Training Framework

Developing Training Programs

Creating a well thought out training program involves more than just lifting heavy. It requires a considered selection of exercises that target every major movement and muscle group - pushing, pulling, squatting, and hinging - while also incorporating cardiovascular conditioning to meet (and hopefully exceed) physical activity guidelines. This approach not only drives strength and hypertrophy (muscle growth) but also supports long-term health and reduced risk of chronic disease.

Exercise Selection: The Foundation of Strength and Functional Capacity

At the heart of any effective strength program is thoughtful exercise selection. Training compound lifts where possible is important - Prioritising variations of the Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, Overhead Press, Pull ups and Rows is a good place to start. These multi-joint movements work several muscle groups simultaneously, they provide measurable progress in strength and carry over well into everyday activities. Complementary exercises like dumbbell movements, unilateral movements, and abdominal work should be added in where possible to further improve your physical capacity to tolerate the demands of everyday life as you age.

Incorporating variations of these exercises helps to keep your body adaptable to a greater diversity of movements over time. Rotating between lifts and their complementary variations can be a helpful way to introduce new training stimuli and help prevent plateaus when a program is being consistently followed.

For example, 2 consecutive training blocks could look like this:

Block 1 (4-8 weeks):

Primary Lifts: High Bar Squat, TAG Bench Press, Romanian Deadlifts

Supplemental Lifts: Dumbbell Incline Bench, Lat Pulldowns, Leg Press

Accessory Exercises: Leg Extensions, Single Arm DB Rows, Curls

Block 2 (4-8 weeks):

Primary Lifts: Low Bar Squat, Pause Bench Press, Deadlift

Supplemental Lifts: Overhead Press, Pull Ups, Hack Squats

Accessory Exercises: Hamstring Curls, Plank Holds, Bulgarian Split Squats

As noted in our Progressive Loading article, variation like this not only helps prevent plateaus but also reduces the risk of repetitive strain injuries by diversifying the types of training stress you are exposed to.

However, it is important to remember that randomly chopping and changing variables in a program that is being inconsistently followed (or in your exercise habits more broadly) is akin to following a map with a blindfold on…

You do need to stick to a plan to know whether its working for you, or whether something needs changing – Being upset about a lack of retirement savings if you’ve never contributed to superannuation, but flit from one “get rich quick scheme” to the next (30 day transformation challenge anyone?) only serves to hurt you and those who care about you – Likewise with your physical health as you age.

The vast majority of the time when we have an honest conversation with a client about why they are missing sessions it is not because of exercise selection (as coaches we will always be receptive to changing a program when this is verbalised) – It is almost always due to some other life stress, compromised sleep, or work taking priority over their health – We understand that many of these issues cannot be resolved with one conversation, but recognising that they are the primary issue is essential in addressing the problem.

Integrating Cardio to Meet Physical Activity Guidelines

Lifting weights helps build muscle and strength, but cardio is equally important to your heart health and overall wellbeing. Public health guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic exercise per week, along with muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days.

Cardiovascular work can also improve your recovery and endurance, as well as supporting a better metabolic environment for muscle growth. There are several practical ways to incorporate cardio into your routine:

Low Intensity Steady State (LISS): Engage in longer duration activities like jogging or cycling on rest days or after weight sessions where time permits. LISS is likely the most accessible option for anyone without a substantial base of cardiovascular conditioning.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Short bursts of intense effort followed by recovery intervals. HIIT is an option when time is limited and can be good for improving cardiovascular fitness for specific sports.

Active Recovery: Try to incorporate “easy” cardio such as brisk walking where possible. This helps increase our step count which can have a strong positive effect on recovery and long-term health outcomes.

Balancing the demands of a Training Program

When structuring your program, begin by identifying your primary goals — whether that’s building strength, enhancing cardiovascular fitness, or both. To design a well balanced program consider the following elements:

1. Establish Important Movements: Begin with key compound lifts to build the foundation of your routine. Consistent training of multi-joint exercises like the squat, deadlift, bench press, and overhead press will help improve muscle mass, bone density and strength.

2. Introduce Strategic Variations: Periodically adjust your exercise selection to build a broader base of physical capacity as you age. For example, swapping a regular squat for a leg press, or experimenting with different deadlift techniques (such as sumo v conventional), can diversify your training stimuli without having to compromise your long term progress.

3. Manage Volume, Intensity and Recovery: Adjusting the number of Sets, Reps and RPEs you apply to training each movement (based on an honest assessment of your performance over time) is worthwhile. Have a read of our articles on Progressive Loading and RPE if you haven’t already.

Combining Strength and Cardio

As individual health interventions, strength training and cardiovascular conditioning can have an immense positive effect, but when combined successfully the impact on our long term health is even more profound.

As coaches we often find that new clients can carry a considerable amount of “exercise baggage” – Believing that doing extra cardio will impede their strength gains, or that lifting weights will impede their endurance activities... This mindset is incredibly self limiting from both a health and performance perspective.

While building up to tolerating more of both can initially feel challenging in terms of recovery, those who apply progressive loading and RPE are sure to see more long term progress in both domains when the training of each is intelligently combined and appropriately dosed.

Conclusion

A well designed training program should contain a considered selection of strength exercises, applies progressive loading and RPE, as well as integrating cardiovascular conditioning to meet (and hopefully exceed) current health guidelines.

Emphasising compound movements paired with purposeful variations (based on the individual’s goals), as well as a sufficient dose of cardio to support heart health and improve recovery should be the focus. Learning to balance the volume and intensity of your training with your current capacity for recovery will be key in achieving progress over the long term.

Whether your primary goal is strength, fitness, or improved health, this approach (when consistently followed) will yield results and promote a sustainable healthy lifestyle. Each session plays an important role in maintaining essential habits on your journey toward strength and longevity. Embrace intelligent exercise programming that includes RPE and a Progressive Loading approach if you want to fulfil your physical potential.

Your body is the one thing you enter this world with and the last thing you leave it with. To quote Dr Feigenbaum (Barbell Medicine):

“You only get one body, so we recommend you train it like your life depends on it – because it does”.