Program Pro Blog
6 Reasons Your Program Isn't Working
Results speak.
When you get results, you gain clients.
The best part? You won't have to look for them. They'll look for you.
That all starts with a good program.
"But Dan, some of my clients are making progress and others aren't. I'm having a hard time figuring out why more of my programs aren't working. What am I missing?"
Ah, I thought you'd never ask.
Grab a cup o' Joe, kick your feet up, and read on.
Here are six reasons your program isn't working (and how to fix it so you can deliver consistent client results).
1. You Don't Have a Clear Focus
You're trying to do everything.
I get that your clients want to get strong, jacked, lean, and all the good stuff that comes with training.
And that can all happen...but only if your program has a clear focus.
That's why I think priority exercises are one of the best ways to improve your programming.
You pick 1-2 movements you want your clients to get really fucking good at and prioritize it in their program.
This is way more effective than cycling through an exhaustive list of random exercises and remaining mediocre at all of them.
"How do you know which ones to prioritize?"
Simple. Tie them into your client's goals.
If Bob wants to build his upper body, you might design a program that prioritizes the bench press or chin-ups. If Jess wants to build her glutes, you might emphasize the squat or hip thrust in her program.
Here are the exercises I tend to prioritize in my programs.
Note: You don't have to use the same ones that I do. This is just meant to give you inspiration for your own priority exercises!
Upper Body Priority Exercises
Chin-Up (relative strength)
Push-Up (relative strength)
Bench Press (absolute strength)
Med Ball Throw for Distance (power)
Lower Body Priority Exercises
Trap Bar Deadlift (absolute strength)
Box Squat (absolute strength)
Vertical Jump (power)
Ideally, you want at least 1 upper body and 1 lower body priority exercise in your programs so you don't deviate too heavily into one direction of training.
There are a ton of ways you can create programs that prioritize certain movements, so don't get caught up in the minutiae.
The two really important things you need to do are:
Perform the priority exercise first in the session. If it's important, do it first. Like brushing your teeth (god, I hope you brush your teeth).
Include exercises that improve your priorities. Whenever you're about to include an exercise in the program, ask yourself "Does this improve the priority? Will this bring my client closer to their goal?". If the answer is no, scratch it. If the answer is yes, put er in.
Sample Workout: Deadlift Priority
A. Trap Bar Deadlift 3 x 5 - Priority
B1. Single Leg RDL 3 x 8 - Supplemental
B2. Single Leg Hip Thrust 3 x 12 - Supplemental
C1. Reverse Hyper 3 x 10 - Accessory
C2. RKC Plank 3 x 20 sec - Accessory
Sample Workout: Bench Press Priority
A. Bench Press 3 x 3 - Priority
B. Dumbbell Floor Press 3 x 6 - Supplemental
C. PJR Pullover 3 x 12 - Accessory
D1. Dual Rope Triceps Extension 3 x 12 - Accessory
D2. Band Pull Apart 3 x 20 - Accessory
2. You're Program Hopping
I used to stress over the dumbest shit.
Like coming up with new exercises or switching programs so my clients wouldn't get bored.
Sound familiar?
Here's the thing - your clients ain't bored of their program.
YOU'RE bored of their program.
Think about it - you're obsessed with this stuff. Which is why you're reading this right now.
Your clients aren't exposed to a fraction of the information that you are on a daily basis when it comes to training.
Something as simple as switching from a dumbbell bench press to a barbell floor press can be a massive adjustment. Or progressing a split squat to a rear foot elevated split squat.
Don't stress yourself out trying to come up with fancy shmancy exercises to keep your clients motivated.
You know what's motivating? Results. And results take time and consistency following a good program.
Stick to the plan :)
3. Too Much Volume
Too much volume can lead to poor recovery between sessions.
You don't want your clients coming into the gym still banged up from the last workout. Their training will go to shit and they'll eventually start regressing.
All things considered, if you notice they aren't recovering between sessions, try dialing back the volume. You might reduce the total sets and reps by as much as 50% for 1-2 weeks before gradually ramping back up.
You'll have to make this decision based on what you feel is best for your client.
4. Your Clients Aren't Training Hard Enough
Your program might not even be the issue. Maybe it's the training intensity (or lack thereof).
At the end of the day, a program is just words and numbers if you don't apply the intensity needed to elicit adaptation.
5. You're Spending Too Much Time Warming Up
I mean, do your clients really need to foam roll for 20 minutes?
No. The answer is no.
The point of a warm-up is to warm up the body and gradually ramp up the intensity of the workout with low-intensity movements before progressing to high-intensity training.
I'll cap the warm-up at 8-12 minutes using the RAMP system (shoutout to Alwyn Cosgrove who originally developed this system).
RAMP Warm-Up
Range = Mobility stuff (ex. foam rolling, CARs)
Activation = Activation stuff (ex. band pull aparts, dead bugs)
Movement Preparation = This will be specific to the training session (ex. lighter ramp-up sets of squats or deadlifts before the working sets)
We'll usually do a power-specific movement at the end of the warm-up 2 x per week to stimulate the nervous system before strength training (ex. med ball throws or pogo jumps).
The warm-up should be specific to the training session and your client's individual goals. For example, if someone is super "tight", we'll focus more on mobility. If someone is really flexible but weak, we'll focus more on activation and get right into lifting.
Don't waste time rolling around for half an hour and doing a bunch of drills that don't move the needle.
Get to training.
6. You're Not Using All 3 Strength Training Methods
A lot of trainers get stuck in the monotony of programming the same 3x10 or 3x5 and rarely step outside of these rep ranges.
This leaves potential results on the table as your clients aren't using all three strength training methods in their program.
Below are guidelines on how to include each method in your program (1).
The 3 Strength Training Methods
Max Effort Method
Goal: Lift really heavy shit to get strong
Training percentage: 90% + of 1RM
Target total volume/session: 4-10 reps
Target sets/session: 3-5
Rest: 3-5 min
Frequency: 1-2 x per week
Dynamic Effort Method
Goal: Lift light shit but really fast to get explosive
Training percentage: 50-75% of 1RM
Target total volume/session: 18-30 reps
Target sets/session: 8-12
Rest: 30-90 sec
Frequency: 1-2 x per week
Repetitive Effort Method
Goal: Lift submaximal shit to get jacked
Training percentage: 70-85% of 1RM
Target total volume/session: 30-50 reps
Target sets/session: 3-5
Rest: 30-90 sec
Frequency: 3-4 x per week
Conclusion
A program is a map.
If you plug in the wrong address, it'll take you somewhere you don't want to go.
Like a Taylor Swift concert.
Or the dentist.
When it comes to designing programs that actually work, you need a system. Which is why I've taken my best 3-day training split and designed a free 12-Week Plug & Play Program Template. Gain instant access here. All you have to do is enter your name and email.
