boonton New Jersey, is close to Mountain Lakes, Denville, Montville and Parsippany New Jersey.